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Rowling has sold more copies of this book than one can imagine. I can't really imagine why. It isn't ground-breakingly original. Most of her ideas are borrowed from other sources, tarted up and thrown into the novel. The writing isn't great, many of the characters are super annoying. Harry is annoying, his muggle parents are MORE annoying. Hermione is okay, and Dumbledore has his moments, when he's not being a blatant Gandalf Rip-off.

So why is it popular? I think it's the idea, of escaping to a magical world? It's been done before, CS Lewis did with 'The Lion The Witch and the Warderobe' Then wasn't there 'The Far Away Tree' ? Kids love books about magic doors into other worlds.

For all my grumpy whining about how a book this bad became such a global success - it does have it's merits. Hermione is a great character and I thin Rowling had good intentions in writing it. I might have enjoyed it if I'd read it when I was younger I suppose.

I almost, almost want to give it 2 stars, it's a definite 2. I'd still probably watch the flick again than re-read it.

Yes, it pinches ideas from all over the shop, but it puts them together in a clever way. It's not great writing, but it's alright. Some of the characters I found really flat, but it's readable.

I guess it's a 2.75 - so I'll round up to 3 stars!