Harry Potter and the Philosopher.docx

Harry Potter and the Philosopher.docx

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HarryPotterandthePhilosopher

HarryPotterandthePhilosopher’sStone

I.LiteratureReview

1.1GeneralReview

HarryPotterandthePhilosopher'sStoneisthefirstbookintheHarryPotterseries.Itwaspublishedin1997andafeature-lengthmovieversionwasshownintheatersin2001.Thebookhasbeentranslatedinto65languagesoveraround200countries.WhenthebookwasintroducedtotheUnitedStatesin1998,itstitleisHarryPotterandtheSorcerer’sStone,thereasonwasthatthepublishersthoughttheword“professor”mightdevalueitspopularityamongchildren.

SoonaftertheBritishreleaseofHarryPotterandthePhilosopher’sStone,ArthurLevine,aneditorialdirectorforScholasticBooks,boughttheAmericanrightstothenovelfor$105,000,whichallowedRowlingtowriteforfulltime.WhenitwasreleasedinAmerica,HarryPotterandtheSorcerer’sStonealmostimmediatelybecameapublishingsensation,holdingthetopspotontheNewYorkTimesBest-SellerListforseveralmonths.Thebookwasuniqueinattractingbothyoungandadultreaders;indeed,theBritishpublisherissuedaneditionwithalesscolorfulcoverforgrown-upstoreadontrainswithouthavingtohidethenovelbehindanewspaper.Mostreviewswereveryfavorable,commentingonRowling'simagination,humor,simple,directstyleandcleverplotconstruction,althoughafewcomplainedthatthefinalchapterslookedrushed.

HarryPotterandthePhilosopher’sStonedrawsonalongtraditionofEnglishfantasyworksthatseemtobeforchildrenbutareinfactdeepallegoriesofthehumancondition.Rowlingherselfhasstatedthatherbookisreallyaboutimaginationandthatpracticingwizardryisonlyametaphorfordevelopingone’sfullpotential.Ononelevel,thestoryisathrillerwithacriminalplotthatisthwartedbyagroupofbravestudents,justasC.S.Lewis’sNarniabooks—childhoodfavoritesofRowling’s—areaboutchildrenwhoexploreastrangelandandperformheroicdeeds.Butonadeeperlevel,HarryPotterandthePhilosopher’sStone,liketheNarniabooks,illustratesthechallengesandadventuresofgrowingup.Rowling’sbookoutlineseverychild’sordealofbecominganindividual,winningrespectfrompeers,learningaboutloyalty,discoveringthedifferencebetweenforgivablevicesandunforgivablesins,andbelievinginsomethingbiggerthanoneself.Harry’stransformationfromaforgottenorphanlivingunderthestairsintoapubliclyrecognizedindividual,andthenfinallyintoarenownedherorepresentsthesuccessfulentryintothepublicworldwishedforbyeverychild.Harry’sescapefrommiserytoanewplacewherehehasfriends,respect,andausefulroleintheworldisaprojectionofeverychild’sideallife.Mostimportant,Harry’sdiscoverythatthereissomethinguniquelyvaluableinsidehimrepresentsthedreamofinnumerablepeople—childrenandadultsalike—whoenjoyindulgingtheirimaginations.

Andaccordingtosomecritics,therearethreeaspectswhichmaketheHarryPotterseriessoattractive.Oneisthatitisthereflectionoftherealworldfromthemagicworld.Anotheristhattherearesomanyinterestingelements,grotesqueandgaudyadventuredescribed.Thethirdaspectisthatthenovelisthemixtureofculture,legendandfairytalesoftheancientEurope,themiddle-age’sEuropeandtoday’sEurope.Thesethreeelementscombinetogethertocreatesuchafantasticseries.

WecanseethatthewholeworldiscrazyfortheworkofHarryPotter.Ininformationtimes,thebirthofagoodnovelisjustthefirststep.Itstillneedsagoodoperation.WhenHarryPottersoldwellinBritain,thepublishingbusinessmenmadeuseofInternet,newsandotherwaystopublicizethisbookallovertheworld.

1.2Reviewsfrommagazinesandnewspaper

"Awonderfulfirstnovel.MuchlikeRoaldDahl,J.K.Rowlinghasagiftforkeepingtheemotions,fears,andtriumphsofhercharactersonahumanscale,evenwhilethesupernaturalispoppingoutallover.Thebookisfullofwonderful,slyhumorandthecharactersareimpressivelythree-dimensional（occasionally,four-dimensional!

）andmovealongseamlesslythroughthenarrative.HarryPotterandtheSorcerer'sStoneisasfunny,movingandimpressiveasthestorybehinditswriting.LikeHarryPotter,J.K.Rowlinghaswizardryinside,andhassoaredbeyondhermodestMugglesurroundingstoachievesomethingquitespecial."

--TheNewYorkTimesBookReview

"Acharming,imaginative,magicalconfectionofanovel...agloriousdebut,abookofwonderfulcomicpleasuresanddizzyingimaginativeflights.ThereisnocausetodoubtRowling'sabilitiesandpromise,andeveryreasontoexpectgreatthings,trulygreatthings,fromherinthefuture."

--TheBostonSundayGlobe

"Youdon’thavetobeawizardorakidtoappreciatethespellcastbyHarryPotter."

--USAToday

"Thestorydelightsandthewritinggivesyougoosebumps,thegoodkind."

--ChicagoTribune

"Thehugecastofcharacters,setagainstafantasticbackdropwithgooddosesofaction,humorandfun,willsurelycaptivate..."

--SeattleTimes

"Readersareinforadelightfulrompwiththisaward-winningdebutfromaBritishauthorwhodancesinthefootstepsofP.L.TraversandRoaldDahl.Thereisenchantment,suspenseanddangergalore（aswellasenoughcreepycreaturestosatisfythemostbogey-men-lovingreaders,andevenamagicalgameofsoccer-likeQuidditchtoentertainsportsfans）."

--PublishersWeekly

"Afterreadingthisentrancingfantasy,readerswillbeconvincedthatthey,too,couldtakethetraintoHogwartsSchool,ifonlytheycouldfindPlatformNineandThreeQuartersattheKing'sCrossStation."

--SchoolLibraryJournal

"Rowling'sfirstnovelisabrilliantlyimaginedandbeautifullywrittenfantasythatincorporatessomeelementsoftraditionalBritishschoolstorieswithoutonceviolatingthemagicalunderpinningsoftheplot.Infact,Rowling'swonderfulabilitytoputaspinonsports,studentrivalry,andeccentricfacultycontributestothehumor,charmand,well,delightofherutterlycaptivatingstory."

--Boolist

"Arousingfirstnovel...Thishugelyenjoyablefantasyisfilledwithimaginativedetails,fromoddlyflavoredjellybeanstodragons'eggshatchedonthehearth."

--KirkusReviews

II.TheAuthor

2.1LifebeforethepublicationofHarryPotter

JoanneRowlingwasbornonJuly31,1965,inGloucestershire,England.Fearingthatthetargetaudienceofyoungboysmightnotwanttoreadabookwrittenbyawoman,herpublisherdemandedthatsheusetwoinitials,ratherthanherfullname.Rowlinghasleda“ragstoriches”lifestory,inwhichsheprogressedfromlivingonsocialsecuritytomulti-millionairestatuswithinfiveyears.

Rowlingwasinterestedinwritingsinceshewasachild.ShewroteherfirststoryRabbitattheageofsix.AndherfavoriteauthorisJaneAusten.Generallyspeaking,shehadahappychildhood.ShemajoredFrenchintheuniversity,andaftergraduation,sheworkedassecretaryinvariousfirms.

Itwasin1990thatJ.K.RowingfirstconceivedoftheideaaboutHarryPotter.Assherecalls,itwasonfour-hour-delayedtraintripfromManchestertoLondon,theideaforastoryofayoungboyattendingaschoolofwizardrycamefullyintohermind.However,itwasalsointhisyearthathermotherpassedaway.Shesaidthathermother’sdeathaffectedherwritingandthatsheintroducedmuchmoredetailsaboutHarry’slossofparentsinthefirstbook,becausesheknewabouthowitfelt.Shebegantoworkonthatnovelassoonasshearrivedathome,however,itwouldtakeseveralyearstofinishit.Duringtheseyears,Rowling’slifewasquitemiserable.ShewenttoPortugaltogetajobasanEnglishteacherandgotmarriedthere.Unfortunately,shereturnedtoEnglandtwoyearslaterafterdivorce,stilltryingtofinishherfirstbook.Shealsoworkedfulltime,andbroughtupherdaughterasasingleparent.Finally,shefinisheditin1994andgotitpublishedin1995byBloomsbury，asmallpublishinghouseinLondon.Afterthat,Rowling’slifewaschangedtotally.

2.2LifeafterthepublicationofHarryPotter

AlthoughBloomsburyagreedtopublishthebook,CunninghamsaysthatheadvisedRowlingtogetadayjob,sinceshehadlittlechanceofmakingmoneyinchildren'sbooks.

Soonafter,in1997,Rowlingreceivedan£8000grantfromtheScottishArtsCounciltoenablehertocontinuewriting.Thefollowingspring,anauctionwasheldintheUnitedStatesfortherightstopublishthenovel,andwaswonbyScholasticInc.,for$105,000.Rowlinghassaidshe"nearlydied"whensheheardthenews.ItwasalsointhisyearthatRowlingwonherfirstprizeforHarryPotterandthePhilosopher’sStone,aNestléSmartiesBookPrize.

InOctober1998,ScholasticpublishedHarryPotterandthePhilosopher'sStoneintheUSunderthetitleofHarryPotterandtheSorcerer'sStone.

InDecember1999,thethirdnovel,HarryPotterandthePrisonerofAzkaban,wontheSmartiesPrize,makingRowlingthefirstpersontowintheawardthreetimesrunning.

InJanuary2000,PrisonerofAzkabanwontheinauguralWhitbreadChildren'sBookoftheYearaward.Thefourthbook,HarryPotterandtheGobletofFire,wasreleasedsimultaneouslyintheUKandtheU.S.inthisyear,andbrokesalesrecordsinbothcountries.ThusRowlingwasnamedauthoroftheyearinthe2000BritishBookAwards.

HarryPotterandtheOrderofthePhoenixwaspublishedthreeyearslater,andthethree-yeargapledtopressspeculationthatRowlinghaddevelopedwriter'sblock.

Thesixthbook,HarryPotterandtheHalf-BloodPrince,wasreleasedon16July2005.Ittoobrokeallsalesrecords,sellingninemillioncopiesinitsfirst24hoursofrelease.

In2006,Half-BloodPrincereceive