Ever since Harry Potter had come home for the summer, the Dursleys' had been so mean and hideous that all Harry wanted was to get back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature who says that if Harry returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike. And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who haunts the girls' bathroom. But then the real trouble begins - someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival then ever ? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told ? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects ... Harry Potter himself !
-
It is Harry Potter's 12th birthday and it is his summer vacation with his dreaded family, the Dursleys. Nothing has changed and they still despise everything that has to do with magic. So Harry finds himself locked in a room with bars in front of the only window and a small cat door for his small food deliveries. He wonders what the little house-elf Dobby meant by warning him to go back to Hogwarts school. What did he mean something terrible is about to happen ?
Upon his decision to return back to Hogwarts and freed by his friends the Weasley boys, Ron, Fred and George, all literally seems to go wrong: Ron and Harry can't enter the hidden gate to the train platform, Harry breaks his arm and other small bothersome things hapen.
The annoying new teacher in Defense against the Dark Arts doesn't seem to be that clever either. He's famous because he wrote a lot of books about his adventures but than everytime he uses his magic something seems to go wrong. He's seeking Harry's presence which bothers Harry even more.
When the school is shocked at the finding of the petrified Mrs. Norris, the housekeeper's cat, and a message announcing the Chamber of Secrets has been opened again, it leaves our three friends Hermione, Ron and Harry puzzled. Especially because at the same time Harry heard a voice no one else was able to hear.
When more students are found petrified, Harry rescues a student from a snake attack and learns he can speak Parseltongue, the students non "pureblood" students feel threatened by Harry because the legend says that the Chamber was built by Salazar Slytherin and his heir will be able to open the Chamber of Secrets and unleash the horror within. Slytherin was one of the rare wizards able to speak Parseltongue.
Harry and his friends are now pressured to find the Secret within the Chamber and do whatever they can to protect those that don't come of a pure wizard family.
-
What makes this book very charming is that it continues where the last novel left us: Harry heading of for summer vacation with the Dursleys. No surprise thing haven't changed in the Dursleys opinion about magic but quite shocking that they lock the poor boy away.
Surprisingly I found a lot messages in this book. They went from child abuse, to obnoxiousness and very bad racism, leaving young readers certainly with questions parents should not be shy to answer. The point of racism has such a bad taste it almost made me sick but as life is, people deal with this every day and so this might be a good time to introduce our children into what is right and what is wrong. The way the topic is introduced to the reader is very bold and straight forward which I found is very nice.
Overall I found the book fun to read and Harry grows on me. I'll continue to read the other books in time.
Read my review to Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1).
Rating:
Visit J. K. Rowling.
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (November 1, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0439554896
ISBN-13: 978-0439554893
No comments:
Post a Comment