BOOK: The Sorcerer's Stone
CHAPTERS: 1 & 2
SYNOPSIS: Harry is left as a baby on his aunt and uncle's doorstep after his parents are murdered by Voldemort. Ten years later, Harry accompanies the Dursleys to the zoo, only to have something very peculiar happen.
POSSIBLE DISCUSSION TOPICS
* First impressions of characters
* Right now his favorite part of his appeareance is his scar; it's interesting how that eventually changes.
FOR TOMORROW: 3 & 4
I'll get the ball rolling by saying that I think, without a doubt, this book has the best opening to any book ever written. It's the last paragraph of the first chapter that does it. "Not knowing he was special. Not knowing that, even now, people meeting in secret were raising their glasses and saying, 'To Harry Potter...the boy who lived!'" It gives me chills every time I read it and it's hard not to get a little teary eyed, knowing where the story is going, and yet reading such a hopeful beginning.
ReplyDelete"Mrs. Next Door" is what hooked me when I read this the first time. The first few chapters of this book are finely crafted, and better written than any other part of the series.
ReplyDeleteHagrid comes on a motorcycle he borrowed from a "young Sirius Black". That really hit me this time reading it, knowing his history later.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Harry's experience in the zoo and understanding the snake seemed fine, knowing that Harry is a wizard. But later we find out that this is not as normal . . .
BTW, I love the zoo scene!
KuKu
I haven't read the first two chapters yet, I'm still finishing up another book--60 pages to go in that one! Anyway, I want to let people know that I have only previously read the first two, maybe 3?, Harry Potter books. Even though I own them all, I made the conscious decision to stop reading the books due to the amount of time between books being released in paperback. I was forgetting too many story lines. I decided I wanted to start all over and reread all 7 books in one fell shot (just like I did with Stephen King's Gunslinger series once the final book was finished), that's why this group appeals to me so much. I also have only seen the first movie for the same reason. I've managed to keep myself in the dark as to what happens in the final book. So here is my request, can we please try to keep spoilers to an absolute minimum? I know I'm probably in the minority here but I would love to be able to discover what happens without hearing about it first. I hope that makes sense. If all the foreshadowing will be a problem, then I'll politely take my leave (sorry, that's not a threat, just stating my case.).
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to start reading!!!! :)
SJ Honey Bunny
Isn't there a way to be notified when comments are made? I know we don't want to clog the boards, but is the blog the best way to do this? Would it maybe be better to set up a new group on AQ dedicated to the reading of the Harry Potter books?
ReplyDeleteSJ Honey Bunny
I don't know that spoilers will be a huge problem in the first few books, but by the time we get to books five and six, it definitely WILL be a problem. There's just no way to avoid it. :(
ReplyDeleteCasi,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads-up--it's much appreciated. :)
SJ HB