This is about the tenth time I’ve read this, but only the first time since I read it last year. After reading The History of Magic and Tales of Beedle the Bard, I was interested mildly in revisiting it, but then Hoopla put it on a list of books you could borrow with affecting your monthly count I went for it. Rather than review it I will simply make some stray remarks. They might end up being the same ones I made last year, but I am not checking back to see.
— The first chapter, which I learned from The History of Magic, was written and rewritten a dozen or more times — which makes perfect since as a first chapter of a first book would be. But what I found curious about it this time, is how this chapter, and the second one, spend a lot of time wrestling with the tone of the whole series. In addition, it’s interesting that most of the first chapter follows Vernon Dursley going about his normal day on the morning after Voldemort is defeated. It switches part way through to McGonagall and Dumblemore meeting up in front of the Dursleys’ to give Harry to them .
–McGonagall’s animagus cat is a tabby.
–McGonagall and Dumbledore flirt somewhat, and she seems flushed.
–Dudley walking around hitting everything with his school cane is hilarious.
–The first several chapters still can’t figure out the tone of the book.
–The book ends up (and I think this is through the other books shifting) making this book carefully attuned to young readers and their not knowing about the world of magic etc etc.
–Christmas happens about 60% or more the way through the book, like all the other books, the second half of the school is pretty rushed.
–Hagrid not being a teacher means he asks Snape to go easy on Harry and can’t give Malfoy points off.
–Snape remains an awful venal man.
(Photo: https://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Sorcerers-Stone-Book/dp/B017V4IMVQ/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1586871744&sr=1-2)
