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?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #151511 in Books
• Published on: 2001-03-05
• Format: Large Print
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 464 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is JK Rowling's enchanting debut novel. This magical, gripping, brilliant book--a future classic to be sure--will leave children clamouring for a sequel. 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 as the story unfolds. 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 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. (Ages 8-13) --Karin Snelson

About the Author
'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' was J.K. Rowling's first novel. The Harry Potter novels have been prize-winning and consistently on the best-seller lists: the novels have been translated into over 30 different languages and have sold over 40 million copies world-wide. Originally published as an author for children and still primarily so, nevertheless JK Rowling has generated huge popular appeal for her books in an unprecedented fashion. JK Rowling was the first children's author to be voted the BA Author of the Year, and also to win the British Book Awards Author of the Year. A film of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone', to be distributed by Warner Brothers, is due in November 2001.

Customer Reviews

Fantastic to see this in large print
I was so pleased to see this in large print as my grandmother is a great reader however suffers badly from Parkinsons disease. She will be thrilled to see this in her Christmas parcel as she was unable to read the Harry Potter books that I have enjoyed. I hope to see the rest of the series in large print so that she can read all of the series

stunning, hold-your-breath and excitintg
Have I ever read a book like this? Not just like this, no, I read a lot, but never such a large novel in so little time! As some might say it's somewhat like Tolkien's work, but they might be forgetting that these are children's novels, unlike Tolkien's. I wish Harry Potter had been born about 15 years ago, so I wouldn't have had to look so hard to find a superb book to read!!!!Even now I'm shut off from the outside world when I read any of the Harry Potter adventures and that means a lot!

absolutely fabulous
this book was brillaint. ever the skeptical reader, i was wary when my wife first bought this book. funnily enough she loved it. i thougt i would give it a go and i was hooked!!. i couldn't put the book down. rowling knows how to keep the reader (adult or child) spellbound. a must read for readers of all genres.