Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, First UK Edition, 6th Printing, Paperback, J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury 1997

J. K. Rowling

ISBN 10: 0747532745 / ISBN 13: 9780747532743

Published by Bloomsbury, United Kingdom, 1997

This could be one of the rarest early UK Bloomsbury paperback issues of Harry Potter and the Philosopher?s Stone. The sixth UK printing is so elusive that some collectors speculate it may have been extremely limited?or possibly even largely withdrawn. Why this sixth Bloomsbury paperback printing is so scarce remains uncertain. One possible explanation relates to design changes: after the fifth printing, the Wendy Cooling endorsement was replaced with a quote from The Sunday Telegraph. Additionally, the base of the spine lettering background where it says Bloomsbury was altered from yellow to pink. It?s possible that this redesign was not approved, leading to the withdrawal of much of the print run.

The book is in very good condition, with clear signs of shelf wear, which include minor fading to the spine, creases to the front and back covers, most notably to the lower right side of the front cover and the upper left side of the rear cover. The spine however shows no reading creases at all, meaning that this copy was in fact never read. Internally the book is exceptionally clean with no writing, no unwanted marks or ownership inscriptions. Some age related toning to the page edges as is always the case with these early paperbacks.

An exceptionally uncommon early Harry Potter collectible. Seller Inventory # 308

Synopsis:

Harry Potter is an ordinary boy who lives in a cupboard under the stairs at his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's house, which he thinks is normal for someone like him who's parents have been killed in a 'car crash'. He is bullied by them and his fat, spoilt cousin Dudley, and lives a very unremarkable life with only the odd hiccup (like his hair growing back overnight!) to cause him much to think about. That is until an owl turns up with a letter addressed to Harry and all hell breaks loose! He is literally rescued by a world where nothing is as it seems and magic lessons are the order of the day. Read and find out how Harry discovers his true heritage at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, the reason behind his parents mysterious death, who is out to kill him, and how he uncovers the most amazing secret of all time, the fabled Philosopher's Stone! All this and muggles too. Now, what are they?

Review: Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand, and jellybeans that come in every flavor, including strawberry, curry, grass, and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! This is exactly what happens to young Harry Potter in J.K. Rowling's enchanting, funny debut novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. In the nonmagic human world--the world of "Muggles"--Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is famous as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoiled, piglike cousin Dudley.

A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry from his dreary, Muggle-ridden existence: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Soon enough, however, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his owl Hedwig... and that's where the real adventure--humorous, haunting, and suspenseful--begins. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, first published in England as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, continues to win major awards in England. So far it has won the National Book Award, the Smarties Prize, the Children's Book Award, and is short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, the U.K. version of the Newbery Medal. This magical, gripping, brilliant book--a future classic to be sure--will leave kids clamoring for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (Ages 8 to 13) --Karin Snelson

Bibliographic Details

Title: Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, ...
Publisher: Bloomsbury, United Kingdom
Publication Date: 1997
Binding: Soft cover
Illustrator: Thomas Taylor
Condition: Very Good
Edition: 1st Edition