Since the June 30, 1997 release of the first novel
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, (retitled
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States) the books have gained immense popularity, critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide. The series has also had some share of criticism, including concern for the increasingly dark tone. As of June 2008, the book series has sold more than 400 million copies and has been
translated into 67 languages, and the last four books have consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history.
A series of many
genres, including
fantasy and
coming of age, it has many cultural meanings and referenceAccording to Rowling, the main theme is
death,which has led to much criticism, as it is primarily considered to be a work of
children's literature. There are also many other themes in the series, such as
love and
prejudice.
English-language versions of the books are published by
Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom,
Scholastic Press in the United States,
Allen & Unwin in Australia, and
Raincoast Books in Canada. Through 2010, the first six books have been made into
films by
Warner Brothers; it is the
highest grossing film series of all time so far. The seventh book is being made into two movies which are currently scheduled to be released nearly eight months apart: Part I on November 19, 2010 and the
series finale on July 15, 2011. The series also originated much tie-in merchandise, making the Harry Potter brand worth $24 billion.
1
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is the first novel in the
Harry Potter series written by
J. K. Rowling and featuring
Harry Potter, a young
wizard. It describes how Harry discovers he is a wizard, makes close friends and a few enemies at the
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and with the help of his friends thwarts an attempted comeback by the evil wizard
Voldemort, who killed Harry's parents when Harry was one year old.
1. English name: Harry Potter and the men 's required (English: 1997 June 26)
American edition novels and movies name: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer 's required
Taiwan translation: :《
哈利波特—神秘的魔法石》
Chinese mainland translation: :《
哈利·波特與魔法石》
Story time: in 1981, 1991-1992
The film opened date: on November 15, 2001
Shadow history global top-earning: the first 6 patients (by 2010 March 5), a total of $974,733,550 yuan