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9 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
HARRY AND THE SECRET CHAMBER POT, 25 April 2003
I am not sure if I should err on the side of generosity here, but I cannot give one and a half stars, so it is two. I will do my best to give a reasonable account of my bad mark, and I don't want to be a sour grape for no good reason.The general plot is familiar if you have read book one, but this is not a bad thing as there is still a 'whodunnit' element. The book is inventive, and the humour is still there, and a little more sharp-edged in places. I got a wry botanical smile out of the magical mandrakes (plants with human-shaped roots), which are nursed in the potting shed from young plants to full grown during the story. They betray approaching maturity by becoming moody and secretive, and trying to move into each other's pots. I think I can also detect improved writing technique, as some of the scenes are more coherent and descriptive than book one, although the characters are barely more fleshed out. And as I am an enthusiast for spiders, my favourite fantasy monster, I enjoyed the big spider scene. (I am trying to not reveal the plot too much, or I would wax more lyrical here.) As to the down side, I am not too worried by the Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, but I am bored by the overly obvious new DADA teacher, who is an unfunny buffoon and a charlatan. I can only presume that a bigger fool employed him. Much worse, the mentally disturbed, slime-ridden self-harming elf who tries to help Harry, just detracts from the whole story. He is in bad taste. I think Rowling hates JRR Tolkien's elves, and hates them with a passion, and wants a spoiler in here. Parents reading this story to their children will want to avoid having to answer too many questions about this elf. They may also have grave doubts about the moral example of the criminal way Harry and co. acquire the ingredients for their Most Potente Potion. It is too much like organised crime for me. Even Malfoy's father has a sneer for career thieves in the Little Shop of Horrors, earlier in the book. Lastly, there is an unpleasant undercurrent in this book, as there was in the first. In the first few chapters, before we get to Hogwart's, there are a number of striking references to ordure - filth, excrement, the smelly stuff, etc, ad nauseam. Dung abounding and toilet humour - Harry completes his potty training! Do we need it? Do we want it? Mercifully, these references largely disappear when we get to school, but only to be replaced by many scenes located in the girls' toilets. Still, flushed with success, Harry completes his mission, so all is well.
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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
HARRY AND THE SECRET CHAMBER POT, 1 Nov 2000
I am not sure if I should err on the side of generosity here, but I cannot give one and a half stars, so it is two. I will do my best to give a reasonable account of my bad mark, as ninety-something percent of the Amazon reviews give top marks, and I don't want to be a sour grape for no good reason.The general plot is familiar if you have read book one, but this is not a bad thing as there is still a 'whodunnit' element. The book is inventive, and the humour is still there, and a little more sharp-edged in places. I got a wry botanical smile out of the magical mandrakes (plants with human-shaped roots), which are nursed in the potting shed from young plants to full grown during the story. They betray approaching maturity by becoming moody and secretive, and trying to move into each other's pots. I think I can also detect improved writing technique, as some of the scenes are more coherent and descriptive than book one, although the characters are barely more fleshed out. And as I am an enthusiast for spiders, my favourite fantasy monster, I enjoyed the big spider scene. (I am trying to not reveal the plot too much, or I would wax more lyrical here.) As to the down side, I am not too worried by the Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, but I am bored by the overly obvious new DADA teacher, who is an unfunny buffoon and a charlatan. I can only presume that a bigger fool employed him. Much worse, the mentally disturbed, slime-ridden self-harming elf who tries to help Harry, just detracts from the whole story. He is in bad taste. I think Rowling hates JRR Tolkien's elves, and hates them with a passion, and wants a spoiler in here. Parents reading this story to their children will want to avoid having to answer too many questions about this elf. They may also have grave doubts about the moral example of the criminal way Harry and co. acquire the ingredients for their Most Potente Potion. It is too much like organised crime for me. Even Malfoy's father has a sneer for career thieves in the Little Shop of Horrors, earlier in the book. Lastly, there is an unpleasant undercurrent in this book, as there was in the first. In the first few chapters, before we get to Hogwart's, there are a number of striking references to ordure - filth, excrement, the smelly stuff, etc, ad nauseam. Dung abounding and toilet humour - Harry completes his potty training! Do we need it? Do we want it? Mercifully, these references largely disappear when we get to school, but only to be replaced by many scenes located in the girls' toilets. Still, flushed with success, Harry completes his mission, so all is well.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
overrated, 14 Nov 1999
By A Customer
Am i alone in thinking that these harry potter books are fantastically overrated? Rowling's tales are a pale immitation of great childrens authors such as Roald Dahl. I see the appeal to some extent but in general i found this book to be mediocre at best.
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5 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
Here we go again, 28 Jan 2006
By A Customer
Having heard much about Harry Potter, I started reading the first book. I was delighted, simply stunning. As good this kind of book gets, amazing. Now onto the second book, which was really horrible. I'll try to explain why.The Chamber of Secrets is a repeat of the first book. The outline of the plot, the character, everything is familiar and nothing is new and exciting. There are some nice ideas and the language is still enjoyable, which makes it endurable, but the overall impression is as I said, horrible. I'm glad to say that I did enjoy the third book, which introduced more novelties and wasn't simply an extension of the previous book. I think you should read the Chamber of Secrets only if you're desperate to know how it will end, but personally I think this is not enough to motivate a read.
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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
fine for children...., 16 Sep 2000
By A Customer
but I just don't understand juat WHAT the hysteria is about. Am I wierd, or what? I read the forst one when the HP fad was quite new and even then I didn't understand. I read this to give HP another chance and I am struggling to finish it. A lot of things keep happening, it's true, but it's all so superficial! If I were a child I might gicve it 5 stars but as an adult I do expect more. And I love magic as much as anyone. Harry's magic just doesn't grab me. I read Lord of the Rings as an adult and couldn't put it down. And if you really want to sit on the edge of your seat read the Neverending Story! Now there's a children's AND adults classic!
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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Disappointing Sequel, 9 Jan 2000
By A Customer
I admit it -I'm an adult Harry Potter fan. I loved the first and 3rd novels, but justb can't get on with this - I finding it's plot quite boring, it doesn't feel as fresh as Philosophers stone, or as exciting and funny and Prisoner of Azkaban. However, i did manage to read it ewventually, and thoght it was Ok.
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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
be realistic, 15 Dec 1999
By A Customer
as i scroll down this list all i see is 5 star ratings. The book is good but please be realistic it is by no means perfect. I think that today's society is forgetting classic books like The Lord of The Rings, Adrian Mole, or the Earth sea triology. I've read this Harry Potter serise and, in comparison, they simply don't come close to those book's i mentioned. The Harry Potter serise has become a cult but the only thing about them which could be awarded 5 stars is the marketing they've recieved. They are overrated but amazingly popular, just like South Park! but please people, opend your eyes, there is much better literature out there.
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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Was disappointed by the design, 14 Feb 1999
By A Customer
I ordered this book thinking it would look just like the beautiful hardcover edition of HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, but instead it was a cheap-looking paperback. I almost didn't want to read the story (which everyone says is great) because the type was so tiny, there was practically no space between the lines, and none of the wonderful chapter opening illustrations. I wish I had saved my money and ordered the U.S. edition which my local bookseller tells me is due out in September.
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1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Uneventful Yet Undemanding, 21 Nov 2007
It is evidence enough that there are a variety of interesting qualities and overbearing faults within the book, but overall Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets is at best an average read that just prolongs a series that apparently becomes more evolved and 'dark'. The lack of detail used to create events and keep readers attention isn't used to great effect at times and the silly description though engulfs the Hogwarts world at times into a place of fun, to me just turns it into a place of mockery. Themes are used well to teach us more about social acceptance in our own culture but the lack of atmosphere fails to turn the book into something more thought provoking.
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1 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
potters gone potty, 13 Aug 2005
Harry potter {book 2} is my worst book in the harry potter series. It's lacking in humor whereas the story takes a while to get into. The character of Gildoroy lockhart is one of my least favourite people in the whole series of harry potter. Nearly headless nick's deathday party took the story nowhere so there was no point in putting that bit in. The first time you read it is a mystery, but the 2-3 times after that is very hard to read a chapter before putting it down before getting bored.
Tom hemingway, age 10
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