HP1

Upon rereading I think HP1 is more well-written than I remember. I still stand by that while I think JKR's imagination is extraordinary, her powers of description could be improved upon. The exposition, with the Dursley and their horror of anything extraordinary, is excellent. (In my opinion, easily the best part of the book and a classic way of beginning a story, although according to JKR's website it's not very popular: http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/extrastuff_view.cfm?id=1) Harry's life with the Dursleys is pretty unrealistic. The characterization, though, is realistic: Harry, Ron, and Hermione are all realistic people. I still think most of them are caricatures, like Jane Austen characters. I still don't understand how Harry's adventures in this first book made such a sensation, though. At around 10 years old, I would have liked the details of the story - Quidditch, dragons, owls, etc. - but I wouldn't have been very keen by the plot to find out what's being hidden in the castle. And I think Dumbledore's rescue of Harry from Quirrell is a bit of a cop-out.