While her technique isn't bad (look at how she describes Dursley's day in the first chapter, for example -- when she mentions what he doesn't see), her language is at this point very naivistic, almost too simple. It does not flow naturally, and she repeats words too often. This is something that suggests a children's book to me. There are also a couple of phrases, like "he looked simply too big to be allowed" which ring like a child's language (or a grown-up talking to a child, at any rate).
But because she uses this language to point out things that normal children's books wouldn't, it appeals to us as well. The early description of Petunia, for example, is gold. As is Vernon's slow descent into madness.
But because she uses this language to point out things that normal children's books wouldn't, it appeals to us as well. The early description of Petunia, for example, is gold. As is Vernon's slow descent into madness.
I forgot how funny it was, the little details about him spreading marmalade on the newspaper and jumping at small noises. And Harry is quite the smartass, I forgot that too.
Insert theme music here.
Harry Potter Re-read: The Philosopher's Stone - Final section underway! (& next book plans)
12/07/2010 08:27:51 AM
- 2939 Views
Chapters 1-3: Introducing Harry
12/07/2010 08:28:49 AM
- 1514 Views
Characterisation *NM*
12/07/2010 08:29:02 AM
- 862 Views
My thoughts, such as they are.
12/07/2010 04:09:55 PM
- 1561 Views
Re: My thoughts, such as they are. *spoilers*
12/07/2010 07:43:49 PM
- 1525 Views
Writing style *NM*
12/07/2010 08:29:18 AM
- 839 Views
It is very clear it is a children's book at this time
12/07/2010 07:18:14 PM
- 1574 Views
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
- 1502 Views
Early themes *NM*
12/07/2010 08:29:37 AM
- 866 Views
Chapters 4-10: Making Friends at Hogwarts *NM*
12/07/2010 08:29:58 AM
- 794 Views
Impressions: thoughts about the school, the teachers, the enemies and the friends. *NM*
14/07/2010 08:29:38 AM
- 834 Views
I'd forgotten how annoying Hermione was
14/07/2010 01:48:13 PM
- 1429 Views
Yep. I like seeing her transformation in this story though.
14/07/2010 04:58:04 PM
- 1432 Views
Re: Yep. I like seeing her transformation in this story though.
14/07/2010 06:13:13 PM
- 1422 Views
Yes and, I think, this may be another candidate for early themes (from above)
14/07/2010 07:43:14 PM
- 1533 Views
Re: Impressions: thoughts about the school, the teachers, the enemies and the friends.
14/07/2010 04:22:54 PM
- 1569 Views
Agree. I loved the instant tension between Harry and Malfoy and with Harry and Snape too.
14/07/2010 05:03:20 PM
- 1690 Views
Some thoughts before I run off to the library again
14/07/2010 06:11:45 PM
- 1568 Views
It's interesting to look at the beginning of the story from Draco's point of view.
26/07/2010 03:08:38 PM
- 1650 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
- 1311 Views
What about the magic?
14/07/2010 08:58:51 AM
- 1440 Views
The magic wasnt really developed at this point
14/07/2010 02:13:41 PM
- 1357 Views
Re: The magic wasnt really developed at this point
14/07/2010 08:53:08 PM
- 1592 Views
I think
14/07/2010 04:34:30 PM
- 1358 Views
Diagon Alley - Olivander's Foreshadowing
14/07/2010 05:11:40 PM
- 1641 Views
I really need a remembrall.
14/07/2010 08:57:10 PM
- 1465 Views
But it doesn't tell you what you've forgotten!
15/07/2010 02:51:47 AM
- 1635 Views
Chapters 11-17: Harry the Hero *NM*
12/07/2010 08:30:29 AM
- 807 Views
What'd you think of the ending? *NM*
15/07/2010 05:21:38 PM
- 774 Views
Two separate things:
15/07/2010 07:14:08 PM
- 1402 Views
Lovely
15/07/2010 09:00:11 PM
- 1484 Views
Haha
15/07/2010 09:16:16 PM
- 1573 Views
Re: Haha
15/07/2010 09:24:06 PM
- 1462 Views
But I thought all girls were made of sugar and spice and everything nice?
15/07/2010 09:26:53 PM
- 1367 Views
Oh, we are.
15/07/2010 09:35:17 PM
- 1271 Views
Honestly, dumbledore is a bit of an ass...
15/07/2010 10:48:32 PM
- 1272 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
- 752 Views
Overall thoughts for the book
12/07/2010 08:31:37 AM
- 1435 Views
Foreshadowing and setting up the future
12/07/2010 08:32:10 AM
- 1358 Views
Harry's anger management issues?
12/07/2010 07:14:58 PM
- 1427 Views
Heh.
12/07/2010 07:40:40 PM
- 1473 Views
Nah, not deliberate.
12/07/2010 09:14:20 PM
- 1526 Views
Re: Nah, not deliberate.
12/07/2010 09:55:32 PM
- 1436 Views
I noticed a lot of this.
12/07/2010 07:22:54 PM
- 1547 Views
Re: I noticed a lot of this.
12/07/2010 07:39:25 PM
- 1481 Views
Re: I noticed a lot of this.
12/07/2010 07:45:32 PM
- 1469 Views
On Ginny:
12/07/2010 10:36:47 PM
- 1494 Views
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
- 713 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
- 1693 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
- 1433 Views
So much (chapters 1-3) *spoilers*
12/07/2010 07:35:57 PM
- 1643 Views
I missed the school roof thing this time around too! Good catch there. *NM*
12/07/2010 09:22:21 PM
- 791 Views
The thing that tipped me off
12/07/2010 09:53:01 PM
- 1426 Views
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
- 780 Views
You have to wonder why Hagrid and Dumbledore didn't suspect the truth about Sirius.
26/07/2010 04:04:05 PM
- 1352 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
- 1510 Views
Some stuff (chapters 4-11)
14/07/2010 09:18:35 PM
- 1620 Views
Re: Some stuff (chapters 4-11)
14/07/2010 10:30:23 PM
- 1423 Views
I can answer your consistency question!
15/07/2010 02:35:42 AM
- 1551 Views
More stuff (chapters 12-17)
15/07/2010 08:55:34 PM
- 1304 Views
Tiny tiny inconsistency (?) in Ch. 12
17/07/2010 04:23:15 PM
- 1540 Views
What made this book (and the rest of the series) such a success?
12/07/2010 08:33:00 AM
- 1518 Views
I think it was mostly because it was a simple narrative with an identifiable protagnonist.
13/07/2010 11:59:06 PM
- 1537 Views
It has tons of things in it that every kid dreams of doing
14/07/2010 01:56:05 PM
- 1531 Views
It's a simple, well-done little book.
12/07/2010 07:46:48 PM
- 1528 Views
you don't read instructions, do you?
12/07/2010 07:49:24 PM
- 1558 Views
When did you pick up this book?
12/07/2010 11:30:46 PM
- 1452 Views
I was 10.
13/07/2010 04:13:44 AM
- 1607 Views
Ah book orders...man you just brought back nostalgic memories. I miss being a kid
13/07/2010 04:42:12 AM
- 1661 Views
1999
13/07/2010 09:03:03 AM
- 1528 Views
What do you mean by adult version?
13/07/2010 02:15:40 PM
- 1630 Views
They started publishing copies with 'adult' covers so people wouldn't be caught out reading
13/07/2010 11:53:46 PM
- 1580 Views
Got a boxed set for Christmas when Order of the Phoenix came out in hardback.
13/07/2010 03:06:42 PM
- 1578 Views
The first five were out, waited for HBP.
14/07/2010 06:20:39 AM
- 1651 Views
Very early. Beginning of 1999, so it had just come out in the States. *NM*
14/07/2010 08:54:06 AM
- 972 Views
I held out quite awhile because I don't like "fads"
14/07/2010 02:04:37 PM
- 1500 Views
I did the same thing.
15/07/2010 06:39:16 AM
- 1593 Views
I would have, if I had known there was hype. I know I would have.
15/07/2010 03:28:50 PM
- 1615 Views
Aged 13 or 14 - a while before the first movie (which was Christmas 2001). *NM*
26/07/2010 04:13:55 PM
- 953 Views
Jesus Christ.
26/07/2010 05:04:46 PM
- 1626 Views
^That was me. *NM*
26/07/2010 09:55:49 PM
- 946 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
- 970 Views
Suggestions for the Re-read
12/07/2010 08:33:25 AM
- 1556 Views
This is my first official time participating and its been fun so far!
14/07/2010 05:16:48 PM
- 1495 Views
Unfortunately, no. (Silly me, pretending someone's still going to read all my posts... ) *NM*
26/07/2010 04:20:35 PM
- 971 Views
Inconsistencies Re: the Potter's death...
15/07/2010 05:16:45 AM
- 1879 Views
Because they were tricked? They considered Peter and Sirius to be brothers.
15/07/2010 07:05:27 AM
- 1536 Views
That's nonsense..
16/07/2010 01:08:40 AM
- 1450 Views
Take it up with Rowling, since you don't believe me. *NM*
16/07/2010 08:19:58 AM
- 868 Views
What's there to believe?
18/07/2010 06:03:13 AM
- 1548 Views
Peter + Sirius = family. I don't know how to explain it more simply. *NM*
18/07/2010 08:58:20 AM
- 993 Views
Re: That's nonsense..
16/07/2010 09:37:59 AM
- 1667 Views
Also
16/07/2010 11:17:51 AM
- 1895 Views
Huh?
18/07/2010 05:57:58 AM
- 1467 Views
But Camilla explained it!
18/07/2010 09:27:55 AM
- 1776 Views
I'm fairly certain you guys have that totally wrong...
18/07/2010 05:42:18 PM
- 1478 Views
Re: I'm fairly certain you guys have that totally wrong...
18/07/2010 05:51:36 PM
- 1496 Views
Re: I'm fairly certain you guys have that totally wrong...
18/07/2010 06:17:04 PM
- 1796 Views
Re: I'm fairly certain you guys have that totally wrong...
18/07/2010 06:28:27 PM
- 1495 Views
That bothers me too.
18/07/2010 07:17:14 PM
- 1562 Views
Re: That bothers me too.
18/07/2010 07:20:44 PM
- 1411 Views
Again...
18/07/2010 07:35:10 PM
- 1724 Views
Re: Again...
18/07/2010 08:00:55 PM
- 1518 Views
Re: Again...
19/07/2010 06:33:13 AM
- 1716 Views
Re: Again...
20/07/2010 04:45:16 PM
- 1524 Views
Yet another load of bosh.
21/07/2010 01:00:14 AM
- 1519 Views
It was just the sort of things these two daredevils would do...
14/09/2010 12:11:20 AM
- 1967 Views
Re: It was just the sort of things these two daredevils would do...
14/09/2010 09:20:46 AM
- 1424 Views
You have to wonder if that's actually true.
26/07/2010 04:23:31 PM
- 1508 Views
Since Lily and James were unable to leave the house
18/07/2010 07:14:21 PM
- 1473 Views
Re: Since Lily and James were unable to leave the house
26/07/2010 05:07:48 PM
- 1814 Views
^ And this, too, was me.
26/07/2010 09:58:07 PM
- 1537 Views