Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Article written by Mohandas Alva

M.A. Degree in English Literature from Manipal University, India.

The story plays in the perspective of Harry Potter, who is also just discovering magic. Therefore, the reader, like Harry Potter, is introduced to the nuances and establishments of the magical world in this book. Like Harry Potter, as the reader advances in the book, they are tackled with a vast history of magic, magical beings, items of magical significance, and cultural nuances that are very interesting to read. Furthermore, the story also has a tight-knit plot that sometimes digresses to describe the world of magic but eventually falls back and moves forward without effort.

Key Facts about Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

• Title: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, or Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the USA.
• Published: 26 June 1997
• Literary Period: Contemporary
• Genre: Fantasy
• Point-of-View: Third Person, omniscient
• Setting: 1990s Great Britain
• Climax: When Harry Potter faces Lord Voldemort as the latter tries to steal the Philosopher’s Stone
• Antagonist: Lord Voldemort

J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Rowling started writing ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ around June 1990. When on a train journey to London, she suddenly conjured a story of a small, black-haired boy with spectacles going to a wizarding school. She took around 5-6 years to write this book. Her mother’s sudden death caused her to channel her grief into the orphan Harry’s anguish.

J.K. Rowling would go to several publishers and get turned down multiple times before Bloomsbury finally saw potential in her story and decided to publish it. Like Harry Potter’s fame in the world of magic for vanquishing Lord Voldemort, both J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter book series have garnered major praise and a passionate audience throughout the world. Rowling’s ascent to fame is considered a great inspiration and has been documented several times. She has managed to establish herself as an important children’s writer amidst being a single mother struggling to make a living. Jane Austen is one of Rowling’s major influences, and scholars have attributed elements like foreshadowing in her novels as being similar to Austen’s style.

Books related to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Several books have drawn comparisons with ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.’ Other popular fantasy novels like C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series and the J.R.R Tolkien’s The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings series have been compared to ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ owing to similar elements like magic, witches, wizards, and a large community of magical beings. Most notably, the character Albus Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series has been compared to the wizard Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings series and The Hobbit as their roles of a mentor and guardian angel to the respective heroes of each story are similar.

Furthermore, the Harry Potter series has also been compared to Jane Austen’s works as the writing styles happen to be quite similar. Other significant comparisons include that to the works of Victorian-era writings, mainly because of the depiction of the education system and mannerisms of Hogwarts. In recent times, there have also been a lot of comparisons between the Harry Potter books and the superheroes of American comic books. Characters from either book have supernatural powers, have been wronged by powerful evildoers, and are driven by bravery and righteousness to save their respective worlds from the tyranny of such villains.

The Lasting Impact of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone