Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
An orphaned boy discovers he is a wizard and begins his education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he uncovers the truth about his parents and faces a growing dark threat.
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What you might want to know about Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
On his eleventh birthday, an unloved orphan learns he is a wizard, that his parents did not die in a car crash, and that he is expected at a magical Scottish boarding school by September.
Yes. The book was published as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in the UK in 1997. The American publisher changed the title to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the 1998 US release. The contents are essentially identical aside from minor word changes.
J.K. Rowling wrote seven main Harry Potter novels, plus several supplementary books including Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and the play script Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
The first book is middle-grade, aimed at readers 9 to 12. The series ages up with each book, with the later novels suitable for older teens and adults. Many adults read the series for the first time as fantasy fans.
The eight Harry Potter films released between 2001 and 2011 follow the books reasonably closely, particularly in the early entries. Later films cut significant material due to the books' length. A Max television adaptation announced in 2023 is in development to retell the series across seven seasons.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was written by J.K. Rowling, published in 1997 by Bloomsbury Publishing.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is 302 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone takes most readers 5 to 7 hours to finish.
Yes. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is book 1 in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.