"THE DURSLEYS were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter 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, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny.
"But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone--or something--starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than 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!"
I absolutely devoured this book. I believe I can finally see what all of the Pottermania is about (though I maintain that I'll seek professional help if I ever go to class dressed for Hogwarts with a replica wand up my sleeve). My appreciation for this series has grown tremendously.
Rowling's writing style is impressive. It's brilliant how it can be read by both young adults and adults with both sets of readers able to enjoy it equally (similar to the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan). This really says a lot about an author who is able to do this with the grace and eloquence of Rowling. Her descriptions of Hogwarts were beautifully done and the characters really felt alive. However, I can't fail to give some of this credit to the Harry Potter films. If you've read the review of the first in this series, then you know that I tried to read this series back when it first came to the States. I didn't enjoy it then. Now that I've seen the films, I find myself truly enjoying the books.
Then again, I believe the movies deserve notoriety of their own. When I finished this second installment in the Harry Potter series, I realized how well the movies captured the books. Of course, they left out some details for lack of major import, but this doesn't detract from my appreciation. I really love how (thus far at least) the movies follow the books almost to the word. Some entire conversations were even taken directly from the books, which is impressive. Usually, movies take the words "based on" as allowance for interpretation--not the case with the Potter films/books. I believe that this played a major role in my newfound appreciation for these books.
Now that I'm off that rave, back to the real review. As I hinted at earlier, I really enjoyed this book. It's fun to see Ron, Harry, and Hermione grow a little each year. The actual Hogwarts classes are so creative. The premise itself is so interesting that I found myself under "the Harry Potter spell" and had a terribly difficult time putting the book down. The plot of this book was slightly darker than the previous one, which suited me just fine. The characters' relationships are growing more complex--as it tends to happen when one grows up. Of course, with old favorites come new ones. We're introduced to Gilderoy Lockhart--the pompous, self-serving, best-selling author-turned Hogwarts professor. I do believe he is impossible to like! (My professor told me he was modeled after Rowling's ex-husband, which would make sense with the disgusting way he was portrayed.) Amusing at times, Lockhart certainly added to the book.
We learn more about Lord Voldemort and his relationship to Harry. Had I not seen the movie, I'm sure I would have loved how this snuck up on the readers. I have a new level of respect for the intricacies in Rowling's writing that my Children's Literature professor mentioned earlier this semester. I'm beginning to see how deeply she planned the whole series. It really is impressive.
I will say one thing (though I'm sure you're going to want to kill me for going back to the film/book comparison), I wish the movie adaptation of Chamber of Secrets had explained why Harry was a Parselmouth a little more; as well as clarified how Voldemort came about his name. They say it in the movie, but it wasn't as clear as it could have been (i.e. his real middle name). Overall, the casting is absolutely fantastic. ***SPOILER*** Then, I have a little issue with the book itself. Harry isn't worried about the monster let loose in the halls of Hogwarts because he's a Pureblood. However, I was under the impression that his mother came from a Muggle family. Doesn't this mean Harry technically isn't a Pureblood? I ended up rationalizing that, because both of Harry's parents could do magic, then Harry was considered a Pureblood. Then, when he and Riddle met in the Chamber of Secrets, Riddle calls Harry a Mud-blood. I hope I'm just missing something. I'll probably go back and reread these parts. One more thing: Voldemort hates Mud-bloods, yet he--himself--is one. He's the Heir of Slytherine would consider him a disgrace? That's just me, though.***
Anyway, I really enjoyed this book--as you can probably tell from the length of this review. I'm going home for the holidays and I look forward to having time to relax and read. These aren't things I've had a ton of time to do lately. My reviewing has really suffered because of this. Sadly, the amount of my reviews has decreased since I began several years ago. I'm going to really have to step up in 2011!
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