Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Narrated by Stephen Fry)

By: J.K. Rowling

Narrated by: Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry brings the richness of these magical stories to life in the original British recordings, available for the first time in the United States and Canada.

Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms: a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter 'H'.

Treat your ears to a performance so rich and captivating you'll imagine yourself in the halls of Hogwarts. Wherever you listen, the unmistakable voice of Stephen Fry is guaranteed to guide you ever more deeply into this magical story and transport you to the heart of the adventure.

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!

Theme music composed by James Hannigan.

Having become classics of our time, the Harry Potter stories never fail to bring comfort and escapism. With their message of hope, belonging and the enduring power of truth and love, the story of the Boy Who Lived continues to delight generations of new listeners.

©2015 J.K. Rowling (P)2024 Pottermore Publishing

The same great story, but with British flavor

Let me state that I love this series with Jim Dale's narration. I've listened to it millions of times and know each voice intimately. But I've always wondered about the Stephen Fry version. For one thing, it's the original. For another, there has been a silly online war from those who prefer one version over the other.

So, let me give you the view from someone who thinks the war is a waste of time. If you loved the US Jim Dale version, you should be happy enough with the UK Stephen Fry version. Do I prefer many of the voices Dale gave to characters over Fry's? Yes. But that's mostly because I am used to them. There were also a couple voices I preferred in Fry's version.
I loved the British'isms in Fry's version. I am American, but grew up with English Literature, so hearing the English equivalents to US terms made me smile. After all, that is the way they are supposed to be in the first place.

So, the comparison war is silly and if you love HP, you will love it come to life in either Jim Dale or Stephen Fry's adaptation. If you prefer US terms, go with Jim Dale. If you love English terms, get the Stephen Fry version.

Or, if you're like me and just simply love HP and want to hear it in any way possible, get both versions so you can listen to it in any way you choose.

Different still great, prefer Jim Dale

I love the Harry Potter stories. I bought this one to hear the differences. Sorry, but Jim Dale for the win..

Solid

I’ve always been curious how Stephen Fry’s narration stacks up against Jim Dale’s. I’ve listened to the first two and now I know.

Fry’s narration is excellent. But his character voices vary minimally. It’s a different listening experience.

Jim Dale’s narration is superb. His voices are distinctive and many are excellent. People often complain about Hermione’s voice, and I admit it’s not perfect.

I can now rank Dale’s narration over Fry’s. But it’s fun listening to Fry as it’s almost like listening to a new book series.

Fun to listen to.

I love the person reading the book! They do a fantastic job, and it gets me through my work days!

Great voice captures from Stephen Fry

Such a great follow-along read of my favorite book series of all time by the great Stephen Fry. With his great read of the different characters by using identical voices of the characters of the series. Can't wait to go through the series as I follow the lead of Stephen Fry. My paternity leave will keep me entertained not only with my son but with the Harry Potter audible.