Since this is a children's book, the characters are, at this stage, very black and white. The Dursley's have no redeeming features at all, and Harry is very obviously written to garner sympathy. That said, I don't find that offputting. There's enough humour in her descriptions to prevent the characterisation from becoming heavy handed.
Indeed. They are mere sketches at this point, but she shades them later on.
Love that she uses the same things to appeal to boys and girls. Best example of this is Harry's room under the stairs. He's used to spiders, which would make the girls pity him because they think spiders are horrible, and pity's a great way to get little girls to like Harry. Whereas the boys will love that he's not scared of the spiders, which makes up for the fact that he's a dinky little wimpy thing. That lack of fear of the horrible hairy things will help boys to respect him.
Ick, the spiders. *shudder*
And before you tell me off for thinking in such glaring steroetypes: that really is how little girls and boys are. I know. I have loads of cousins around the target age of these books when they came out. That's pretty much how they react to things like that. 

I wasn't going to tell you off. That is definitely how I reacted to that scene.
I like also that Rowling gives something to the adults as well. The Dursleys are such social climbers, proper unpleasant middle class, and that would make a lot of grown ups chuckle a wee bit. Underneath it, though, you can see that Aunt Petunia at least does properly love her son, revolting ball of lard that he is. There's a little shade of grey there for older readers to appreciate.
Yes. I love the description of the Dursleys. It is wonderful how their middle-classness (using that as short-hand for all their traits here -- it is a stereotype which she makes the most of) makes them almost as off-putting as the Death-Eaters who kill hordes of people.
As for the wizarding types: Dumbledore's very quickly set as an eccentric with his love of sweets, but we're also introduced to his wisdom. McGonagall is clearly defined as the strong, steady, somewhat tartarish teacher, and Hagrid is the loveable scruff. Simple but effective.
Indeed. It is part of what I mean by her having the technique, if not the strength in wording. She knows how to characterise. And she keeps this up throughout the books. They are not necessarily terribly subtle sketches, but they are swift and highly effective.
Not subtle, but highly effective. I couldn't think of the right words, but you did. It is great for the first book because we are instantly familiar but there is room for them to develop. Sometimes characters like that feel forced, but I don't feel that about any of the characters in Harry Potter.
Harry Potter Re-read: The Philosopher's Stone - Final section underway! (& next book plans)
- 12/07/2010 08:27:51 AM
3896 Views
Chapters 1-3: Introducing Harry
- 12/07/2010 08:28:49 AM
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Characterisation *NM*
- 12/07/2010 08:29:02 AM
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My thoughts, such as they are.
- 12/07/2010 04:09:55 PM
2236 Views
Re: My thoughts, such as they are. *spoilers*
- 12/07/2010 07:43:49 PM
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You hit the nail on the head.
- 13/07/2010 12:20:19 AM
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Writing style *NM*
- 12/07/2010 08:29:18 AM
1203 Views
It is very clear it is a children's book at this time
- 12/07/2010 07:18:14 PM
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Vernon's slow descent into madness is great.
- 13/07/2010 04:03:26 AM
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Re: Vernon's slow descent into madness is great.
- 13/07/2010 08:54:40 AM
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Early themes *NM*
- 12/07/2010 08:29:37 AM
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Chapters 4-10: Making Friends at Hogwarts *NM*
- 12/07/2010 08:29:58 AM
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Impressions: thoughts about the school, the teachers, the enemies and the friends. *NM*
- 14/07/2010 08:29:38 AM
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I'd forgotten how annoying Hermione was
- 14/07/2010 01:48:13 PM
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- 14/07/2010 01:48:13 PM
2062 Views
Yep. I like seeing her transformation in this story though.
- 14/07/2010 04:58:04 PM
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Re: Yep. I like seeing her transformation in this story though.
- 14/07/2010 06:13:13 PM
2062 Views
Yes and, I think, this may be another candidate for early themes (from above)
- 14/07/2010 07:43:14 PM
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Re: Impressions: thoughts about the school, the teachers, the enemies and the friends.
- 14/07/2010 04:22:54 PM
2173 Views
Agree. I loved the instant tension between Harry and Malfoy and with Harry and Snape too.
- 14/07/2010 05:03:20 PM
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Some thoughts before I run off to the library again
- 14/07/2010 06:11:45 PM
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It's interesting to look at the beginning of the story from Draco's point of view.
- 26/07/2010 03:08:38 PM
2394 Views
Re: It's interesting to look at the beginning of the story from Draco's point of view.
- 26/07/2010 03:18:02 PM
2023 Views
What about the magic?
- 14/07/2010 08:58:51 AM
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The magic wasnt really developed at this point
- 14/07/2010 02:13:41 PM
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Re: The magic wasnt really developed at this point
- 14/07/2010 08:53:08 PM
2195 Views
I think
- 14/07/2010 04:34:30 PM
1960 Views
Diagon Alley - Olivander's Foreshadowing
- 14/07/2010 05:11:40 PM
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I really need a remembrall.
- 14/07/2010 08:57:10 PM
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But it doesn't tell you what you've forgotten!
- 15/07/2010 02:51:47 AM
2250 Views
Chapters 11-17: Harry the Hero *NM*
- 12/07/2010 08:30:29 AM
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What'd you think of the ending? *NM*
- 15/07/2010 05:21:38 PM
1120 Views
Two separate things:
- 15/07/2010 07:14:08 PM
2012 Views
Lovely
- 15/07/2010 09:00:11 PM
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Haha
- 15/07/2010 09:16:16 PM
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Re: Haha
- 15/07/2010 09:24:06 PM
2133 Views
But I thought all girls were made of sugar and spice and everything nice?
- 15/07/2010 09:26:53 PM
1966 Views
- 15/07/2010 09:26:53 PM
1966 Views
Oh, we are.
- 15/07/2010 09:35:17 PM
1891 Views
Honestly, dumbledore is a bit of an ass...
- 15/07/2010 10:48:32 PM
1890 Views
The decades of manipulation of a child doesn't bother you, but the House Cup does?
*NM*
- 15/07/2010 11:37:54 PM
1082 Views
*NM*
- 15/07/2010 11:37:54 PM
1082 Views
Overall thoughts for the book
- 12/07/2010 08:31:37 AM
2008 Views
Foreshadowing and setting up the future
- 12/07/2010 08:32:10 AM
1938 Views
Harry's anger management issues?
- 12/07/2010 07:14:58 PM
2034 Views
Heh.
- 12/07/2010 07:40:40 PM
2049 Views
Nah, not deliberate.
- 12/07/2010 09:14:20 PM
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Re: Nah, not deliberate.
- 12/07/2010 09:55:32 PM
2039 Views
I noticed a lot of this.
- 12/07/2010 07:22:54 PM
2155 Views
Re: I noticed a lot of this.
- 12/07/2010 07:39:25 PM
2089 Views
Re: I noticed a lot of this.
- 12/07/2010 07:45:32 PM
2062 Views
On Ginny:
- 12/07/2010 10:36:47 PM
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This was my interpretation too and why I didn't pay much attention to it at the time. *NM*
- 13/07/2010 02:53:08 PM
1044 Views
I've noticed a lot of the same things, probably because I've reread this book so many times...
- 13/07/2010 04:45:28 AM
2307 Views
Re: I've noticed a lot of the same things, probably because I've reread this book so many times...
- 13/07/2010 08:58:10 AM
2034 Views
So much (chapters 1-3) *spoilers*
- 12/07/2010 07:35:57 PM
2284 Views
I missed the school roof thing this time around too! Good catch there. *NM*
- 12/07/2010 09:22:21 PM
1178 Views
The thing that tipped me off
- 12/07/2010 09:53:01 PM
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Imagine how easy his test would have been if he remembered he'd done it as a child! *NM*
- 13/07/2010 03:20:27 PM
1132 Views
You have to wonder why Hagrid and Dumbledore didn't suspect the truth about Sirius.
- 26/07/2010 04:04:05 PM
1977 Views
I re-read a couple weeks ago, and I was highly amused by all the little things she worked in
- 14/07/2010 04:09:19 AM
2112 Views
Some stuff (chapters 4-11)
- 14/07/2010 09:18:35 PM
2234 Views
Re: Some stuff (chapters 4-11)
- 14/07/2010 10:30:23 PM
2073 Views
I can answer your consistency question!
- 15/07/2010 02:35:42 AM
2191 Views
More stuff (chapters 12-17)
- 15/07/2010 08:55:34 PM
1889 Views
Tiny tiny inconsistency (?) in Ch. 12
- 17/07/2010 04:23:15 PM
2108 Views
What made this book (and the rest of the series) such a success?
- 12/07/2010 08:33:00 AM
2139 Views
I think it was mostly because it was a simple narrative with an identifiable protagnonist.
- 13/07/2010 11:59:06 PM
2086 Views
It has tons of things in it that every kid dreams of doing
- 14/07/2010 01:56:05 PM
2128 Views
It's a simple, well-done little book.
- 12/07/2010 07:46:48 PM
2180 Views
you don't read instructions, do you?
- 12/07/2010 07:49:24 PM
2186 Views
When did you pick up this book?
- 12/07/2010 11:30:46 PM
2040 Views
I was 10.
- 13/07/2010 04:13:44 AM
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Ah book orders...man you just brought back nostalgic memories. I miss being a kid
- 13/07/2010 04:42:12 AM
2249 Views
1999
- 13/07/2010 09:03:03 AM
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What do you mean by adult version?
- 13/07/2010 02:15:40 PM
2241 Views
They started publishing copies with 'adult' covers so people wouldn't be caught out reading
- 13/07/2010 11:53:46 PM
2157 Views
Got a boxed set for Christmas when Order of the Phoenix came out in hardback.
- 13/07/2010 03:06:42 PM
2175 Views
The first five were out, waited for HBP.
- 14/07/2010 06:20:39 AM
2282 Views
Very early. Beginning of 1999, so it had just come out in the States. *NM*
- 14/07/2010 08:54:06 AM
1345 Views
I held out quite awhile because I don't like "fads"
- 14/07/2010 02:04:37 PM
2099 Views
I did the same thing.
- 15/07/2010 06:39:16 AM
2212 Views
I would have, if I had known there was hype. I know I would have.
- 15/07/2010 03:28:50 PM
2281 Views
- 15/07/2010 03:28:50 PM
2281 Views
Aged 13 or 14 - a while before the first movie (which was Christmas 2001). *NM*
- 26/07/2010 04:13:55 PM
1314 Views
Jesus Christ.
- 26/07/2010 05:04:46 PM
2338 Views
^That was me. *NM*
- 26/07/2010 09:55:49 PM
1329 Views
^That was me. *NM*
- 26/07/2010 09:55:49 PM
1329 Views
Aw. I was just feeling flattered as I didn't think Tor had read that many of my posts.
*NM*
- 27/07/2010 12:15:52 AM
1292 Views
*NM*
- 27/07/2010 12:15:52 AM
1292 Views
Suggestions for the Re-read
- 12/07/2010 08:33:25 AM
2160 Views
This is my first official time participating and its been fun so far!
- 14/07/2010 05:16:48 PM
2092 Views
Unfortunately, no. (Silly me, pretending someone's still going to read all my posts...
) *NM*
- 26/07/2010 04:20:35 PM
1304 Views
) *NM*
- 26/07/2010 04:20:35 PM
1304 Views
Inconsistencies Re: the Potter's death...
- 15/07/2010 05:16:45 AM
2505 Views
Because they were tricked? They considered Peter and Sirius to be brothers.
- 15/07/2010 07:05:27 AM
2132 Views
That's nonsense..
- 16/07/2010 01:08:40 AM
2081 Views
Take it up with Rowling, since you don't believe me. *NM*
- 16/07/2010 08:19:58 AM
1192 Views
What's there to believe?
- 18/07/2010 06:03:13 AM
2170 Views
Peter + Sirius = family. I don't know how to explain it more simply. *NM*
- 18/07/2010 08:58:20 AM
1302 Views
Re: That's nonsense..
- 16/07/2010 09:37:59 AM
2257 Views
Also
- 16/07/2010 11:17:51 AM
2515 Views
Huh?
- 18/07/2010 05:57:58 AM
2047 Views
But Camilla explained it!
- 18/07/2010 09:27:55 AM
2365 Views
- 18/07/2010 09:27:55 AM
2365 Views
I'm fairly certain you guys have that totally wrong...
- 18/07/2010 05:42:18 PM
2070 Views
Re: I'm fairly certain you guys have that totally wrong...
- 18/07/2010 05:51:36 PM
2100 Views
Re: I'm fairly certain you guys have that totally wrong...
- 18/07/2010 06:17:04 PM
2398 Views
Re: I'm fairly certain you guys have that totally wrong...
- 18/07/2010 06:28:27 PM
2098 Views
That bothers me too.
- 18/07/2010 07:17:14 PM
2183 Views
Re: That bothers me too.
- 18/07/2010 07:20:44 PM
2038 Views
Again...
- 18/07/2010 07:35:10 PM
2347 Views
Re: Again...
- 18/07/2010 08:00:55 PM
2140 Views
Re: Again...
- 19/07/2010 06:33:13 AM
2331 Views
Re: Again...
- 20/07/2010 04:45:16 PM
2163 Views
Yet another load of bosh.
- 21/07/2010 01:00:14 AM
2117 Views
It was just the sort of things these two daredevils would do...
- 14/09/2010 12:11:20 AM
2614 Views
Re: It was just the sort of things these two daredevils would do...
- 14/09/2010 09:20:46 AM
2027 Views
You have to wonder if that's actually true.
- 26/07/2010 04:23:31 PM
2122 Views
Since Lily and James were unable to leave the house
- 18/07/2010 07:14:21 PM
2120 Views
Re: Since Lily and James were unable to leave the house
- 26/07/2010 05:07:48 PM
2525 Views
^ And this, too, was me.
- 26/07/2010 09:58:07 PM
2130 Views
^ And this, too, was me.
- 26/07/2010 09:58:07 PM
2130 Views




*NM*