Chapter 1

It has been a while since I read this book (2018), and back then I read this book in Urdu so everything I read now is going to feel like I’m reading it for the first time. From get go, what I notice is J.K. Rowling has a very on-point sense of humour.

“very normal, thank you very much.”

That’s the second line of the book, talking about Dursely family.

The most boring tie…

For Uncle Vernon

…a child like that…

That’s for Harry.

To Harry Potter… the boy who lived.

Chapter 1 ends on that line, and kinda gave me goosebumps.

 

What kickass and engaging storytelling. I wonder why I hadn’t read it back in 2005 when somebody very kindly handed me the paperback and found it weird (I hadn’t understood the fantasy genre, I didn’t know about the craze about Harry Potter). Now that I finish chapter one, I realized I had DNF when the cat turned into a woman and a motorbike flew down from the skies.

Chapter 2

Humour continues

Chapter 3

Who wants to talk to you so badly? Dudley to Harry.

Chapter 4

Harry, yer a wizard.

Another goosebump inducing line, and the words that changed Harry’s life forever.

Chapter 5

Surprisingly I’d like to see a few things on screen like Harry’s knees buckling when Hagrid puts his hand on the boys shoulder when they enter leaky cauldron. So we pause the reading and watch a clip, quite underwhelming if you ask me. Imagine the amount of appreciation and awe coming Harry’s way at such young age when he has only just discovered that he’s a wizard.

Nice introduction to the first villain Draco Malfoy. You just know it’s him even though he doesn’t introduce himself just yet.

Hagrid to Harry Potter. “You have been singleed out it and that’s always hard.”

I feel the same way at work when I know for sure that I am being singled out.

 

P323

My brain surprises even me at times: Dumbledore

 

Review

All done.

When I started, the idea was to take notes as I go and not just blabbed about how good I found the book. But I realize that putting the book down, opening the notepad, taking notes, and then getting back to the story is not very fun, especially when the story is so engaging.

Harry is brave, charming, a very good friend, not the best at all the things but boy is he relentless. It started very early, when he stood up for Neville, and others. Every time Draco is bullying someone, Harry speaks up. He might be new to the wizarding stuff, but he’s not shy of speaking his mind and defending those who need defending. Kinda reminds me of Katniss Everdeen (obvious reasons). Her circumstances didn’t change who she is. She could have killed Rose (and Rose could have killed Katniss) but it was a choice to NOT do that.

Back to Harry… he did everything in his power to stop the philospher’s stone being stolen. Sure, he always had help but bro figures out most important things on his own like Hagrid getting a dragon egg just like that. He is also very very lucky, perhaps because he is the chosen one, but if Firenze the centaur hadn’t talked about “things” in the forbidden forest, Harry would have been almost clueless.

As I said before, when I first read these stories; I call them stories, not books because I read unoffocial Urdu translation and somehow feel that they don’t qualify to be called Harry Potter books; I knew fantasy was not my favourite genre, and abandoned the book. Years later, I did develop some liking for fantasy, and did read HP series.

This is great storytelling. It’s filled with humour, it’s engaging, and it’s so fast-paced. And the food. Oh, the food. I think this is common for UK authors to include food and treats and feasts. Famous Five, Secret Seven, Malory Towers by Enid Blyton come to mind; and Matilda by Roald Dahl: the pancake, tea party, chocolate cake; and I’m sure there are other names escaping my brain right now. J K Rowling has a way of telling stories.

We love Harry.