Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter 1)
by J.K. Rowling
.jpg)
From Tammy
Nezol, for About.com
Fame
isn't everything, or so says Severus Snape, Potions professor at Hogwarts
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For the hero of Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone these words could not be truer. Harry was only an infant
when a dark wizard named Voldemort killed his parents and then tried to kill
him. But the final curse backfired and Voldemort was stripped of his powers.
Harry became famous as the boy who lived.
Ten years later, Harry has no clue that he is famous or special in any way. He lives in a closet under the stairs in his aunt and uncle's house. He doesn't even know he is a wizard until he receives his acceptance letter to Hogwarts. Thus begins the journey into the magical world and the epic mystery that has taken children and adults alike on adventures they will never forget. From Harry's point of view, the adventure starts in the middle. He has no memory of the events for which he is famous. His challenge in the first book is to enter a world where he is famous for something he doesn't even remember. Harry's struggle is to define himself in a world that thinks it already knows him. Does he live up to his famed name or is he just an ordinary boy in extraordinary circumstances?
Ten years later, Harry has no clue that he is famous or special in any way. He lives in a closet under the stairs in his aunt and uncle's house. He doesn't even know he is a wizard until he receives his acceptance letter to Hogwarts. Thus begins the journey into the magical world and the epic mystery that has taken children and adults alike on adventures they will never forget. From Harry's point of view, the adventure starts in the middle. He has no memory of the events for which he is famous. His challenge in the first book is to enter a world where he is famous for something he doesn't even remember. Harry's struggle is to define himself in a world that thinks it already knows him. Does he live up to his famed name or is he just an ordinary boy in extraordinary circumstances?
As any ordinary boy would, he has talents and
flaws, bullies and friends. Harry is gifted at Quidditch, a soccer-like sport
for wizards. The youngest player in over a century, Harry proves himself a
master on the field. Harry is not perfect, however. He's terrible at chess and
not the smartest in class. He has bullies that bait him into doing stupid
things, like sneaking out to attempt a wizarding duel even though he doesn't
know any curses. While Draco Malfoy is a bully of equal age, Harry must also
face Severus Snape, a professor that loathes Harry and feels no need to hide
it.
Harry does prove himself a good friend. Ron Weasley has the distinction of being Harry's best friend. Ron is from a poor family with lots of children. Where Ron envies Harry's money (an inheritance from his parents), Harry envies Ron's family for the love they share with one another. Harry makes no hesitation to share his riches with Ron and Ron's family treats Harry like a son. Harry's second best friend is Hermione Granger. At first, Hermione's intelligence and overbearing attitude keep Ron and Harry as far away from her as possible. But once Harry and Ron come to rescue this girl that they can't stand, the three cannot help but be friends.
Harry does prove himself a good friend. Ron Weasley has the distinction of being Harry's best friend. Ron is from a poor family with lots of children. Where Ron envies Harry's money (an inheritance from his parents), Harry envies Ron's family for the love they share with one another. Harry makes no hesitation to share his riches with Ron and Ron's family treats Harry like a son. Harry's second best friend is Hermione Granger. At first, Hermione's intelligence and overbearing attitude keep Ron and Harry as far away from her as possible. But once Harry and Ron come to rescue this girl that they can't stand, the three cannot help but be friends.
As any
extraordinary hero would, Harry has courage and fear, great power and great
responsibility, destinies and choices. As an infant, Harry had no choice in his
heroic role against Voldemort, but now he must decide whether or not to follow
his fame and become the hero, or ignore his destiny and try to be normal. While
Harry learns that there is a middle ground where both qualities can be mixed,
he knows that to play the hero will forever put him in the spotlight. Harry's first trial comes when he learns that
someone is going to steal the Sorcerer's Stone. This legendary stone, known in
history (and in the British version of Harry Potter) as the Philosopher's
Stone, will give its bearer as much life and wealth as one could wish for and
it is hidden in the very school that Harry attends. Harry is constantly told by
his teachers to quit any investigations regarding the stone. Despite these and
other obstacles, Harry is moved by his own sense of heroism and what's right.
Harry also learns that fame can be a terrible
thing. When he breaks some rules to help out a friend, Harry and his fellow
classmates get a severe punishment. Students turn on him with glowering stares
and harsh silence. Harry must now decide to play the hero against the odds to
help those that show no compassion to him. He learns that to be a real hero one
must be willing to make sacrifices, even if it means sacrificing himself.
When it comes time for Harry to seek his destiny and fight for what is right, Harry learns that the value of friendship is far more important than a famous name. Ron and Hermione prove invaluable comrades. As Harry strives to solve the latest mystery, Hermione offers her incredible memory and magical abilities. Ron offers his unbeatable tactical skills, as evidenced in his masterful chess abilities. It is clear without friendship, Harry would never have had the courage to become the hero he must become.
When it comes time for Harry to seek his destiny and fight for what is right, Harry learns that the value of friendship is far more important than a famous name. Ron and Hermione prove invaluable comrades. As Harry strives to solve the latest mystery, Hermione offers her incredible memory and magical abilities. Ron offers his unbeatable tactical skills, as evidenced in his masterful chess abilities. It is clear without friendship, Harry would never have had the courage to become the hero he must become.
Adults
may find themselves frustrated at the contrived nature of the book. The puzzle
pieces fit into place too easily with Harry always being in the right place at
the right time. For instance, Harry forgets his invisibility cloak in the
astronomy tower after sneaking around the school to help out a friend. Filch,
the caretaker, discovers Harry and Hermione wandering the halls when the two
friends thought they were invisible. It is hardly believable that Harry would
forget the cloak, but this plot device is necessary to send Harry to the
Forbidden Forest where he first faces true peril.
Despite this flaw, adults and children will enjoy the underlying messages embedded within the story. Harry learns that there is more to life than fame by discovering the pleasures and responsibilities that come with friendship, bravery, love, hope, and life. Harry becomes a hero through his own actions of being a good friend, persevering through adversity, and choosing what is right. No longer just a famous name, Harry now knows himself to be brave and capable.
Despite this flaw, adults and children will enjoy the underlying messages embedded within the story. Harry learns that there is more to life than fame by discovering the pleasures and responsibilities that come with friendship, bravery, love, hope, and life. Harry becomes a hero through his own actions of being a good friend, persevering through adversity, and choosing what is right. No longer just a famous name, Harry now knows himself to be brave and capable.
Children
and adults can easily relate to the ordinary side of Harry and dream of the
extraordinary circumstances in which he finds himself. The book's author, J K
Rowling remains true to how an eleven-year-old thinks and acts. Harry loves
candy and doesn't hesitate to spend his money on it, he dreads exams, and he
loves sports. By the end of the book, the reader knows Harry and his friends so
well that the fictional characters have become the reader's friends as well. Another
piece that makes this book easily relatable is the parallel structure of the
magical world to the muggle (non-magical) world. These two worlds correspond to
Harry own sense of ordinary and extraordinary. Where technology is ordinary, magic is
extraordinary, but the opposite is true when one enters the wizarding world.
For instance, the magic of Harry Potter’s world can be used to do
dishes, but a dishwasher would puzzle wizards. Where the muggle world sees
Harry as ordinary, the magical world sees him as extraordinary. For Harry, both
come to be true. This parallel nature makes the reader ask how extraordinary
can an ordinary world be and how extraordinary can one person be?
As the
first book in a series of seven, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
begins an epic tale. Readers that go back and read this book will notice that
characters and plots from later books have already been introduced. For
instance, one of Book Three's main characters, Sirius Black, is mentioned in
the first chapter of this first book. The book may be short and the mystery a
bit contrived, but the clues are there for those who love to play detective.
The promise of a great future will keep the reader's coming back for more. Book
One is enjoyable and a quick read. It's well worth the read and the rest of the
epic gets exponentially better from here.
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário