Harry Potter reread...HARRY POTTER REREAD....already 2016 is looking awesome.

Reading with a few other Potter heads at Buddies Books and Baubles. Let the magic commence.

Me: Harry Potter Reread! YAY *squee*

Hubs: Seriously, you are rereading them. Haven't you read them already and watched all the movies.

Me: Yes....but I like to reread them every few years. They are magical like that and I want to jump back into that whole world again.

Hubs: *Blank Stare* but you already know what happens.

Me: That doesn't mean anything. Well it does, it means that I now have time to over-analyze the whole thing and catch little things I missed the first few times. That is the best thing about rereading the HP books.

Hubs: I don't understand....you could just watch the movies it would take less time.

Me: *blank stare* How did we ever end up together? The book is always better than the movie. Except Stardust and The Princess Bride those I liked the movies more.

Hubs: Inconceivable.

Me: There 'that' is how we ended up together.

Still it is amazing to me to reread these with a group of people and relive all the little things I'd forgotten along the way. I love growing up with Harry, Hermione and Ron all over again and going through all those trying times that solidify them as a great trio of friends.

Chamber of Secrets is so well done and I absolutely loved having the why would they ever hire Lockheart as a professor. Well....I now know definitively why according to JKR but we had some fun ideas too.

For a children's book I can't stress how well thought out all these are and the magical feeling I get when reading one. I'm almost always sad to realize that I'm probably a muggle *gasps* or a squib but either way I don't care I'll always try on occasion to cast a spell...because yes I have a wand and I'm convinced that one day it will work so I just have to keep trying.

*wyngardium leviosa*

RE-READ

Loved it despite it not being my favourite film or book!

FIRST REVIEW

Absolutely loved Chamber of Secrets! I will forever adore the Weasley twins.

EDIT: wow, Amber what a great review. But, I am now the owner of the illustrated version - not sure how to add that but oh well. I own it and it's good.

4.5 stars

I don't regret many things in life and I don't really regret not reading this when I was younger but I do wonder what if.

I wish I had more bookish memories.
I wish I loved books the way only kids can.
But to not get lost in the wishing and the what-ifs, and to enjoy the now and the what's next, I must say I have the best of friends and I'm making the best of memories.
So to the old Fares that sees this one day, once you read this, you had fun and you were so very happy.

Thank you Azrah ❤

-----------------------------------------
The problem with having cool awesome friends is that when they ask you to do something you swore not to do, you can't help but say yes, just so you can impress them and hope they stay with you forever.
And now I must read this! I was fine being the cool kid, aka, he who never read HP, but now who am I?
Azrah, I hate you! Stop being too awesome for me!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is a fantasy novel written by British author J.K. Rowling, and the second novel in the Harry Potter series.

The plot follows Harry's second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, during which a series of messages on the walls of the school's corridors warn that the "Chamber of Secrets" has been opened and that the "heir of Slytherin" would kill all pupils who do not come from all-magical families.

These threats are found after attacks which leave residents of the school "petrified" (frozen like stone). Throughout the year, Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione investigate the attacks.

The book was published in the United Kingdom on 2 July 1998 by Bloomsbury and later, in the United States on 2 June 1999 by Scholastic Inc.

عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «هری پاتر و حفره اسرارآمیز»؛ «هری پاتر و تالار اسرار»؛ نویسنده: جوآن کتلین (جی.کی.) رولینگ؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روزهای ماه نوامبر سال 2000میلادی؛ بار دیگر: در روزهای ماه آگوست سال 2001میلادی

عنوان: هری پاتر و حفره اسرارآمیز - کتاب دوم؛ نویسنده: جی.کی رولینگ؛ مترجم: ویدا اسلامیه؛ تهران، کتابسرای تندیس، 1379؛ در 381ص؛ شابک 9645757045؛ چاپ دوم آبان 1379؛ چاپ سوم 1379؛ چاپ چهارم تا چاپ هشتم 1380؛ چاپ نهم 1381؛ چاپ یازدهم 1382؛ چاپ دوازدهم 1383؛ چاپ پانزدهم 1384؛ چاپهای شانزدهم و هفدهم 1385؛ چاپ هجدهم 1386؛ چاپ بیستم 1387؛ چاپ بیست و یکم 1388؛ چاپ بیست و پنجم 1392؛ شابک 9789645757043؛ چاپ بیست و هتم 1394؛ موضوع: داستانهای نوجوانان از نویسندگان بریتانیا - سده 20م

عنوان: هری پاتر و تالار اسرار - کتاب دوم؛ نویسنده: جی.کی رولینگ؛ مترجم: طوبی یکتایی؛ تهران، انتشارات شیوه؛ 1379؛ در 345ص؛ شابک 9649177892؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، میعاد، 1381؛ در 352ص؛ شابک ایکس - 964693045؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، فرتاب، 1381؛ در 345ص؛ شابک 9647964080؛

هری پاتر پسر بچه‌ ای از نسل جادوگرهاست، که پدر و مادرش را که آنها نیز جادوگر بوده‌ اند، از دست داده؛ با اینهمه، از چگونگی مرگ آنها خبر ندارد؛ خانواده ی «دورسلی»، یعنی خاله، و شوهرخاله اش، او را از یکسالگی بزرگ کرده اند؛ رفتار خانواده «دورسلی»، با «هری» تحقیرآمیز است؛ هری در یازده سالگی، برای تحصیل به مدرسه جادوگری «هاگوارتز» میرود، و آنجا تجربیات خارق العاده‌ ای کسب می‌کند، و در پی آن، ماجراهایی عجیب، و باور نکردنی را، پشت سر می‌گذارد؛ «هری» در پایان سال نخست تحصیلی، برای تعطیلات تابستانی، به خانه «دورسلی»ها باز می‌گردد؛ اما رفتار نفرت انگیز آنها، سبب می‌شود هری به یاری دوستش، از آن‌ خانه فرار کند، و بقیه ی تابستان را در خانه «ویزلی»ها، بگذراند؛ سپس با آغاز سال تحصیلی تازه، دوباره به مدرسه ی «هاگوارتز» بازمی‌گردد؛ آنگاه با ماجراهای شگفت‌انگیز دیگری رودررو می‌شود و ...؛

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 19/06/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 22/05/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

Four stars!

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

Second Buddy Read with my main gyalllll

As many of you are aware this is my first time reading the Harry Potter series. I know, I know. I REGRET EVERYTHING. This is one book I wish I’d of read sooner, because so far I’ve loved both of the books.

This time around we got more magic; Spells, cauldrons, defence against the dark arts, muggles, new characters, and lots of fun moments. I loved seeing a more magical aspect of the book which included more lessons, and Hermione rebelling against everything she actually wants to do.

Once again I partly listened to this on Audiobook and Stephen Fry is literally the King. The way he portrays the characters and emphasises everything really does bring the magic to life.

Fred and George Weasley are at the moment my current favourites of the series. I just find them so hilarious and like to tease the ones they care about.

What I liked?
- The Gnomes at the Weasleys!
- We got to meet Hermiones family and them exchanging real money at Gringotts
- THE HOWLER MESSAGE. Oh my god. I can’t even begin to explain how much I loved that part!
- I found Colin hilarious, he was just so adorable and desperately trying to get glimpses of Harry. Not only this but the signing of the photos oh god, I can’t.
- Deathday party! That was soon good! How ghosts made an entrance, loveeeeee!
- FAWKES!
- Dumbledores sweet tooth, I was like yep yep yep.
- How motherly Professor McGonagall is, I’m just like N’awww!
-Gilderoy Lockhart. His character was so well done! Everything he did had me laughing, the valentines day shenanigans with the dwarves and the wings and the songs
- The never ending rivalry between Draco, Ron and Harry
-In fact just how protective Ron is with Hermione melts my little heart!
- Hagrid still has me howling

What I didn’t like?
- Once again this is probably only me… we have such a build up throughout the book which is so well done, I just think that it all ends very suddenly.
Where was my boy Neville?!

Overall I’m still enjoying this series so much I can’t wait to start Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I need more!

"When in doubt, go to the library.”

Philosopher's Stone - 4.5 Stars
Chamber of Secrets - 4 Stars
Prisoner of Azkaban - 5 Stars
Goblet of Fire - 4.5 Stars
Order of the Phoenix - 4.5 Stars

(A-) 83% | Very Good
Notes: A clever conjuration, it's a cozy castle mystery, a creature-fest, and Ripper-esque: lit by monsters, ghosts, and history.

*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary:

Progress updates:

01/25/2020 - Preamble

(1) Having finished "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," I'm sticking with the Stephen Fry narration. Firstly, I'm awfully OCD about having everything match. Secondly, I can't abide by British characters speaking American English.
(2) Unrelated, but that glitch where we can't post reviews is back! As such, I'll be grouchy until it's fixed.

01/26/2020 - 7%

Notes:
(1) “Jiggery pokery!” said Harry in a fierce voice. “Hocus pocus — squiggly wiggly —”
“MUUUUUUM!” howled Dudley, “He’s doing you know what!”
- I like that Harry scares Dudley with nonsense reduplication. It's more humiliating.
(2) Harry gets his expulsion letter from the Ministry instantaneously. If only muggle bureaucracy worked so efficiently.

01/27/2020 - 12%

(1) Fred re lock-picking: "A lot of wizards think it's a waste of time, knowing this sort of Muggle trick."
- I wonder if "muggle tricks" are performed at parties?
(2) Ron: "[Dad] works in the most boring department... The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."
- Boring? Using memory charms on muggles who've seen magic... sounds like "Men in Black".

01/28/2020 - 25%

(1) "Percy walked in. He was already dressed, his Hogwarts prefect badge pinned to his knitted tank top."
- "Knitted tank top"? Are you hot or are you cold, Percy? Pick one.
- On second thought, I suppose that's just British for sweater vest.
(2) Arthur Weasley fist fights Lucius Malfoy, mirroring Ron's fist fight with Draco in the first book.

01/29/2020 - 29%

(1) "'Why,' demanded Ron, seizing [Hermione's] timetable, 'have you outlined all Lockhart’s lessons in little hearts?'"
- Either Ron doesn't understand girls at all, or he's jealous.
(2) Rowling says a lot with names. Justin Finch-Fletchley has a double-barreled surname, and as such is a mannered aristocrat. Others have emphatically ethnic names.

01/30/2020 - 35%

(1) Notably different from the film, Hermione doesn't know what "mudblood" means. Ron's actually the only one of the three who's offended by Malfoy’s slur.
(2) My theory on the Ron-Hermione relationship is that Hermione's feelings for him began when he slugged himself defending her honor against Malfoy. Before that, she was all about Lockhart.

01/31/2020 - 39%

(1) Ron: "Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died ... Sounds dead depressing to me."
- Ron with the puns and the common sense.
(2) I think the "Deathday" chapter is intentionally depressing. It's all about people not getting what they want. Nick can't join the Headless Hunt, Filch can't do magic, HRH can't attend the Halloween feast.

02/01/2020 - 50%

(1) Hermione's blind to Lockhart's incompetence. Ron's known all along.
(2) Harry: "D’you think I should have told them about that voice I heard?"
Ron: "No ... Hearing voices no one else can hear isn’t a good sign, even in the wizarding world."
- Another prudent Ron line said by Hermione in the film. Film-Hermione's given book-Ron's common sense!

02/02/2020 - 53%

(1) "Dobby is used to death threats, sir. Dobby gets them five times a day at home."
- The empty death threats give him thicker skin, ironically.
(2) "Hidden from the teachers, a roaring trade in talismans, amulets and other protective devices was sweeping the school."
- Sort of like trading contraband in prison... wonder how they're smuggled in?

02/03/2020 - 58%

(1) Nearly all of Ron's explanation to Harry about parselmouths is once again given to Hermione in the film.
(2) Another fun name introduced here is "Millicent Bulstrode," who is described very much like the striding bull her name evokes.
(3) Harry's gone and become Hufflepuff enemy number one. Bad move ... badgers are deceptively vicious.

02/04/2020 - 65%

(1) Nice of Harry and Ron to return Crabbe and Goyle's shoes when they're done.
(2) Malfoy insults Hermione, Ron wants to punch Malfoy. It's a law of nature.
(3) Myrtle to Hermione: "Wait till everyone finds out you’ve got a tail!"
- This line was given to Ron in the film, but changed to, "Look at your tail!" Which, to me, sounds fairly risqué.

02/05/2020 - 69%

(1) Ron: "If I’d sprouted whiskers, I’d take a break from work."
- Future Ron should shave often.
(2) If Hagrid was expelled in third-year, and that was 50 years ago, then he'd be 63 years-old in the present, Tom Riddle would be 65, and Dumbledore around 150. I wonder if it's genetics or a side-effect of magic use that makes wizards live so long.

02/06/2020 - 74%

(1) Harry: "But why’s she got to go to the library?"
Ron: "Because that’s what Hermione does ... When in doubt, go to the library."
(2) "[Harry] chose the same new subjects as Ron, feeling that if he was rubbish at them, at least he’d have someone friendly to help him."
- And with Hermione taking everything, it guarantees they're always together.

02/07/2020 - 77%

(1) Fudge sort of treats Dumbledore like a nuclear weapon: better engaged at Hogwarts than loose in the world.
(2) Malfoy calls Hermione a mudblood: 'Let me at him,' Ron growled, as Harry and Dean hung onto his arms. 'I don’t care, I don’t need my wand, I’m going to kill him with my bare hands!'
- Fist fights seem an aptly muggle reflex response.

02/08/2020 - 81%

(1) "The creature that was lurking somewhere in the castle, [Harry] thought, sounded like a sort of monster Voldemort – even other monsters didn’t want to name it."
- Wonder if its name's just "basilisk," or if it has a personal name?
(2) The enchanted car reminds me of Nymeria from "A Song of Ice and Fire". A domestic, set free, and turned wild.

02/09/2020 - 85%

(1) Percy: "Ginny, er, walked in on me the other day when I was – well, never mind – the point is, she spotted me doing something and I, um, I asked her not to mention it to anybody."
- Percy should lock his door...
(2) I love how, despite personal differences, the teachers all encourage Lockhart to go monster hunting, to get him out of the way.

02/10/2020 - 90%

(1) Myrtle: "'I was floating away ...' She looked dreamily at Harry. 'And then I came back again. I was determined to haunt Olive Hornby, you see. Oh, she was sorry she’d ever laughed at my glasses.'"
- That's just short-term thinking.
(2) Hermione's incapacitated, Ron stays behind. It was the reversed in the last book. They mirror each other.

02/11/2020 - 97%

"The Chamber of Secrets," as a title, always felt like a misnomer. There's nothing really secret in there. Salazar Slytherin told everyone what it was built for, what he housed in there, how to open it, and what happens if it's opened. The only thing secret about it is its location, in which case it should be called "The Secret Chamber."

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!

Reread December 2018 for the #HarryXmasToYou readalong!

I loved this book just as much, if not more, than the first book!

Just as I said with the first book, Rowling has such a way with moving the plot along. Her ability to place little pieces of foreshadowing in the beginning and to keep you right on the edge of finding out the key to uncovering the whole scheme is brilliant! I love her writing style so much and it makes these books a breeze to fly through (even for me who has trouble rereading books because I can't stay connected when I know what will happen at the end!)

Because I read this book years and years ago I forgot mostly everything about the plot, and it took me a little while into the book to realize what piece of the puzzle went where, but all in all the Chamber of Secrets was another amazing book from Rowling and I can't wait to continue with the series!

*** 2023 reread -

This book and this series is so much fun!

Not gonna lie, the 2002 film directed by Chris Columbus was always a little confusing to me. I’ve read this before and have watched the film several times, but this time I think all the pieces fit together perfectly and I really had fun reading this.

IMDB says the film garnered almost a billion dollars after a budget of $100 million. I read somewhere that you can multiply Goodreads ratings by 7 and that gives you a fairly close representation of book sales. If this is true then the book has sold more than 21 million copies. Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon has about the same amount of certified sales.

And this was the second book in the series, the sequel.

So, really popular.

I also recall when these first came out how English teachers were saying that the series helped to spark an interest in reading and improved literacy amongst this generation.

All that to show that this is, in the parlance of our times, kind of a big deal.

I’m all in for this series reread and I’ve already begun Prisoner of Azkaban.

***

Hooray for Harry Potter!

And three cheers for author J.K. Rowling!

I know, I know, I’m 20 years too late to the party, but these are turning out to be timeless classics. I took my children to see the films when they were younger and now that they are adults, I am finally getting around to read Rowling’s wonderful creations.

Harry returns to Hogwarts for his second year of wizardry training, quidditch playing, time with his friends Hermione and Ron, as well as building on the animosities with his rival Draco Malfoy, as well as more time with professors Snape and McGonagall. And of course Head Master Albus Dumbledore.

As I write this in 2019 there are 44,000 other reviews on this book – so what else can I add?

I’m digging the Dickensesque naming from Rowling. Draco Malfoy is as evil sounding name as they come and we also have gem names like Severus Snape, Rubeus Hagrid and Cornelius Fudge.

Also Rowling demonstrates her talent for characterization and we get a scene stealer with professor Gilderoy Lockhart.

This time also we see some more glimpses at the darkness inherent in her world building. We read some brief elements of horror in her first book and here we find an ancient evil lurking the halls of Hogwarts and petrifying students.

And there’s big spiders.

All good fun and we’re off to start the next book.

Continuing my reread with the illustrated editions! Gotta get through this one so that my daughter can start it next. <3

*********************

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

What can I say that hasn't been said before about this series? What words can do this book justice? I've felt at a loss on how to explain my feelings for these books as I've read them. I didn't experience them as a child and therefore my experience is clearly different than most others on here, but in some ways I think it's just as magical to read these for the first time as an adult as it was for everyone who devoured these as they were published in their childhood. I have kids, so I was constantly wondering how my 5 year old will accept these books when she's a bit older and tried to view the story through her eyes.

The holidays are always a busy, stressful time for us. All of our family is a hefty distance to travel to and, on top of that, we're moving into our new place this month. All I could think about was how desperately I wanted to escape all of my adult responsibilities for just a bit each day, and this was the perfect book to do so with. No matter your age, the magical world of Hogwarts is truly spectacular; the characters are such that they stay with you even after the final page is turned and the writing takes you back to a place you weren't sure existed for us old farts anymore. If you have been hiding under a rock for the past 20 years like I have, I highly encourage you pick these books up and get swept away like I did. Time is a precious commodity these days, and you couldn't spend it in a better way than with these precious kiddos.

n  Second Read Reviewn

This book was so much fun! And I honestly enjoyed it more than the first time I read it. I didn't know how much I forgot about this book until I reread it, so I probably enjoyed it very much because I mostly forgot many things in this book. So there are also some things that I want to talk about,

n   Gilderoy Lockhart n

He was so annoying and irked me so much. Especially in the scene where he set loose of pixies in Defence Against the Dark Arts class and he couldn't even fix this mess! And told Harry, Ron and Hermione to put them back in the cage and he left them, I was like " what the hell? " he's so unbelievable. But I must admit that he made me laugh like in the Duelling Club, he was disarmed by Snape and that scene was so funny until I laughed out loud.

I disliked him very much for lying about those stories! He's such a liar. Ugh. Oh and he deserved what he got in the end that he lost his memory because Ron's wand backfired at him.

n  Hermione Grangern

I was shocked when I realized that Hermione liked Lockhart. That guy was so annoying. Maybe he was charming BUT he didn't even know any useful spells, like when Harry broke his arm, he conjured a spell and that spell caused Harry to lose his bones in his arm! He just made it worse instead of helping him.

And even though I was shocked, I also laughed when I knew that Hermione put a Get Well card from lockhart under her pillow when she was in the hospital wing hahahahaha. I guess she really liked him. that scene was just so funny.

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