Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Illustrated Edition
Megan Jensen ’18 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
Few would have guessed that the first installment in the Harry Potter series could have become even more magical than before. This past October, J.K. Rowling released the latest version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, with glowing color and illustrations. Harry Potter fans were thrilled to see the new editions, especially since the only form of illustration came with the movies. With a new take on the first book, fans can experience the magic once again, in a completely new light.
The reading experience for the new edition is unlike any that has come previously. With full-page color illustrations and small, intricate drawings to break up most pages of text, it’s hard not to be impressed. Instead of being pulled into the text, readers will find an array of places, magical objects, and of course favorite characters within the pages of the new book. It gives readers a new take on their favorites, and brings them even further into the magical world of Hogwarts.
With the full text of the original novel, this new edition brings something unlike what most illustrated books bring. It still contains the full story, but with even more. Some would even say that the new edition is more fun for children, giving readers more to look at and more to feel. The breathtaking drawings of Harry and all of the magical things around him might make readers read slower, in order to immerse themselves into the text and the new images. One might open a page and see a full spread of text, with small images around the edges, or an entire page of full color drawing. It’s hard to tell what might be on the next page.
Some favorite illustrations include the illusive Dumbledore sitting with Harry under a desk, an illustration of Harry wearing the Sorting Hat, and a full two-page illustration of Hogwarts. The attention to detail in each picture is truly incredible. In a two-page illustration of Diagon Alley, readers will enjoy plenty of details in each shop window. One shop has clocks tacked to the sides; another has trees growing off of the brick. This new image of the classic place is really what makes the new book so special; in each picture readers can find new things, new takes on their old favorite.
With the intimacy of text, and without the fast-paced way the movies are presented, this new book brings something that the fans didn’t even know they wanted. And what’s more, the publisher has released news that after this year, one new illustrated Harry Potter edition will be released. In 2016, The Chamber of Secrets will come out, and the rest will come out each year after. It might be hard to imagine how huge and detailed the last few books will be, but every Harry Potter lover is excited to see their favorite books made into new and incredible illustrated editions in the coming years.