*Join Harry Potter on the magical journey of a lifetime in the second book in J.K. Rowling’s multi-award-winning series.
Harry Potter’s summer has included the worst birthday ever, doomy warnings from a house-elf called Dobby and rescue from the Dursleys by his friend Ron Weasley in a magical flying car! Back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his second year, Harry hears strange whispers echo through empty corridors – and then the attacks start. Students are found as though turned to stone … Dobby’s sinister predictions seem to be coming true.
J.K. Rowling’s internationally bestselling Harry Potter books continue to captivate new generations of readers. Harry’s second adventure alongside his friends, Ron and Hermione, invites you to explore even more of the wizarding world; from the waving, walloping branches of the Whomping Willow to the thrills of a rain-streaked Quidditch pitch. This gorgeous hardback edition features a spectacular cover by award-winning artist Jonny Duddle, plus refreshed bonus material, allowing readers to learn about wand woods and get to know the many members of the Weasley family. Perfect for anyone who’s ready to lose themselves in the biggest children’s books of all time.
DUELLING - DUNGEONS - DARK ARTS
Seven magical stories, one epic adventure.
*Please note: The book cover and spine design you receive may vary slightly from the image shown.
- ISBN10 1408855909
- ISBN13 9781408855904
- Publish Date 1 September 2014 (first published 2 July 1998)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
- Imprint Bloomsbury Childrens Books
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 384
- Language English
Reviews
alisoninbookland
In conjunction with that tangent, Chamber of Secrets has one of my many favorite quotes from the series:
“It is our choices, Harry, that show us what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
The quote is so perfect and it’s definitely a running theme through the whole series. It doesn’t matter how good (or bad) you are with magic, it matters what you do with that power. Think of Lockhart. He’s a good wizard by technical standards, right? It’s what he chose to do with those powers that made him awful. The fact that the quote is completely applicable to real life is just icing on the cake.
There’s a nice progression into the darker subjects. It’s just a step darker than Sorcerer’s Stone. I guess it’s not as big of a deal now since kids can pick up the whole series and read it back to back but when I originally read the series the gradual descent into darker subjects was perfect. I was a year older each time a book was published (much like the characters) so I grew and matured into each book. That definitely helped me love the stories more. I probably could have handled Deathly Hallows when I was 10 but at 18 I was much more prepared for the story.
Oh Dobby. Yes, he’s not going about saving Harry in best manner but he’s doing the only thing he can do in his circumstances. Besides, his heart’s in the right place and that’s enough. Overall Harry is a pretty likable protagonist but there are many, many times he drives me insane. I know his heart is in the right place and he does make the right decisions but he’s very reckless and impulsive. He’s very quick to jump to conclusions and tries to fix the wrongs. You know that’s a horrible combination. I loved that we got to see more of the Weasley family at the beginning of the book. There was always this very homey feel to them. It’s been there since my first reading of the series. The warm fuzzy feeling I have for them only grows each time I read the books.
The bottom line: A very solid sequel.
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bumblingbookworm
WHEN I First Read
I first read this in early 2001 - after getting Philosopher's Stone for Christmas in 2000, I begged my parents for the rest of the available books not long after finishing them. I was lucky enough that they caved, and more Harry Potter goodness was delivered straight to my fingertips :)
Check out the rest of my review here!
adastra
clementine
I mentioned this in my review of Philosopher's Stone, but the first two books really stand out as the most childish. I think they are fantastic children's books, full of imaginative worldbuilding, brilliant wordplay, and, of course, the beginnings of a complex overarching plot. However, there are certain imperfections that I can't help but notice now as an older, more critical reader.
The characterization is really what's off about the first two books; Rowling seemed to switch gears in terms of how she wanted to present less sympathetic characters around the third or fourth book. This creates some cardboard villains and weird inconsistencies with the later books - which is saying something, since she planned them in such great detail that it's hard to call much of anything in the series inconsistent!
In Chamber of Secret specifically, Lockhart and Malfoy stand out as particularly awful characters. To start with, Lockhart is just so comically awful. This totally works for a children's book, because, let's face it, larger-than-life characters are entertaining! It did bug me, though, because the vast majority of the other characters aren't given this caricature-like treatment, even so early on in the series. Draco, on the other hand, is just inconsistent with how he turns out in the later books. In CoS, he is actively rooting for Hermione to die (!), and disappointed that all the Basilisk's victims survive. I understand being racist (or whatever the pure blood/Muggle born equivalent is), and being elitist, and being a supporter of Voldemort, but it strikes me as particularly unbelievable for a 12-year-old boy to so coldheartedly want his classmates to die. It's downright sociopathic, and we are shown in the later books that Malfoy is far from a sociopath, and is, in fact, an intensely sympathetic character by the end of the series.
Essentially, this is a pretty wonderful book, but not without its faults. I am quite excited to get to PoA, because this is where things start getting darker, better-written, and more meaty. I can never choose if PoA, GoF, or HBP is my favourite, but I am thrilled to re-read them and try to figure that out again!
mbtc
Jyc
sleepseeker
I would recommend these series of books to anybody.