Harry Potter: The Illustrated Collection (Books 1-3 Boxed Set)

I must say whe i received these books as a christmas present i was a bit skeptical, however i can now say that they were some of the best books i've read in a long, long while. I'm 19 and i had forgotten how much i love books like this, not since C. S. Lewis' Narnia series have i come across something as wonderful as these books. I would recommend them to anyone of any age... these books are NOT JUST FOR KIDS! They are highly entertaining and are extremely well written. I've read them twice and cannot wait to read the next adventures of Harry Potter.by the way: Any parents who are a bit skeptical about these books because of some peoples beliefs that these books are inappropriate for children, may a suggest that you read them too... i doubt you will find anything to complain about... there is nothing wrong with exposing your children to a wonderful imagination and the creative mind of such a wonderful author

I haven't sat down and read a book for quite a while. It used to be romance, then horror/suspense. It got to the point that I could figure out the ending before finishing the first chapter. Then, my eight year old daughter came home from school and said that her teacher was reading a book to them in class. I asked which one and she replied, "Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone." I said that was nice and asked her if she liked it. "Yes", she said, "Can you get it for my birthday"? Well, to make it short, I did get it for her but I read it first because of the few reports that I've heard about it. I had that book read in less than 12 hours and I wished that I had had "The Chamber of Secrets" on my bookshelf. I was so impressed with this story that I am reading it again, only this time, aloud with my daughter. The funny thing about this is that I bought this paperback version for her birthday and my mother who was at her party told me that I shouldn't have bought it because she had bought the entire hardcover set for us as a Christmas present. She went on to say that she had to find out what all the fuss was about and read the first one which led to the second one and then the third. She can't wait until the fourth one and so forth. She and I believe that these books will go down in history as one of the best all time favorites for children and adults alike. One last note, my father who hasn't sat down and read a book in over 25 years has read all three books and is also awaiting the fourth. Thank you J.K. Rowlings for putting the reading back into our family.

I'm 19 years old, and yet I find myself captivated by these tales of a young wizard! Harry is an incredible hero, and he's kept me enthralled for weeks. I've been neglecting my schoolwork in order to read about Harry, but it's worth it! Only 4 more books...they can only get better!

I thought this books was really great! I am a college graduate with a degree in English, and am hoping to one day be a physician. I have read everything from Dickens to J.R.R. Tolkien to CS Lewis and yes they are great authors. ...to imply that an adult who reads childrens books does not have the comprehension to understand more complex story lines is absurd. I started reading children's literature again when I started college as a form of stress relief. I wanted books that have great plot, but are a simpler to read that "adult classics". Children's books, especially the Harry Potter stories have an intricate way of letting the reader's imagination run loose. These books, even though they are simple, are extremely well written. Great plot, great characters, great everything! I recommended these books to all my college friends and family members, and they loved them too! ...if you keep to the stringent idea that a book should only be read by the specified age guidelines, you are missing out on some of the greatest authors that include Lloyd Alexander, CS Lewis, Roald Dahl...I could go on