It’s nearing July 31 again, and my cousin Dianne and I are celebrating Harry Potter’s this year by rereading the entire series.
Dianne and I have done many crazy things in the name of Harry Potter (okay, and Severus Snape): joined — and won — a Harry Potter diorama making contest (me); dressed up as Luna Lovegood and Nymphadora Tonks in a public party (costumes assembled from scratch); had custom made “In Snape We Trust” t-shirts made before Deathly Hallows was released; lined up for the Deathly Hallows release AND the Beedle the Bard midnight release (only a handful of people, us included); stopped watching the Harry Potter movies (Dianne before me); put together a Harry Potter Christmas tree (me); collected Harry Potter books in various editions and languages; threw a birthday party for Harry Potter; and celebrated Nearly Headless Nick’s Deathday and Snapeday!
We’ve read and re-read the series so many times, but not recently, and we figured it was about time to read them again. I always read all the preceding books each time a new book was released, but I have not reread any of the books since DH, which I reread right after my first reading, for closure, and then once more after that, because i just couldn’t let it go.
This time around, picking up a Harry Potter book again presented a happy problem — I have so many editions to pick from. Particularly for Philosopher’s Stone — I think I have the most number of editions of this title in the series. Foreign languages aside, I have eight editions to choose from for this reading:
US paperback
US hardcover
US Special Anniversary edition
UK Kids edition
UK 1997 edition
UK adult edition
Bloomsbury 21 edition
US and UK audiobooks
In the end I settled for the UK adult edition, because I have the set in mass market paperback (except for DH in hardcover) and they’re the handiest and most compact among all the editions.
I’ve read Philosopher’s Stone the most number of times out of all the volumes in the series, but somehow, the magic never fades. I started the book late at night, right before I went to sleep, and I got completely engrossed in it I didn’t realize I had read it to the very last page a couple hours later — I didn’t know just how much I missed reading Harry Potter until I started this reread.
And somehow, this time around, the experience is more intense, even more than the first time I ever read the book. Memories came flooding back every so often all throughout the book, and my emotions ran unchecked — I was already sniffling as early as Hedwig was first introduced in the book.
I’m mentally kicking myself for not doing this sooner, but I’m glad I finally challenged myself to do this — I’m reading one book right after another. I’m actually at Goblet of Fire at this point, but I can barely put it down when I’m not at work, so I’ll write about COS and POA when I can stop reading! :)
I leave you now with Dumbledore’s famous “few” words: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! while I get back to GOF.
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, UK adult edition
Book #88 for 2011
Nice, Bloeey! Have you watched the last film already? What do you think about it. :)
Hi Michael :) I stopped watching the movies, I get too affected. I hear it was good though, although I’m not inclined to watch.
Hey Blooey, you’re the first to come to mind when I saw this: http://www.1000notes.com/post/7850725553
Awwww *sobs* thanks, Nina!
no movie? it was fantastic! although if i wanted to nitpick, well … let’s not get started! am also re-reading. i just knew HP was special when i read book 1 eons ago :)
Nope no movie for me. I’d like to live in the bliss of not knowing. I just finished DH though — and the last five days spent rereading HP have been just awesome!
LIKE!
:)
I forgot to take photos of the Potter books at Kinokuniya! Iba ang covers! (I was too fixated on the football literature shelves!)
:) I have book 1 na of the signature edition
I miss my Harry Potter books! I had to leave them at my parent’s place when I got married because we don’t have space in our apartment right now. :-(
Good thing the husband, even if he’s not a big reader, is all for setting up a library. :-D I wonder what would be harder, saving enough for our dream house or convincing my husband to read HP. hehe
Looking forward to your other HP entries. :-)
halu!! it’s been so long I need to catch up na. ahhh HP1 the memories. The anniversary edition looks esp awesome!! If you read the book the movie the ending of the movie might be a bit disappointing, although Alan Rickman rocked!
I love the anniversary edition. And there’s a sketch of Snape by JKR inside!!!!
I heard about the movie, hahaha, a friend of mine told me I’d have torn my hair out in frustration!
I felt the same when I started re-reading the books last year – I didn’t realize just how much I missed the Harry Potter world until I started the first page of the Philosopher’s Stone.
I’m so jealous of all your pretty editions. The UK adult and UK 1997 versions are my favourites.