Summary
Contains major spoilers
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (also known as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) is the first title in the Harry Potter book series by British author J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter, an orphan reluctantly taken in and then treated like an outcast by his grisly aunt and uncle, seems like an ordinary boy—aside from the lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead. One day, mysterious letters, marked with a purple wax seal and a large letter “H,” start dropping on the doormat of the Dursley home, where he lives in a cupboard under the stairs. On Harry’s 11th birthday, a beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with astonishing news—Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone begins the incredible adventures of the Boy Who Lived and the fulfillment of his destiny in the hidden world of magic. The success of this first book launched a global phenomenon. The Harry Potter books have now sold over 600 million copies in 85 languages, been listened to as audiobooks for over one billion hours and made into eight smash hit movies, and inspired theme park attractions. J.K. Rowling’s saga of the boy wizard continues to be discovered and loved by new generations of readers.
Themes
Self-discovery and identity
Importance of choices
Power of love and sacrifice
Friendship and loyalty
Bravery and courage
Setting
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is set primarily in the late 1990s in both the ordinary “Muggle” world of the United Kingdom and the secret community of witches and wizards. Harry Potter lives in a cupboard under the stairs at number four, Privet Drive, the suburban home of his aunt and uncle. However, most of the story takes place within the hidden wizarding world, particularly at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the boarding school where Harry is accepted as a student of magic.
Key wizarding world locations include Diagon Alley, the main shopping street for wizarding supplies, which is accessed in London via a wall near the Leaky Cauldron pub. The Hogwarts Express train, boarded through a barrier at the enchanted Platform 9¾, takes Harry and fellow students between London's King's Cross Station and the remote, mystical village of Hogsmeade, where the school is situated inside an ancient castle. The extensive castle grounds contain the Forbidden Forest, the Quidditch pitch, and greenhouses for Herbology. Hogwarts itself is divided into four houses—Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.
Characters
Harry Potter: The protagonist, an orphan whose adventures in the wizarding world begin on his 11th birthday.
Ron Weasley: Harry's loyal friend, part of a large, loving wizarding family.
Hermione Granger: A highly intelligent girl with a strong sense of justice, originating from a Muggle family, who also becomes Harry’s close friend.
Neville Longbottom: A shy, clumsy boy with hidden strengths.
Rubeus Hagrid: The kind-hearted half-giant who brings Harry into the wizarding world.
Albus Dumbledore: The Headmaster of Hogwarts.
Minerva McGonagall: Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and Head of Gryffindor House.
Vernon Dursley: Harry's Muggle uncle.
Petunia Dursley: Harry's Muggle aunt.
Dudley Dursley: Harry's spoiled Muggle cousin.
Draco Malfoy: A Slytherin student who quickly becomes Harry's rival.
Severus Snape: The Potions master.
Quirinus Quirrell: The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
Oliver Wood: Gryffindor Quidditch captain and Keeper.
Argus Filch: The Hogwarts caretaker.
Madam Hooch: The Quidditch instructor and referee at Hogwarts.
Madam Pomfrey: The matron of the Hogwarts Hospital Wing.
Peeves: The mischievous poltergeist of Hogwarts.
Professor Sprout: The Herbology teacher and Head of Hufflepuff House.
Professor Flitwick: The Charms teacher and Head of Ravenclaw House.
Professor Binns: The ghost who teaches History of Magic.
Mrs. Norris: Filch's vigilant and loyal cat.
Quick facts
J.K. Rowling's debut novel was originally published under the title Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in the UK and later changed to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the US market.
The idea for Harry Potter is said to have come to J.K. Rowling during a train journey from Manchester to London King's Cross in 1990.
Rowling wrote the first book in various Edinburgh cafes.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the bestselling book in the Harry Potter series, which has now sold over 600 million copies in 85 languages.
Before the book's success, Rowling faced numerous rejections from publishers. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was eventually accepted by Bloomsbury Publishing, largely thanks to the CEO's eight-year-old daughter, Alice, who loved the first chapter and wanted to read more.
The initial print run of the book was only 500 copies, 300 of which were distributed to libraries. Early editions of these are now highly valuable.
J.K. Rowling has said that the character of Hermione is loosely based on her at the same age.
Rowling has said that the death of her mother deeply affected her writing and is reflected in the themes of death and adversity in the book.
Film adaptation
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was adapted into a major motion picture, released internationally in 2001. Directed by Chris Columbus and produced by David Heyman from a screenplay by Steve Kloves, the film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, with Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger. It is the first installment in a highly successful film franchise that ran through 2011.
About the author
J.K. ROWLING is the author of the enduringly popular Harry Potter books. After the idea for Harry Potter came to her on a delayed train journey in 1990, she plotted out and started writing the series of seven books and the first, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was published in the UK in 1997. The series took another ten years to complete, concluding in 2007 with the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
To accompany the series, J.K. Rowling wrote three short companion volumes for charity, Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, in aid of Comic Relief and Lumos, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard, in aid of Lumos. She alsocollaborated on the writing of a stage play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which was published as a script book.
Her other books for children include the fairy tale The Ickabog and The Christmas Pig, which were published in 2020 and 2021 respectively and have also been bestsellers. She is also the author of books for adults, including a bestselling crime fiction series under the pen name Robert Galbraith.
J.K. Rowling has received many awards and honors for her writing. She also supports a number of humanitarian causes through her charitable trust Volant and is the founder of the children’s charity Lumos.
To find out more about J.K. Rowling, visit jkrowlingstories.com.
