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Chapter by Chapter: Philosopher's Stone (Chapter 5: Diagon Alley)
Seeing as people are liking the idea, I guess we'll go through.
Seeing as a lot of us have school, myself included, we'll have a week to read the chapter.
Discussions will come afterwards. :D
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Seeing as a lot of us have school, myself included, we'll have a week to read the chapter.
Discussions will come afterwards. :D
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Comments
“This pain is part of being human … the fact that you can feel pain like this is your greatest strength.” — Albus Dumbledore ϟ
Anyway, we should start it soon then.
Pottermore user name: SilverQuest212
:D
Post whenever you finish Chapter One.
"It all ends here... "
:D
Okay everyone, lets gear up and have this read by Thursday of Friday night? Could we do a once a week due date where we begin talking about the next chapter? What is everyones thought on this here?
But yeah thats grand.
Thank you really! You brought it up the other day.
My idea of a layout:
"
The good:
(say what you liked in this chapter)
The bad:
(say what you didn't like in this chapter)
Overall:
(What did you think of this Chapter)
Trivia:
(Post trivia about this chapter here)
Movie-version:
(What do you think about the movie-adaption of this chapter/scene?)
"
Is this a good layout for you guys?
However, the opening line is perfect: This is effective because we instantly imagine a stuck-up middle-class family who like to keep to themselves:
It is an interesting start to the story, we are told very little, as though we are expected to know what is going on already. There is a lot of intrigue, as well of dread, on Vernon's part. These strange people keep mentioning the Potters, who the Dursleys will not associate with.
What is even more interesting, is at this point in the story, James and Lily Potter are already dead:
And that an attempt has been made on Harry's life:
Vernon is unaware of any of this.
Minerva McGonagall has been sat on Privet Drive all day, Vernon swears he saw a cat looking at a map:
The Deluminator, which Albus leaves to Ronald Weasley in his will:
What is important is that even though McGonagall says that every child will know Harry's name, Dumbledore already realises this. It would be more healthier for Harry to grow up in Hogwarts, or with some magical family; but Dumbledore realises that Harry needs to be away from the wizarding world. It would be too much for him to grow up around people who are aware of what has happened to him, without Harry understanding why he is famous.
This is fantastic foreshadowing for the rest of the series. Hagrid is Harry's first mentor, his first real father figure. Who takes him temporarily out of the magical world [reluctantly] and then brings him back into it again ten years later.
It is an interesting parallel, Hagrid carrying the vulnerable baby Harry in his arms and then sixteen years later carrying what he believes to be a "dead" Harry:
"It all ends here... "
But then again, not everyone loves to read...
Pottermore user name: SilverQuest212
Anyway, yes
The first chapter is quite disjointed for it jumps around a bit, with the erratic placing and introduction of the characters and their perspectives.
Though I do like the way in which Rowling had woven through each character, giving fair time to each without damaging the pacing of the introduction to not the characters, but the story around the characters.
I do admire how the story is opened for children in the way that Rowling’s writing is not looming or over intimidating for young kids, also her sense of wit and colourful humours notes to the characters in her opening descriptions of each of them, equally, is a joy to read.
The thing I like most about the first chapter is that - you know how J.K had always said that she’d taken time to note out and plan the entire series carefully from the beginning, is that you can see it, you can see all her planning from the very first chapter of the very first book, it's all there, through little hints.
Lily and James’s murder, Tom Riddle’s downfall etc. and of course, a thing I absolutely love, the quick sly sliding mention of Sirius.
There is something so brilliant and (as a fan) heart-warming about looking back to the beginning, after all the books have been released and the characters stories have been told, and seeing these mentions, seeing these starts.
Also it’s interesting that it’s here in this first chapter that the differences between the muggle world and the wizarding world are already pulled up with Vernon’s judgements on the people in the.. 'strange clothes' and such.