Throughout my childhood, I was an avid fan of the Harry Potter films. I remember one Boxing Day abandoning my family to watch Deathly Hallows part two because I wanted to know just how the series would end.
However, it was obvious to me that I was missing some of the context from the storylines, some of the important details that everyone seemed to know and I didn't (thanks, Tumblr).
Seeing what people post on Twitter has only reinforced that feeling in recent months, so while watching Goblet of Fire I decided that it was time for me to buy the complete series of novels and get myself back into reading properly.
And here we are.
I am reading the Harry Potter novels and I am excited to find out all the hidden secrets I have been missing out on for sixteen long years. Therefore I have decided that once I have finished each book in turn, I am going to write a review of it, including how I think it compares to the film.
Below is my review of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone':
First of all I'd just like to say that the box the books are stored in is absolutely beautiful, and I think that the pictures I've taken of it definitely don't do it any justice whatsoever. I will just say that I don't really understand why there's two blue books in a row, but there are bigger fish to fry, I suppose.
So, it's 20:22 and I've just finished the first Harry Potter book. I have to say that I enjoyed every single second of it.
The character development that all the characters received was far greater in the book than it was in the film, but that was probably because words take up less time when reading than when trying to convert it to a visual image, I suppose. Did that make any sense? Probably not.
I found that Harry himself was more likeable than he was in the films. I don't know what it was about Harry in the first few films, but I struggled to get along with his personality. Of course I can appreciate his bravery in the face of evil, but he gets lost in the films considering he is the title character.
In this book, he was sassy and really didn't care about what people thought of him, and I genuinely thought that was honourable. Unbeknownst to me, Harry Potter has an amazing sense of humour that I can truly relate to.
As for Ron, he was not just that sidekick who didn't really do much, but became the best friend Harry deserved, who supported him even when he managed to lose 150 points for Gryffindor, and was far more capable than people (including the film makers) gave him credit for. He was bullied and ridiculed by Draco for not having money, and in response he gave Neville the courage to stand up to those who bullied them and give them what they deserve. He has a family who clearly loves him, who he definitely loves in return, and he never moans about the situation his family is subject to live in, which shows that he is proud of the Weasley name, and I admire him for that.
Hermione began as this annoying know-it-all, who frustrated me no-end. I honestly think that the comment Ron makes after Flitwick's class about Hermione having no friends helps her in the long-run because she understands that there is more to being at Hogwarts than the knowledge. And then, to really show her biggest change, she puts herself in McGonagall's way and damages her own reputation to protect that of Harry and Ron's. I hope that Hermione becomes a strong role model for young girls throughout the rest of the novels as I'm sure she will be.
As for the storyline, there was far more to it than they could fit in the film.
The Hogwarts school song (which we have a glimpse of in the outtakes for Goblet of Fire) was a masterpiece that was stolen from us as an audience. The idea that you can sing it to any tune honestly made me laugh, it's brilliant.
The classes that are studied at Hogwarts were explained more to me, which helps me understand which of the classes I would like to study myself when my Hogwarts letter finally arrives.
It will happen....
Also, can we just talk about the fact that there's a teacher who is a ghost who we didn't get to see in the films. They missed out so many of the good parts!
When it came to the trap door under Fluffy's feet, it was really interesting to know that each of the tasks that befell the trio were created by one particular Professor. It makes so much more sense knowing that. I would also have liked to have seen Snape's task in the film because it really tested Hermione, which was good to see, whereas only Ron and Harry got an opportunity to really show themselves off (besides the Devils Snare of course).
To finish, I'd just like to say that everyone should read this series if they love reading and have an opportunity to do so. I didn't think they'd be worth the money, because I had tried to read the first one before and didn't particularly enjoy it, but they most certainly are. If you love the films then you'll love the books!
Currently I'm about a quarter of the way through Prisoner of Azkaban and it's definitely my favourite out of the three.
I hope that this was an enjoyable read for you and that you're having a great day.
Thank you,
Chlo x
No comments