This is the little book that could. J.K. Rowling dreamt it up on a train ride to London and spent years working on it (source). She sent the book to many publishers until one (yay Bloomsbury!) finally agreed to publish her work in the United Kingdom in 1997 (under the original title, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) (source). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was published in the United States in 1998. The book became a smash success, winning the UK National Book Award (1997) and the Gold Medal Smarties Prize (1997), and being named a Best Book of the Year (1998) by both Publishers Weekly and the New York Public Library. Yowsa. It also made it onto the New York Times Bestseller list.

People were amazed that a small "children's book" was so popular, even among adults. Six books later, the series has won tons of snazzy book awards, it's had major sales, and made mountains of money. You may even remember just how crazy people got each time a new book came out. Rowling's magical world is a thrilling place!

Of course, like many pop culture icons, the Harry Potter series has both big fans and big haters. The arguments back and forth between lovers and haters end up resembling a wizard's duel. For example, some religious fundamentalists have criticized the series for its portrayal of magic and wizardry (see this interesting collection of links at ReligiousTolerance.org for more).

What's more, some literary critics have problems with the series and wonder whether being popular is the same as being quality literature. The famous literary critic Harold Bloom wrote a scathing article titled "Can 35 Million Book Buyers Be Wrong? Yes." Wow, pretty harsh, Harold. Bloom has commented that "the book is not well written" and that Harry Potter lacks an "imaginative vision" (source).

Don't go thinking that all literary critics are down on Harry, though. The New York Times review of Sorcerer's Stone says that Rowling has "soared beyond her modest Muggle surroundings to achieve something quite special" (source). And author Ted Goia has tons of good things to say. Check out this quote:

[Rowling] has peopled her magical universe with some of the most striking characters of contemporary fiction […] there is no better place to start in exploring [Rowling's] richly inspired alternative world than this opening volume in the series. If Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is not a classic, than the term hardly has a legitimate meaning. This is one of those books that is meant to be enjoyed and shared. (source)

Not only does Goia think that the book is fun and enjoyable, he thinks it's bound to be a classic. So, it seems for every critical "spell" cast by critics like Bloom there's a defensive "spell" cast in return. Who do you think should win this wizard's duel? We say, read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and judge it for yourself.