The FreeForm cable network aired all the Harry Potter movies this weekend and it prompted me to pick up all the books on my shelves and read a few pages again. I opened to the scene where Harry starts speaking parseltongue and was instantly brought back into this amazing world. I loved this series when I read it nearly ten years ago and I'm considering starting all over again -- one a month in between all the other books I read. The imagination. The depth of characters. The reality among fantasy. I can't imagine a world without it!

What was special about this book is how it carried the intense weight of the first book and added even more. Harry's energy drives the story. His relationships create the challenges. And we meet Dobby. I love Dobby! If you haven't read the whole series, you have to indulge in the first few books just to understand the world the wizards live in...

n  n    About Men  n
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.

Auch der zweite Band ist großartig! Ich mag das Geheimnisvolle und Rätselhafte, das sich irgendwie durch das gesamte Buch zieht. Die Andeutung von Gefahr ist angenehm gruselig, aber immer "kindgerecht".
Es fällt mir manchmal schwer, die Bücher als Kinderbücher zu sehen, denn auch als Erwachsene bin ich immer noch total fasziniert von dieser Buchreihe!

The second installment of the Harry Potter series, The Chamber of Secrets, was not my kid's favorite (he wants me to hurry up and get to #4) and admittedly, is was not as good as The Philosopher's Stone. It was humorous and exciting, but sometimes I wanted to hit Harry in the head for missing obvious clues. The Lockhart character was (intentionally, I admit) very annoying. The outcome was somewhat predictable (especially for Lockhart) and there were moments that the reminders of what happened in the previous book were annoying. The spider episode in the Forbidden Forest seemed transparently inspired by The Hobbit. There were some plot inconsistencies too:: Harry is already dressed for the game when he goes to the quidditch dressing room; in the bookstore where Lockhart makes his first appearance, he doesn't have time to buy his books before the egotistical maniac makes a spectacle of him. Ok, perhaps I am being picky, but I think this was one of the weaker books leading up to the last four which were more epic (at least according to my 10yo self-professed HP expert!)
I read about half the book and listened to the second half in the Stephen Fry-narrated book on Audible. Mr. Fry did a great job with the voices and was very agreeable to listen to. Looking forward now to re-reading Azkaban!

¿En serio, Goodreads? ¿En serio me preguntas cuántas estrellas quiero ponerle a la edición ilustrada de Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets? ¿EN SERIO? ¡Goodreads, no te alcanzan las estrellas para calificarlo!

A estas alturas de la vida, habiendo releído este libro más de diez veces, no tengo ni idea de cómo reseñarlo. ¿Qué no se ha dicho ya de Harry Potter? ¿Qué no he dicho yo sobre Harry Potter? Decir que es mágico se queda corto. Decir que es una experiencia increíble releerlo ya se da por hecho. Decir que los libros de Harry Potter son una de las mejores cosas que le han sucedido a la humanidad... vamos, eso todo el mundo lo sabe.

Sólo quienes crecimos leyendo las aventuras de Harry, Ron y Hermione entendemos ese sentimiento que nos invade cuando abrimos las páginas de uno de los libros de J. K. Rowling. No es sólo que volvamos a esos momentos en los que conocimos Hogwarts, en los que aprendimos a lanzar hechizos, es muchísimo más. Es volver a creer en la magia, es volver a ese momento de la vida en el que veías todo con ojos de alguien de doce años, es revivir cada paso del Trío de Oro ahora gracias a las ilustraciones de Jim Kay.

Releer Harry Potter, cualquier libro de Harry Potter es volver a abrir ese pedacito de tu corazón que aún cree que la carta de Hogwarts está por llegar, que diciéndole Alohomora a una puerta se va a abrir. Es volver a ese momento de tu vida en que te diste cuenta de que no había vuelta atrás, que las páginas del libro de una escritora británica se habían quedado grabadas en tu alma para siempre.

n  ALWAYS.


“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” n

Stephen Fry was made for these audiobooks.

4 Stars

I think there's no need to make a proper review for this book because everyone knows how great this book and this series is. So I have to put everything through GIFs. :)

Things I loved in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:

THE AWESOME FLYING CAR!





THE WHOMPING WILLOW! (I couldn't even imagine how cute and hilarious this tree when it punched Ron and Harry in the earlier chapters. Ha!)



MOANING MYRTLE (I haven't seen the movie yet, but is this Moaning Myrtle? The character grew in me and I felt sad for what happened to her. :(( )



HAGRID (One of the best characters ever!)




THE BATTLE BETWEEN BASILISK AND FAWKES (I think this one is the best part here. It was pure epicness!)




What I didn't quite like:

Not much happened in the first half of the book which brings me to realize that I enjoyed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone a lot better. Needless to say, I did have fun going to Harry's adventure here. His character continues to amaze me and his friendship with Ron and Hermione is goals! I have to read the next books ASAP!

n  n    n  n

ENGLISH (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) / ITALIANO

Bedtime reading for my daughter (and second reading for me). It is once again exciting to wander across the Hogwarts halls, observing the mysterious facts that involve the protagonists, just like we were there too. This is Rowling's rare gift: making sure that we see through the eyes of Harry, Ron and Hermione.

The summer holidays have passed, and the new school year is about to start at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry's power is still immature, but Dumbledore's teaching is adamant:

«It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities»

This time, our young wizards are struggling with the new professor of defense against the dark arts, the dork and vein Gilderoy Lockhart, called to replace Professor Quirrell (died in the previous adventure). However, the joyful atmosphere is soon ruined: strange events begin to happen...

Far be it from me to spoiler something of this mystery-fantasy. J.K. Rowling gives us another masterpiece to live, rather than to read. Actually, I do not know if my daughter was more pleased than me to hear this novel, or if I was happier than her to read it and literally interpret it (I even modulated the voices of the different characters). Any excuse to read Harry Potter.

Vote: 9

Lettura serale per mia figlia (e seconda rilettura per me). E' ancora una volta emozionante vagare per le sale di Hogwarts e osservare i fatti misteriosi che coinvolgono i protagonisti, proprio come se fossimo lì anche noi. Questo è il raro dono della Rowling. Fare in modo che vediamo con gli occhi di Harry, Ron ed Hermione.

Trascorse le vacanze estive, alla scuola di magia e stregoneria di Hogwarts sta per iniziare il nuovo anno. Il potere di Harry è ancora immaturo, ma l'insegnamento di Silente è categorico:

«Sono le scelte che facciamo, Harry, che dimostrano quel che siamo veramente, molto più delle nostre capacità»

Stavolta, i nostri giovani maghi sono alle prese con il nuovo insegnante di difesa dalle arti oscure, il Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, tanto imbranato quanto vanitoso, chiamato a sostituire il Professor Quirrell, deceduto nella precedente avventura. L'atmosfera gioiosa è presto rovinata, però: strani eventi cominciano ad accadere, associati ad una certa camera dei segreti...

Lungi da me spoilerare qualcosa di questo fantasy del mistero. J.K. Rowling ci regala un'altro capolavoro da vivere, più che da leggere. A conti fatti, non so se sia stata più contenta mia figlia di sentirselo raccontare, o se sia stato più contento io di leggerlo e letteralmente interpretarlo (ho perfino modulato le voci dei diversi personaggi). La scusa è buona, in ogni caso.

Voto: 9

I love this book, of course I do, but the fact remains that this book prominently featured two of my most hated Harry Potter characters. Ginny Weasley and Dobby. There, I said it. I hate them both. In my Harry Potter hate list, Ginny and Dobby probably rank somewhere below Umbridge and Peter Pettigrew. Yeah, you heard me. I hate them that much.

The reason I hate Ginny is---well, never mind. I don't want to start another shipping war here, the last one was terrible enough, so let the reason for my hatred be implicit and unsaid.

Dobby is freaking annoying, yo. All his eagerness and shit - and yeah, I know what happens in the end. Doesn't matter. I still hate Dobby. Dobby is the equivalent of fingernails on chalkboard for me. If he had been my elf, I'd have given him a sock already so he could his whimpering, sniveling ass out of my life. He means well, I know he does, it's just that he's such a frustratingly well-meaning bumbling idiot.

n  “You know what, Harry? If he doesn’t stop trying to save your life he’s going to kill you.”n

Aaaaaaaand one final note.

n  “Ginny!” said Mr. Weasley, flabbergasted. “Haven’t I taught you anything. What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain?"n

No particular reason I included that, except for the fact that it reminded me of my ex-boyfriend :3

Thank you Lisa!!!!!

Ok.... Finished book 2! I’ve definitely entered POTTER WORLD.
I enjoyed it ... but I don’t think this was as strong as the first book. It ‘feels’ like a transition book...

I loved Ginny - and Harry’s relationship developing with her...
Ron- and the gang - and their dialogue is wonderful—
Sandwich plates that re-build themselves. ( ha— only in Wizard-land ) — love it!

Summer break for Harry ...
Back to Wizard School in Sept.

When everyone first read and loved Harry Potter I ignored it. Not for any particular reason but about 10 years ago I didn't think I would be into it. Fast forward a decade and I'm now working my way through what I can say already is a children's classic fantasy series that is up there with The Wizard of Oz and The Chronicles of Narnia.

Harry's existence with his Muggle uncle and auntie is as horrible as ever and he can't wait to get back to Hogwarts after speaking to a mini-elf masochist who essentially predicts his doom and travelling in an awesome magic-infused flying car. Upon returning to Hogwarts it's similar to before, Quidditch lessons, Malfoy being a bit of a tosser, Hermainie loving studying, and the wizarding threesome getting into all sorts of nonsensical antics. A new tutor is introduced this time, Professor Lockhart and I thought he was brilliant mainly due to how awful he was with his tall-tales and celebrity status! This narrative is brimming with ghosts, boys and girls who adore Harry, spiders, and Professor Sprout. The characters are pretty brilliant and I can easily understand why this is adored globally. I didn't need the continuous info-dumps that reminded me what happened in book one but apart from that there isn't really anything negative to say. The ending was surprising with a cool twist, a magic hat, a phoenix, a sword, a diary, and a giant snake. I hope you don't tell me off for these spoilers as I'm sure I'm the only fantasy book reviewer who hasn't read these yet. I'm loving the adventure so far. These books are what I go to for now when I want no-nonsense, uncomplex awesomeness. Love it.

Con cada aparición de Hagrid más ternura me da. Amo todo lo que aprendemos sobre este mundo mágico y sus personajes. Cada página que avanzó más me siento parte de la escuela. Al terminar no pude evitar decir “Que mágico es esto x3” ✨
Ámonos con el tercero.

2022: 5/5
2021: To była kiedyś moja ukochana część… w sumie wciąż ją uwielbiam!