Harry Potter Boxed Set, Books 1-5 (Harry Potter, #1-5)

It's not like the world needs yet another commentary on the obsessively compelling world of Harry Potter, but given that I was strangely immersed in its fanfiction, I felt induced to give myself the antidote by reading the actual books. That accomplished in seven days, one book per day, did work as the hair of the dog. Quite grueling was this reading marathon too, and why I took a reading break afterwards in order to catch up on much needed sleep. What I came out of the books was a deeper understanding of how such a plethora of fanfiction came into being, and the obsession -- less of Lord Voldemort (even though one would think that there would be a ton of fanfiction of the different ways to conquer this snakey dude) but a ton of even lesser mentioned Slytherins, until it seemed almost as though it were the favored house and not the bias towards Gryffindor in the original books. Why? Well, for the simple reason that Slytherins were characters of much more depth than most of the other characters... main ones included. One of the most compelling ones, Snape, turned out to have a seething mass of contradictions and emotions, the unsung hero. (Alas, everyone forgot how unpleasant and unhygienic he was for most of the books.) Another favorite would have to be the rebellious Sirius Black, who never got to reach any sort of potential at all. Sure, he was placed in Gryffindor, but coming from a family of Slytherins, that said a bit of his complexity on its own. Then, there's my favorite unsung hero, his brother, Regullus Black, who never lived during the time of the book, yet managed to do one of most brave and dramatic turnabouts. For some readers, there's a compelling draw to these prodigal sons -- far more than lie in the never say die, bold as brass, what you say is what you get forever more Gryffindors. And I think that's the draw of the most popular two fanfiction couples, Hermione x Draco and Draco x Harry. Just from the books, though, I have to say at the outset that there's more material for Draco x Harry than the sparse interactions between Hermione and Draco. But that's one of the most popular couplings, not because, as Rowling thought, of the draw of the actor, but from the potential his character evokes from the books themselves. He's the only young Slytherin that the readers get to know well. He's handsome, aristocratic, wealthy, arrogant, ambitious, and even does well in school (enough to be noted for Potions and to be made Prefect). To top it all off, he's the biggest bastard and bully there ever lived...due to his cold-hearted father. What I've just described is the complete profile of almost every Harlequin hero and most YA crushes. The final straw to this hot mess of sexiness is his oh-so-endearing inability to kill Dumbledore when it came down to the crunch, thus showing the requisite hero's vulnerability and softness of heart. Seriously, why not Hermione and Harry, right? Only from the viewpoint of genetics, though, because those two would have made some crazy talented wizarding kids. But it's clear that Harry, having much too much his mind from the outset, wasn't that deep when it came to girls. He chose...essentially the two prettiest girls in school, who were both, incidentally, popular and athletic. Poor nerdy socially awkward, do-gooding Hermione...who was the one every girl envisioned herself... especially any girl who finished Order of the Phoenix, which was kind of a hot mess of a book. Seriously, though, was it the idea of these four founders to split up the school into four divisions, with one group (Hufflepuff) for all the stragglers? That's pretty terrible for morale from the outset. Grouping all the headstrong, impetuous people together (Gryffindor) also doesn't seem like a great idea. Nor was putting together all the really ambitious, power-hungry and potentially backstabbing people (Slytherin). And yet, it didn't seem like all the Slytherins were very ambitious...or maybe serving as a Malfoy lackey was the extent of their ambition. Doesn't this grouping (that seems to follow them through the rest of their days) seem slightly... Divergent to you? (By that, I know this came before that series, but because of all the criticisms that came with the grouping.) Oh, yeah, and another thing. What was the deal with everyone supporting Dumbledore all the way? It's like he was a wizarding Messiah or something. It was mildly disturbing and he was slightly overrated.

I read these years ago

Pretty much hated the first book (unfortunately), the second and third were just OK. The rest were GREAT. Gotta love Draco!

Great to have this amazing collection, especially amazing because you can read and reread these books and share with kids and grandkids.

My favorite is The Order of the Phoenix.

A lovely box set... I do wish I'd been patient and waited for the complete works to come out though. Harry Potter has to be one of the most ingenious works written in a long time. The characters, from muggles to wizards, house elves and goblins, the latin language use for spells, the wizardry, the settings, scenarios... every inch of it is just so... Magical! Just where did J.K come up with all this stuff! It had been a long time since I picked up any books that I simply could not put down when these came out. And like a child, I too couldn't wait for them to hit the big screen. (I know) It's not very often that a writer can write children's/YA works that so readily appeal to the adult audience, and that is what made it so successful. I'm proud to have this collection on my library shelves!

OVERALL: 4.2 stars Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter #1) - 4 stars I held off on reading these book until the third one came out and I got them all for Christmas. I was immediately hooked! The storyline was great and the characters were fun and easy to relate to (you know without the magic aspect). Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2) - 4 stars Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3) - 4 stars This was an interesting continuation of the series. I really liked the friendship relationships of all the characters and I really feel like Hermione is coming into her own. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter #4) - 5 stars This was my favorite book in the series. I thought the interplay of the characters in the tournament was fun and entertaining. This is also my favorite interplay between Hermione and Ron and the jealousy that each displays giving off a humorous vibe to the book. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter #5) - 4 stars Not as fantastic as the fourth book, for me they kind of go downhill after this one. I did not like how Rowling changed up the story so much and deviated from the 'Hogwarts' path.

This is what my mom had bought and now I have it so...

am just gonna say this I love harry potter!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I like the world that the writer created and I have finished the whole series and sometimes I even get the urge to read it again and I just think its a job well done for J. k.rowling!!!

Best set ever...... This is a fantastic story for literally any age! Be sure to read the books in order, as the author truly uses detail to enhance the magic of the tale. Magic, valiant heroes and evil villains, staunch friendships, and wonderful mischief scamper through the halls of Hogwarts - Harry's wizarding school - as a Rowling shows you life through the eyes of a courageous young boy.