“HE’LL BE FAMOUS–A LEGEND… THERE WILL BE BOOKS WRITTEN ABOUT HARRY–EVERY CHILD IN OUR WORLD WILL KNOW HIS NAME!”

ROWLING, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. (New York): Arthur A. Levine-Scholastic, (1998). Octavo, original half red cloth, original dust jacket. $4500.

First American edition of the first volume in Rowling’s phenomenally popular Harry Potter series.

At the time a mother struggling on welfare, "Rowling first thought of Harry while riding a train in 1990. 'Harry just strolled into my head fully formed.' Several publishers turned down the finished manuscript before one took interest," publishing it in 1997 in a very small first printing of only about 300 copies (Scholastic). It first appeared in America-the "philosopher's stone" of the original title changed to "sorcerer's stone"-the following year, also in a small first printing. By the time the fifth book in the series was published, "Harry Potter [had] shown empire-building skills that would put Queen Victoria to shame… Worldwide sales [had] topped 190 million in more than two hundred countries… It's a Harry Potter world, and we just live in it" (Weinberg, 43). "A marriage of good writing, inventiveness and sheer child appeal that has not been seen since Roald Dahl, perhaps even since Tolkien, Lewis and Ransome" (The Times). First printing, in first-printing dust jacket, without "Year 1" box on spine and with Guardian quote on rear panel. First published in a 1997 English edition titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Book with two corners slightly bumped, dust jacket with one short closed tear, slightest toning to spine. A near-fine copy.