Hardcover, 342 pages
English language
Published May 26, 1999 by Arthur A. Levine Books.
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 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? (Front flap)
Me queda claro que Harry no quiere gastar ni un "peso" del dinero que tiene en Gringotts, así sea que destruyó propiedad ajena, así sea que el equipo donde juega necesite nuevas escobas jaja
7/10
I have always wondered why anyone would hire Gilderoy Lockhart, and then I started working in international schools. It makes perfect sense because, when in need, they hire absolutely anyone without an actual care for their abilities or expertise. The number of people I have met who've been hired into schools, even though they have massively problematic histories, is absurd. It's scary.
The only benefit of Lockhart: Snape's appearances in the novel decrease in order to show how incapable Lockhart is. Snape appears almost randomly to make a student miserable, still making me wonder why anyone at Hogwarts would've ever kept him around since he hates approximately 75% of his students so much.
Regarding Lockhart: If he was the only available candidate for the job, I would've found ways to have my teachers working together and restructuring the whole approach to schooling. They're a wizarding school, so why is everything …
I have always wondered why anyone would hire Gilderoy Lockhart, and then I started working in international schools. It makes perfect sense because, when in need, they hire absolutely anyone without an actual care for their abilities or expertise. The number of people I have met who've been hired into schools, even though they have massively problematic histories, is absurd. It's scary.
The only benefit of Lockhart: Snape's appearances in the novel decrease in order to show how incapable Lockhart is. Snape appears almost randomly to make a student miserable, still making me wonder why anyone at Hogwarts would've ever kept him around since he hates approximately 75% of his students so much.
Regarding Lockhart: If he was the only available candidate for the job, I would've found ways to have my teachers working together and restructuring the whole approach to schooling. They're a wizarding school, so why is everything so blatantly the same as the real world? It's so boring, uncreative, and just doesn't do anything at all to make people question things beyond the common issues of schools.
One of the things I would've liked to have seen was more focus on the Malfoys (less so Draco, more so Lucius); Dobby's appearances, as a stand-alone text, feel weird and out of place. He feels superfluous to the story, only acting as random events to Harry. It might set things up later, but it's pretty unimportant and tedious here. Like, if it's setting something up for later, the reader doesn't need to be bludgeoned with it happening; the author can just draw your attention to the background or prompt you to remember something at a later date.
Read it in Spanish this time. Just as good as in English:)
Listened to the audiobook this time. I highly recommend it.
Hagrid is my good friend, and a good man.
Κάπου ο Ντάμπλντορ λέει: "Είναι οι επιλογές μας Χάρι που δείχνουν πολύ πιο ξεκάθαρα από τις ικανότητές μας ποιοι είμαστε πραγματικά".
One of my favorite Harry Potter books - I love the introduction of Dobby and the Moaning Myrtle, Lockheart's hilarious egocentrism and the mystery surrounding the Chamber of Secrets.
Pretty decent. Especially now that I've tracked down the UK version.
When an author writes an epic series of books you gotta expect that some stuff maybe recycled and that the beginning of each book will be similar as you get a recap of what happened and the characters are introduced again, for those who forget easily or maybe for those who like to read a series in random order. What I wasn't expecting was Rowling to just rehash the first potter book, I don't understand why nobody has complained more about this. Everything that happened in this book is just slightly tweaked from the last book. Here's a run-down of both books.
1. Harry has horrible foster parents and they lock him away because they don't want him going to wizard school (it looked like they had learnt their lesson in book 1 but conveniently forgot all that for book 2)
2. They go to Diagon ally to buy some …
When an author writes an epic series of books you gotta expect that some stuff maybe recycled and that the beginning of each book will be similar as you get a recap of what happened and the characters are introduced again, for those who forget easily or maybe for those who like to read a series in random order. What I wasn't expecting was Rowling to just rehash the first potter book, I don't understand why nobody has complained more about this. Everything that happened in this book is just slightly tweaked from the last book. Here's a run-down of both books.
1. Harry has horrible foster parents and they lock him away because they don't want him going to wizard school (it looked like they had learnt their lesson in book 1 but conveniently forgot all that for book 2)
2. They go to Diagon ally to buy some stuff.
3. They go to school, lessons are tough, Ron moans about something, One possibly evil teacher is in a bad mood and takes it out on harry.
4. Something bad is happening at the school, in this instance kids are ending up long term in medical, where the hell is OFSTED or social services? Why aren't the parents there worried for their kids? Magic! That's why.
5. Hagrid has a strange pet.
6. The boys go into the woods and meet a strange creature
7. The teachers are completely oblivious to what is going on, all their years of experience and training are out the window at this point. IMHO the only teacher with an excuse is the amazing Gilderoy Lockhart. What a guy!
8. Oh Hermione is a goody goody two shoes who likes to learn.
9. Harry figures it out
10. There is a battle under the school
11. Harry wings it like a pro.
12. Bad guys get what's coming to them.
And repeat for book 3?
Given it 2 stars as the writing has improved from book 1.
Have decided to re-read the entire series. Will not change the original star ratings, but will include my updated star ratings in the wall o' text.
4 stars
The first time I read this, way back in high school, I remember thinking that it just wasn't as good as #1. When I read through the first part of the series again before reading #5, I remember thinking #2 might just be my favorite. This time, I know already it won't be my favorite of the series, but it's a huge improvement over #1, as there's actually a plot.
Le deuxième tome de la célébrissime saga Harry Potter, qu'on ne présente plus. Je sais que celui-ci a ses détracteurs, mais j'aime beaucoup ce tome, peut-être parce que c'est le premier où la noirceur des derniers tomes commence à faire son apparition, avec ce thème du racisme et de l'intolérance en toile de fond.
