Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone did something that no other book has done: it got the world reading. It’s rare that a book can have such a worldwide effect on people of all ages, but this first chapter in an incredible franchise ensured that this was a book that nobody wanted to put down.

Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone is nostalgic, imaginative, and it’s filled with atmosphere; the precise definition of what a children’s fantasy should be. The story has a bit of everything; there are friendships, rivalries, quests, magic, jokes, scares, and even a game of wizarding sport. The characters are engaging and likeable, but most of all they’re fun, courageous, and adventurous. It’s such a gripping and comforting read that Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone has become a book that we will pass on to our future generations with pure excitement at the thought of somebody discovering this world for themselves for the first time.

At this point in Rowling’s series, the plot is quite simple, making for a very light read, and as a piece of literature it isn’t close to being technically revolutionary. But it’s rare that a story does what Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone does to a reader. Sure, as the series continues the stories get more complex, and Rowling’s writing becomes a lot more profound, but this is where it all began, and the book conjures such fantastic feelings that there’s no wonder that millions of people fell in love with Harry Potter.

The plot may be quite straight forward, but there’s still so much going on, and so much that we, and Harry, are being introduced to. For a book about magic, to say that Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone is magical would be an understatement.