London - The first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was quietly released 20 years ago, on June 26, 1997.
A mere 500 copies were released in hardback, and although initially the title did not receive much critical attention, that all changed when The Scotsman published the novel’s first mainstream review.
However, not every critic was convinced. The Observer published a scathing attack in 2000, and many religious titles and media outlets were against Harry Potter because they thought the novels were filled with Satanic subtext.
Despite this, the books have helped Rowling to become one of the world’s first billionaire authors.