Product Description

Harry Potter is an ordinary boy who lives in a cupboard under the stairs at his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's house, which he thinks is normal for someone like him who's parents have been killed in a 'car crash'. He is bullied by them and his fat, spoilt cousin Dudley, and lives a very unremarkable life with only the odd hiccup (like his hair growing back overnight!) to cause him much to think about. That is until an owl turns up with a letter addressed to Harry and all hell breaks loose! He is literally rescued by a world where nothing is as it seems and magic lessons are the order of the day. Read and find out how Harry discovers his true heritage at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, the reason behind his parents mysterious death, who is out to kill him, and how he uncovers the most amazing secret of all time, the fabled Philosopher's Stone! All this and muggles too. Now, what are they? This is Jo's first book and she has already written seven outlines for Harry's further adventures at Hogwarts. She lives in Edinburgh.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1922385 in Books
• Published on: 2000-11-01
• Number of items: 7
• Binding: Audio CD

From Amazon.co.uk
Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand and jellybeans that come in every flavour, including strawberry, curry, grass and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! This is exactly what happens to young Harry Potter in J K Rowling's enchanting, funny debut novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. In the non-magical human world--the world of "Muggles"--Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is renowned as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoilt, pig-like cousin Dudley.

A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry from his dreary, Muggle-ridden existence: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry". Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Soon enough, however, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his owl Hedwig ... and that's where the real adventure--humorous, haunting, and suspenseful--begins.

This magical, gripping, brilliant book--a future classic to be sure--will leave children clamouring for a sequel. (Ages 8-13) --Karin Snelson

Amazon.co.uk Review
Just when it seems that there cannot possibly be another twist to the Harry Potter tale, Stephen Fry dons his haughtiest and naughtiest tones to bring Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to vibrant life on audio.

Harry Potter has spent the first 10 years of his life at the mercy of the dreadful Dursleys--the aunt, uncle and fat, spoilt brat of a cousin who reluctantly gave him a home after the death of his mother and father. But on his 11th birthday Harry discovers that he is no ordinary boy, and despite the best efforts of his hideous relatives he escapes to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to begin his new life as a trainee wizard. And the rest, as they say, is history...

As Harry battles against the evils thrown in his path, Stephen Fry injects the proceedings with a wry, dry and extremely contagious humour that perfectly suits the tale, wringing out the best in Harry and his cohorts as they get to grips with their new lives at the sharp end of Hogwarts. Fry's innate upper-class drone is perfectly suited to the telling of this most magical tale, cracking into the high-pitched squawking of Hermione the swat, or the gentle tones of the firm but fair Dumbledore, or the evil sniping of slimey Snape at precisely the right moments, adding further atmosphere and intensity to the story

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a fine story and much has been written about its success but until you have heard Fry's cracking reading of this most magical of stories then you simply haven't lived. As with any audio book, this one is perfect for car journeys and an ideal way of introducing reluctant readers to the magic that is Harry Potter. (Age 9 and over) --Susan Harrison

Review
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
`J.K. Rowling is a fantastic author
and I would encourage any child to read the Harry Potter books' --Wayne Rooney, The Independent

Customer Reviews

Magical!
In my overly-excited anticipation of the seventh and final novel coming out on 21st July `07, I've started reading the Harry Potter series again (for the third time) and I'm enjoying them just as much now as I did the very first time I read them.

`Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' is the first book in the magical 7-book saga, introducing an orphaned young boy, Harry, who has been bought up for the past 10 years by his aunt and uncle, who have been keeping Harry's secret very well hidden from him.

To Harry's surprise and disbelief, once he reaches his 11th birthday he finds out that his is a wizard and is invited to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And so this begins one of the most engrossing and enjoyable stories ever written.

The first book is obviously a great place to start. The book is reasonably short, the story is fairly straight-forward (for now!) and once you have gotten a few chapters in you will without a doubt be already deeply absorbed and won't be able to put it down.

JK Rowling has a special writing talent that many (most) other authors don't, where you actually feel like you have been to places like Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, Platform nine & three quarters and Privet Drive and have really met the likes of Ron and the Weasley family, Hermoine, Dumbledore, Snape, Voldermort, the Malfoys, the Dursleys, Hagrid and the rest of the memorable characters.

To anyone considering reading the Harry Potter books for the first time my advice would be this - join the hype, forget about the real world and enjoy six (most likely to be seven) of the best books ever written, that can be enjoyed by both children and adults alike.

Philosophers stone
You've probably heard of this book already, and if you haven't read it yet I think you'll enjoy it.

This is a story about Harry and his two new friends settling down for their first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry only to discover that they have a part to play in the downfall of the evil Sssh! You-Know-Who. You will like Harry Potter. He's shy and self-doubting and puts up with a lot from his awful aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon and fat cousin Dudley. Poor Harry lost his parents, supposedly in a car crash, when he was a baby and that was when he received the strange lightning-shaped scar across his forehead. Ever since then he has slept in the cupboard under the stairs at the Dursleys' perfectly normal house in Privet Drive and the best thing he has to look forward to is starting at the local secondary school next term - well away from Dudley who will be going to his father's old, expensive school, Smeltings.

But, other people know a lot more about Harry than Harry does himself. That lightning-shaped scar is a matter of enormous interest and Harry is about to discover that he has a lot of friends, and enemies, in a rather different kind of world from the one he was brought up in.

This is a book about magic, but there's plenty of reality. Settling into a new school, making friends, learning who to trust and who not to trust and when to obey school rules and when to overlook them. There's a great deal of humour in the book. You might find the magic funny - visit Diagon Alley to purchase all your Hogwart's kit - but there is strong evil magic too and you won't doubt the courage that Harry has to show in the final chapter.

Written in a strong narrative style with straightforward but not over-simplified language there is enough in this plot to think about whether you are Harry's age or Sssh! You-Know-Who!

An Absolute Must.
I am not the first person you would be expecting to read this book because I'm a 20-year old male.

The reason I bought the book was to see for myself what all this Harry Potter stuff was about. I am ashamed to say, that before the Philosopher Stone, I had never in my life read a book cover to cover, because I get too easily bored.
This book, however, had me up at all hours of the night, I couldn't put it down for a second and when I did, it was to start the next one in the series. I have been amazed to find that this "Childrens Book" has such far reaching appeal, you are both amazed by both the wonder and the detail of wizarding world and by the suspense that will leave the most adult of us guessing on every page.

Absolutely Amazing, but be warned, make sure you have plenty of free time, because once you pick this up you won't want to put it down, I promise.