This is the SPOILERS discussion thread for the GWC Harry Potter Book Club installment #1: HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S / SORCERER’S STONE.
For those who have NOT READ THE BOOK OR THE SERIES BEFORE: This thread may contain spoilers for later books. There is a spoiler-free (limited to book 1) thread; at some point in the future both threads will be merged.
ETA: The threads have been merged 
I love the way HP&TPS opens with the quickly shattered hyper-normalcy of the Dursleys. It establishes the silly, but pointed tone of the series perfectly
WIMH, agreed. It does such a good job at characterizing the Dursleys, too.
So I re-read this on Tuesday, and it is still a very fun book! It’s still probably one of my least favorite of the series, but great fun.
Now that I think about it, I’m not sure I’ve re-read it since I read Deathly Hallows.
I really loved knowing about the Hallows when Harry caught the Snitch in his mouth at his first game. I also loved knowing about them when Dumbledore gives Harry the invisibility cloak. It’s all very cool.
I had also forgotten how long (comparatively) it took Harry and Ron to make friends with Hermione.
Great fun, though. Fellow re-readers, what were your thoughts?
Yeah, I hovered down in a bit more than 24 hours. It’s short and tight and Rowling is pretty good with the hooks.
I also noticed how much Neville’s around in this one! He’s in the forest, he helps Ron take on Malfroy, he’s everywhere. My wife has a theory that the series books mirror each other with Goblet of Fire being the turning point. Book 7 has parallels to this one, book 6 to 2, and so on. I think your point on how long Hermione joined up is an instance of this. Think of Neville’s contributions here, and his surprising courage, and Ron’s fraught relationship with Hermione (you’ll notice that he was the only one of the two to voice anything against her) mapping to Neville’s leadership of the DA and Ron and Hermione finally sorting out their relationship in Deathly Hallows.
Well, I still can’t find my copy, but I do have the audiobook! It’s been so long since I’ve read it, I’m still on the first chapter and I was surprised that I couldn’t remember that part with the Dursleys right there at the beginning. Somehow the movie got mixed up in my mind and I thought it started with them dropping baby!Harry off right then and there.
ETA: A few more chapters in and I have to really agree with you, WashIsMyHero. “Not sure there’s enough human left in him to die”… foreshadowing ahoy!
I really like Book 1. It’s incredibly funny, and it’s a very light read that still perfectly encapsulates the world of HP. That she just kept on widening the world is truly amazing.
Take Fang, then. He’s a complete coward.
Oh, good catch!
Agreed!
I sadly read through it too fast to be as meticulous as I might like, but there were a lot of a-ha! moments when I was breezing through it. I’d love to hear other ones you guys catch!
I’m reading, slowly. I keep picking it up too late at night and my eyes get heavy and well, I’ve barely cracked chapter 3. I’m loving this introduction to Harry’s world, though. It takes me back to the first time I read it, reminds me of how I felt about it, like being a kid again, seeing Christmas through my kids’ eyes. I’m really enjoying it and I’ll have to devote several daylight hours to reading so I can get through more of it without dozing off. 
I’m reading it slowly too Keara. Ready to start Chapter 5. I’d forgotten a lot of the beginning with the Dursleys. They sure made Petunia look good in the movies compared to her character in the book. 
Talk about a muggle with a broom stuck up her arse.
I can just imagine what Petunia would be like watching MY neighbors…talk about far from normal! Love JKR’s descriptions of these characters and how they react to anything “not normal” happening around them.
me three
I’m buying you the T-shirt.
2 months is long?
when you’re 11, a week is an eternity 
You get it made and I’ll wear it! As long as it also states that it’s Aunt Petunia who is the keeper of said broom…though I do fit the description from time to time.
More mirroring that I noticed–this one and the last one are the two where Ollivander is prominently featured, as well as the heavy discussion of wands. Harry’s longing for family and preoccupation with the mirror of Erised and his finally gaining a gigantic family in the epilogue of DH. Ron’s insecurity (as evidenced by what he saw in the mirror) and it resurfacing with a vengence when he ditches Harry and Hermione. Oh, and Hagrid carrying baby!Harry in ch. 1 here and carrying not-dead!Harry in DH.
…there’ll be more later, I know, but I’m still maybe halfway through the audiobook 
ETA: There’s a part right before the Gryff/'puff quidditch match where Snape seems to be shadowing Harry, and Harry gets the horrible impression that Snape can read minds. (He can. )
Yeah, I noticed that too.
I had another thought, Dumbledore is very much a background figure. I think he has all of two conversations with Harry, one about the mirror and the other after Harry wakes up at the end. But he is directing events. I’m not sure what I think about him putting an 11 year old in harms way, even if it is Harry. He knew the boy too poorly. But it serves the tale and the book well.
You’ll also notice that Harry asks him why Voldemort wants to kill him, but Dumbledore declines to explain.
I just started. I’ve read the books only once but have seen the movies a number of times. I know. I know. bad 'talos
This book is, for lack of a better work, magic. J.K. creates an absolutely fabulous world and does it simply. We see everything through Harry’s eyes, filled with wonder and awe. What I’m loving so far is unlike Dorothy in OZ or Alice in Wonderland; there is no doubt, this is not a dream. It’s also reminding me of Luke’s introduction to the Force and Obi-wan’s foreboding. Just like Luke, Harry has an intriguing past filled with ominous overtones.
My 9 year old daughter (soon to be 10) is up to Order of the Phoenix. She’s love the books.
During the school year she’s required to read 20 minutes (at least) per day, so she’s been able to plow through the series at a decent pace.
She still says Socerer’s Stone is her favoriate.
Me, I skipped over 1 and 2 (having seen the movies) and I’m now reading Prisoner of Azkaban (started off with the book and then switched to the audio book).
I was a reluctant at first, but now I’m officialy a Harry Potter fan.