Customer Reviews

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets

5 star:		(2,294)
4 star:		(327)
3 star:		(89)
2 star:		(45)
1 star:		(33)

 

 

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry, a twelve year old boy is continuing another fascinating year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. This second book in the J.K. Rowling series is a must read! Not only do the main characters Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger set out to solve a new problem but, they realize that somebody has opened the Chamber of Secrets. Through trial and error our heroes search for clues to save one of their friends. Again Harry must put his life in danger to save others who are important to him. J.K. Rowling has introduced us to some new characters in book two. We meet a magical elf, Dobby, a new professor, Gilderoy Lockheart and finally Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister who joins the famous trio. I liked this book because it was a true page turner. As the reader you can search for possible clues along with Harry, Ron and Hermione. I would recommend this book to anyone over seven years old. J.K. Rowling did an excellent job on this book because it's exciting and full of adventure. I have learned from this book that life is full of tough challenges and problems. No matter how hard it is you have to be brave and trust in yourself to do the right thing.

After reading the original of the recent hits and chart-topping Harry Potter series, I just had to read the second. It once again begins over summer vacation and takes Harry to his second year at Hogwarts, the best wizarding school of the day. But for some reason, people begin to be attacked by someone - or something. Harry, Ron, and Hermione start on another slew of detective work to find out what's going on, and how to save the students of Hogwarts...it's hard to give a plot summary without exposing the secrets of the ending, which, by the way, was a total surprise!

This book is truly engrossing, more intense and frightening than the first. I loved it! It was both fun and funny, much like the other two in the series. It is interesting to read, and I honestly think it appeals to all ages. Even older readers will enjoy being taken back to the days when the line between fantasy and reality was blurred, and all the books would keep any modern teenager enthralled. Harry Potter No. 2 actually kept me laughing throughout. At some points in the middle, the story may get slightly bland, but don't worry: the best part is yet to come. I love children's stories, have read many, and these are the best, most modern works out there. There's a reason they are so hot right now, and all these other 5-star reviews are deserved! This series breaks the ordinary mold of children's books which are not always written with the same flair J.K. Rowling successfully incorporates into the plot, and they each possess their own sense of magic, not allowing the reader to put the book down! The Harry Potter books are highly recommended! Other children's authors I enjoy are Roald Dahl, Louis Sachar, Mark Twain, C.S. Lewis, and E.B. White.

Rowling wastes no time further developing the world she introduced first in PHILOSOPHER'S STONE. While the first book got us acclimated to her magical world, it is here, in the CHAMBER OF SECRETS, she really begins expanding the vocabulary of that universe.

Apparently, Potter, at this early stage in the story, is already in grave danger. He has a house elf named Dobby appear to him in his uncle's house, warning him he must not go back to Hogwarts. Dobby even gets Harry in trouble with the Ministry For Magic (thus reads the unaltered UK edition, rather than the Americanized "Ministry of Magic"). When Harry and Ron try to get onto Platform 9 and ¾ they find the way blocked, an so have to (illegally) take a flying car Arthur Weasley, Ron's father, had enchanted. Once they land, Severus Snape reads them the riot act, for they have been spotted by muggles. And that's just the opening section. Danger doesn't stop there.

Murders and attacks begin to occur within the school, and whispers of a dark area known as the Chamber of Secrets somewhere in the castle, where the Heir of Slytherin has bred a monster, is begingin to circulate. Apparently this Chamber has been opened before, and the last time it was opened, someone was murdered.

It is here, in the second novel, we are first introduced to Potter's ability to speak Parseltongue, though we were told of this ability in the first book. Here this ability takes ominous overtones, for it is thought the Heir of SLytherin, the one who can open the Chamber of Secrets and command Slytherin's monster, would also be able to speak parseltongue, and so Potter must endure persecution on that front as well.

A funny character in this one is Gildery Lockhart, that fraud of a teacher who is world famous and takes credit for work that is no this.. His fate is well deserved.

Eventually, Harry finds his way into the Chamber of Secrets, and through the aid of Fawkes the Phoneix, fights off the magical beast of Slytherin and learns more about Tom Riddle, the boy who would become Voldemort.

Ultimately, All of these mysteries are unraveled, and Potter and the gang are safe again. However, in typical Rowling fashion, there are some central facts regarding the storyline that would not emerge until much later in the series. It is not until Book 6 we learn the importance of Tom Riddle's diary, and that it in fact a Horcrux.

Rowling introduces some new features and characters in her universe. It is here in CHAMBER OF SECRETS we first really get to meet Ginny Weasely (though she appears briefly in Book 1), who at this early stage has a crush on Harry though Harry does not return this crush. We are shown the Whomping Willow, Aragog the giant spider, and are given more backstory on Hagrid. We are shown Polyjuice Potion, and learn about Moaning Myrtle, the ghost in the third floor lavatory. We see that Hogwarts is not as safe as you may suppose (though the school was never THAT safe to begin with). Probably one of the most important additions to Rowling's cast of characters is Dobby, the house elf who would became a major character throughout the remainder of the series.

CHAMBER OF SECRETS shows, more than anything, that the success of PHILOSPHER'S STONE was not a fluke accident, and it is with this novel we get the first real rumblings of the Pottermania that was about to take over the globe. This book is easily as readable as the first, and most readers will fly through this novel.




This is my order of Potter books by preference:
Deathly Hallows
Prisoner of Azkaban
Order of the Phoenix
Philosopher's Stone/Chamber of Secrets (I rank them both the same)
Half-Blood Prince
Goblet of Fire.

Although I am 40+ and my husband (also 40+)originally bought the Harry Potter books for our eleven-year-old daughter, she really had to fight us both off, in order to read it for herself. She finally got to read it first because she had the excuse that her homework required her to read for at least 20 minutes a day. I can't think of a single time that she stopped reading after 20 minutes;we had to remind her that she had other homework. I found this book to be highly entertaining (although not quite on a par with the first and third books). However, my biggest complaint is that (like the other books),I couldn't put it down for just a few minutes, or my husband or daughter (whoever got there first) would grab it. Then I had to keep a watchful eye out and grab it back. I usually read it during the night hours (I'm a night owl anyway), which leads to my second complaint. Not only did the book keep me awake, I found it almost impossible to read my textbooks (I'm a graduate student)until I had finished the entire book. J.K. Rowling has made a wonderful addition to literature; I'm sure these books are destined to become classics. I can't wait for the next one to come out. In case you're wondering why I gave it four instead of five stars, was that the vain professor did not ring true and I found myself getting irritated when none of the faculty did anything at all about this incompetent instructor. On the other hand, the car who turned wild, but came in the nick of time to save his friend Ron, was thoroughly charming.

I was reading my kid brother a bedtime story when he suggested that we should try the Harry Potter books next. I was doubtful, having never heard of them before, but when he left one lying on the kitchen table I had a look, and the next thing I knew, I was halfway through the book! I couldn't put it down. Harry's unusual adventures caught my imagination. Plenty of twists and laughs, as well as suspense and tension. And the characters are great! Since then, I've heard a lot about the series, all wonderful, and many comments on how much the parents seem to like them too...

I was doubtful when I started the Harry Potter books- in fact I was only going to read them because a friend begged me to do so. Much to my surprise, I was immediately hooked on the first novel, and finished all three within a week. I can honestly say that the three Harry Potter books are among the best books I've ever read. I now recommend them to everyone- children and adults alike. They're thoughtful, original, suspenseful, and humorous- everything you could ask for in an adult's novel. I'm 17 years old, and I never thought I'd be reading kids' books. But now I'm glad I did- don't miss out on these amazing books, especially the third one. The Chamber of Secrets is by far the best of the three books. Rowling explores new dimensions of Harry's world and reveals the secrets readers have been dying to know since the first book. This book leaves you hanging for the fourth novel, which is sure to also be incredible!

If you have children aged between 8 and 13, they will absolutely love this book. If you like to read to your younger children, you will love this book. There is intrigue, suspense, drama, comedy and best of all, magic. It is one of several stories about Harry Potter, a young boy who thought he was quite normal until he found out he was a wizard. The three books published so far are about Harry and his time at Hogwart's School of Wizardry and Witchcraft. Each book covers a full year at the school. This book is his second year and his search for the secrets within the castle of Hogwarts. If you like Roald Dahl or C.S. Lewis, you will love Harry Potter and his adventures. This book is one of many excellent stories. A must for any parent who loves fantasy.

I think the Harry Potter books are really fascinating. They are full of suspense and irony. I wouldn't have read this book because I thought it was for younger kids ( I'm 13)but my friend was reading it so I gave it a try. I didn't put the book down until I finished it. It was that good! I don't want to be rude either but it really does not promote witchcraft. The whole time I read it, using black magic never crossed my mind. I know parents can be overprotective about that stuff but what about JRR Tolkien's Hobbit series and Disney movies with witches and wizards in them. SLeeping Beauty and Snow White and the 7 dwarves show this. Most stories or movies have a villian that is either a sorcerer or a witch. I thought this book was really awesome and even if you are above the age of the Reading Level read it anyway! I love Harry Potter: he is really responsible and smart. He is a good example. His friends are really funny and so are all the other characters. This is really good literature. Thank you so much Ms. Rowling for writing these books.

All 3 of the Harry Potter books are great. They are so enjoyable to read with the family. If you think these books are bad in a way that they show violence then you are wrong. I would recommend these books to all ages!

Want to end the TV addiction in your family? Get a copy of the audio versions of the Harry Potter books and you'll never know what hit you!

Every kid who drives in our car wants to move to our house! My daughter and I have been listening to the first and second Harry Potter books (Sorceror's Stone and Chamber of Secrets) on both audiotape and CD for weeks and weeks now. By that, I mean, that once we finish one, we put the other one on, and have continued to go back and forth at her request.

I don't know how long this can last, but I agree that nothing else quite measures up afterwards! The reader, Jim Dale, is somehow able to communicate at least one or two DOZEN characters without any duplication and perfectly captures the style and personality of each of the characters without any loss of how you imagine them. What a treat!

Each character has a perfectly appropriate voice and tone and loses absolutely nothing from the book. Quite the contrary, we are both hearing new things that we must have missed the first time we read the books as we are endlessly entertained and amused.

We listen whenever we are driving in the car, or drawing or doing crafts, while laughing out loud, crying, and giving each other funny looks!

We have even found ourselves sitting outside the movies, lessons, and our own driveway, without being able to move until we come to the end of a chapter.

No matter how many times you have read the books, I guarantee the audio versions will give you a new perspective on the stories and/or reveal something which you didn't already know from your reading. Besides, it is a pleasure separate and apart from reading the books yourself. The art of reading out loud is not entirely lost--you only have to listen to these audiotapes to realize that the TV can never compete with this type of reading out loud! Share this with your family--YOU'LL NEVER LOOK BACK!