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
- 3049 Views
Chapters 1-3: Introducing Harry
12/07/2010 08:28:49 AM
- 1628 Views
Characterisation *NM*
12/07/2010 08:29:02 AM
- 908 Views
My thoughts, such as they are.
12/07/2010 04:09:55 PM
- 1679 Views
Re: My thoughts, such as they are. *spoilers*
12/07/2010 07:43:49 PM
- 1639 Views
You hit the nail on the head.
13/07/2010 12:20:19 AM
- 1573 Views
Writing style *NM*
12/07/2010 08:29:18 AM
- 897 Views
It is very clear it is a children's book at this time
12/07/2010 07:18:14 PM
- 1699 Views
Vernon's slow descent into madness is great.
13/07/2010 04:03:26 AM
- 1672 Views
Re: Vernon's slow descent into madness is great.
13/07/2010 08:54:40 AM
- 1623 Views
Early themes *NM*
12/07/2010 08:29:37 AM
- 913 Views
Chapters 4-10: Making Friends at Hogwarts *NM*
12/07/2010 08:29:58 AM
- 840 Views
Impressions: thoughts about the school, the teachers, the enemies and the friends. *NM*
14/07/2010 08:29:38 AM
- 883 Views
I'd forgotten how annoying Hermione was
14/07/2010 01:48:13 PM
- 1543 Views
Yep. I like seeing her transformation in this story though.
14/07/2010 04:58:04 PM
- 1542 Views
Re: Yep. I like seeing her transformation in this story though.
14/07/2010 06:13:13 PM
- 1536 Views
Yes and, I think, this may be another candidate for early themes (from above)
14/07/2010 07:43:14 PM
- 1647 Views
Re: Impressions: thoughts about the school, the teachers, the enemies and the friends.
14/07/2010 04:22:54 PM
- 1680 Views
Agree. I loved the instant tension between Harry and Malfoy and with Harry and Snape too.
14/07/2010 05:03:20 PM
- 1810 Views
Some thoughts before I run off to the library again
14/07/2010 06:11:45 PM
- 1671 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
- 1760 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
- 1422 Views
What about the magic?
14/07/2010 08:58:51 AM
- 1538 Views
The magic wasnt really developed at this point
14/07/2010 02:13:41 PM
- 1468 Views
Re: The magic wasnt really developed at this point
14/07/2010 08:53:08 PM
- 1712 Views
I think
14/07/2010 04:34:30 PM
- 1470 Views
Diagon Alley - Olivander's Foreshadowing
14/07/2010 05:11:40 PM
- 1757 Views
I really need a remembrall.
14/07/2010 08:57:10 PM
- 1621 Views
But it doesn't tell you what you've forgotten!
15/07/2010 02:51:47 AM
- 1759 Views
Chapters 11-17: Harry the Hero *NM*
12/07/2010 08:30:29 AM
- 858 Views
What'd you think of the ending? *NM*
15/07/2010 05:21:38 PM
- 819 Views
Two separate things:
15/07/2010 07:14:08 PM
- 1519 Views
Lovely
15/07/2010 09:00:11 PM
- 1588 Views
Haha
15/07/2010 09:16:16 PM
- 1686 Views
Re: Haha
15/07/2010 09:24:06 PM
- 1566 Views
But I thought all girls were made of sugar and spice and everything nice?
15/07/2010 09:26:53 PM
- 1473 Views
Oh, we are.
15/07/2010 09:35:17 PM
- 1376 Views
Honestly, dumbledore is a bit of an ass...
15/07/2010 10:48:32 PM
- 1382 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
- 796 Views
Overall thoughts for the book
12/07/2010 08:31:37 AM
- 1562 Views
Foreshadowing and setting up the future
12/07/2010 08:32:10 AM
- 1462 Views
Harry's anger management issues?
12/07/2010 07:14:58 PM
- 1528 Views
Heh.
12/07/2010 07:40:40 PM
- 1572 Views
Nah, not deliberate.
12/07/2010 09:14:20 PM
- 1628 Views
Re: Nah, not deliberate.
12/07/2010 09:55:32 PM
- 1542 Views
I noticed a lot of this.
12/07/2010 07:22:54 PM
- 1652 Views
Re: I noticed a lot of this.
12/07/2010 07:39:25 PM
- 1586 Views
Re: I noticed a lot of this.
12/07/2010 07:45:32 PM
- 1574 Views
On Ginny:
12/07/2010 10:36:47 PM
- 1605 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
- 753 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
- 1800 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
- 1550 Views
So much (chapters 1-3) *spoilers*
12/07/2010 07:35:57 PM
- 1764 Views
I missed the school roof thing this time around too! Good catch there. *NM*
12/07/2010 09:22:21 PM
- 834 Views
The thing that tipped me off
12/07/2010 09:53:01 PM
- 1541 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
- 822 Views
You have to wonder why Hagrid and Dumbledore didn't suspect the truth about Sirius.
26/07/2010 04:04:05 PM
- 1472 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
- 1608 Views
Some stuff (chapters 4-11)
14/07/2010 09:18:35 PM
- 1727 Views
Re: Some stuff (chapters 4-11)
14/07/2010 10:30:23 PM
- 1547 Views
I can answer your consistency question!
15/07/2010 02:35:42 AM
- 1656 Views
More stuff (chapters 12-17)
15/07/2010 08:55:34 PM
- 1417 Views
Tiny tiny inconsistency (?) in Ch. 12
17/07/2010 04:23:15 PM
- 1639 Views
What made this book (and the rest of the series) such a success?
12/07/2010 08:33:00 AM
- 1630 Views
I think it was mostly because it was a simple narrative with an identifiable protagnonist.
13/07/2010 11:59:06 PM
- 1632 Views
It has tons of things in it that every kid dreams of doing
14/07/2010 01:56:05 PM
- 1634 Views
It's a simple, well-done little book.
12/07/2010 07:46:48 PM
- 1623 Views
you don't read instructions, do you?
12/07/2010 07:49:24 PM
- 1673 Views
When did you pick up this book?
12/07/2010 11:30:46 PM
- 1568 Views
I was 10.
13/07/2010 04:13:44 AM
- 1710 Views
Ah book orders...man you just brought back nostalgic memories. I miss being a kid
13/07/2010 04:42:12 AM
- 1767 Views
1999
13/07/2010 09:03:03 AM
- 1627 Views
What do you mean by adult version?
13/07/2010 02:15:40 PM
- 1731 Views
They started publishing copies with 'adult' covers so people wouldn't be caught out reading
13/07/2010 11:53:46 PM
- 1687 Views
Got a boxed set for Christmas when Order of the Phoenix came out in hardback.
13/07/2010 03:06:42 PM
- 1677 Views
The first five were out, waited for HBP.
14/07/2010 06:20:39 AM
- 1766 Views
Very early. Beginning of 1999, so it had just come out in the States. *NM*
14/07/2010 08:54:06 AM
- 1018 Views
I held out quite awhile because I don't like "fads"
14/07/2010 02:04:37 PM
- 1587 Views
I did the same thing.
15/07/2010 06:39:16 AM
- 1698 Views
I would have, if I had known there was hype. I know I would have.
15/07/2010 03:28:50 PM
- 1716 Views
Aged 13 or 14 - a while before the first movie (which was Christmas 2001). *NM*
26/07/2010 04:13:55 PM
- 992 Views
Jesus Christ.
26/07/2010 05:04:46 PM
- 1729 Views
^That was me. *NM*
26/07/2010 09:55:49 PM
- 991 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
- 1011 Views
Suggestions for the Re-read
12/07/2010 08:33:25 AM
- 1656 Views
This is my first official time participating and its been fun so far!
14/07/2010 05:16:48 PM
- 1594 Views
Unfortunately, no. (Silly me, pretending someone's still going to read all my posts... ) *NM*
26/07/2010 04:20:35 PM
- 1008 Views
Inconsistencies Re: the Potter's death...
15/07/2010 05:16:45 AM
- 1987 Views
Because they were tricked? They considered Peter and Sirius to be brothers.
15/07/2010 07:05:27 AM
- 1646 Views
That's nonsense..
16/07/2010 01:08:40 AM
- 1553 Views
Take it up with Rowling, since you don't believe me. *NM*
16/07/2010 08:19:58 AM
- 908 Views
What's there to believe?
18/07/2010 06:03:13 AM
- 1653 Views
Peter + Sirius = family. I don't know how to explain it more simply. *NM*
18/07/2010 08:58:20 AM
- 1030 Views
Re: That's nonsense..
16/07/2010 09:37:59 AM
- 1777 Views
Also
16/07/2010 11:17:51 AM
- 1987 Views
Huh?
18/07/2010 05:57:58 AM
- 1569 Views
But Camilla explained it!
18/07/2010 09:27:55 AM
- 1885 Views
I'm fairly certain you guys have that totally wrong...
18/07/2010 05:42:18 PM
- 1584 Views
Re: I'm fairly certain you guys have that totally wrong...
18/07/2010 05:51:36 PM
- 1594 Views
Re: I'm fairly certain you guys have that totally wrong...
18/07/2010 06:17:04 PM
- 1903 Views
Re: I'm fairly certain you guys have that totally wrong...
18/07/2010 06:28:27 PM
- 1597 Views
That bothers me too.
18/07/2010 07:17:14 PM
- 1663 Views
Re: That bothers me too.
18/07/2010 07:20:44 PM
- 1515 Views
Again...
18/07/2010 07:35:10 PM
- 1834 Views
Re: Again...
18/07/2010 08:00:55 PM
- 1622 Views
Re: Again...
19/07/2010 06:33:13 AM
- 1823 Views
Re: Again...
20/07/2010 04:45:16 PM
- 1634 Views
Yet another load of bosh.
21/07/2010 01:00:14 AM
- 1623 Views
It was just the sort of things these two daredevils would do...
14/09/2010 12:11:20 AM
- 2071 Views
Re: It was just the sort of things these two daredevils would do...
14/09/2010 09:20:46 AM
- 1530 Views
You have to wonder if that's actually true.
26/07/2010 04:23:31 PM
- 1610 Views
Since Lily and James were unable to leave the house
18/07/2010 07:14:21 PM
- 1583 Views
Re: Since Lily and James were unable to leave the house
26/07/2010 05:07:48 PM
- 1911 Views
^ And this, too, was me.
26/07/2010 09:58:07 PM
- 1638 Views