Product Description

There was a shower of shooting stars when Harry Potter was born - weathermen all over our world of Muggles were amazed. But in the other world, the Ministry of Magic wasn't surprised at all. For Harry Potter was to be one of its finest and most famous wizards.

Brought by flying motorcycle to live with his horrible Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia and their truly terrible son Dudley. Harry lives unhappily until his eleventh birthday. He is rescued by the magic, if somewhat disorganised, messenger Hagrid, and taken to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Running Time: 8 hours 25 mins

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3786 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-21
• Released on: 2002-10-07
• Formats: Audiobook, Unabridged
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 7
• Binding: Audio CD

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.

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. (Ages 9 and over) --Susan Harrison

From the Publisher
comments on the Harry Potter Cassettes and CDs
This release is complete and unabridged with not a word added nor a word taken out.

As with

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

this first instalment of the Harry Potter adventures is available on both cassette and CD with Stephen Fry as the narrator.

A review from The Times said that "Stephen Fry is your Potter-perfect narrator" and The Guardian considers that "Fry's reading is sublime".

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone made history when it was broadcast in its entirety on Boxing Day 2000 on Radio 4.

Customer Reviews

Stephen Fry is a genious
Most of these reviews concentrate on praise for J K Rowling, and as I agree with all that has been said, I won't add to them, but instead heap praise onto Stephen Fry. His narration is far and away the best that I have listened to over many years of enjoying audio books. Each and every character has their own distinctive and perfectly-judged voice, so that you know instantly who is speaking before the name is given. This makes it so much easier to simply enjoy the wonderful story without being distracted by confusion as to who is saying what, as so often happens with other narrators. I would probably never have bothered with Harry Potter if the unabridged Philosopher's Stone had not been broadcast on Boxing Day several years ago. We had a very long drive home after a family visit, and thought that this would wile away at least part of the journey. Part of it! We were completely enthralled all the way home, and then made a dash for the house, and frantically retuned the radio. We sat at the kitchen table until it was finished. We have bought all of the others as they came out, and they have all been great. I recommend listening to these stories whilst curled up on the sofa on a Winter's evening over any T.V program that I can think of.

Primus Inter Pares
Primus Inter Pares means "first among equals"--that describes Mr. Fry! Not many realize, I didn't know myself before I'd heard him reading Rowling's work, that Mr. Fry was a Hogwarts' lad. His inimitable style is positively magical.

I live in the U.S. and the only Harry Potter CDs and cassette tapes available here are narrated by Jim Dale. Thus, most people here are not familiar with Fry's HP tapes. I don't like to insult Mr. Dale but his voice and manner of doing the characters made me shudder. He's not right for Harry Potter, at all! My husband agreed and we rushed the CD back to the store. After a little time and a lot of effort I learned I could only obtain Fry's versions of Harry Potter from the U.K.

What a blessed day it was when finally Fry's tapes were delivered to my door. After listening to the first one, my husband asked me to order the other three Harry Potter audio sets by Fry, at once. I was only too thrilled to oblige. Now we listen to them all the time: when we first wake up and as we are falling to sleep at night.

Stephen Fry combined with J.K. Rowling is an unrivaled treat. I prompt you to try them all! _Teri

Read by the ideal presenter
I hope this will qualify as focused upon content, as the content of the audiobook is more than the story being told. American audiobook customers are offered a competent but lackluster reading by someone calling himself Jim Dale (come now, is that Joe the stockroom boy, or what?). His pronunciation is acceptable and his apprehension of the story sufficient, but his voicing of a not-short narrative provides no interest of its own and begins to drag down the proceedings. UK fans are blessed with direct access to what amounts to a brilliant performance in Stephen Fry's reading of Harry Potter's first four adventures. Any other performance this striking, with distinct characterizations and pace-conscious narration, would be likely to distract from the story. But Stephen Fry must be every bit the magician Harry Potter is, because he brings subtle detail and wild dynamism to every paragraph, and inhabits the story like a dragon inhabits his scales. It's a feat of alchemy equal to anything in the books. If I had to go down to the bank and change my dollars for Euros I would have this audiobook collection by overseas shipment.

My wife, the family's true Harry Potter fanatic, opines that Stephen Fry would have been ideal in the motion picture series in the role of Hagrid, the animal lover. When Hagrid regards the baby dragon he says, "he knows his mummy," and when Stephen Fry reads the line, I'm inclined to agree with her. When a job calls for whimsy and gravitas in equal measure, Fry has no equal.