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What are readers saying about Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-03-05 04:18:00.
(Language: English)
   
for all the harry potter books...i really enjoyed these books when i was a kid,i mean this book brings out every reader's curiousity,it is simly wonderful how j.k.rowling used her ideas and how she has written em. i like the fifth and the seventh a lot.the fifth has a lot of detail ,it perfectly describes every person's character, everybody stops believing harry ,they think he is making up stories that voldemort has resurfaced from being a ghost to something really very much alive.the ministry doesn't blv him,they go against him,umbridge punishes harry for speaking the truth,dumbledor stops speaking to him,everything is made difficult for him.the worse sirius black is muredered by belatrix. the seventh book pictures snape as being a totally different person,fred dies,hedwig dies,lupin dies,madeye moody dies,snape dies,..... and it kinda describes the older version of harry. 
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-07-20 07:21:59.
(Language: English)
These are the books that started my reading journey. J.R. Rowling is by far one of the best authors in the world. Thank you for giving me inspiration to read and write. These books are written to grow with children as they grow up in years. They start off innocent enough, but become darker as you farther in the series. Even Adults can get into this book, creating a world that doesn't exist, and sparking an imagination beyond reason. I would recommend these books to anyone who loves a visit away from reality every once in a while, and if you dont' know what these books are about, what rock have you been living under.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-07-14 02:46:23.
(Language: English)
* The de-gnoming of the Weasleys' garden. Harry discovers that even wizards have chores--gnomes must be grabbed (ignoring angry protests "Gerroff me! Gerroff me!"), swung about (to make them too dizzy to come back), and tossed out of the garden--this delightful scene highlights Rowling's clever and witty genius. * Harry's first experience with a Howler, sent to Ron by his mother. * The Dueling Club battle between Harry and Malfoy. Gilderoy Lockhart starts the Dueling Club to help students practice spells on each other, but he is not prepared for the intensity of the animosity between Harry and Draco. Since they are still young, their minibattle is innocent enough, including tickling and dancing charms
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-11-11 02:20:59.
(Language: English)
Harry,Ron and Hermione's frienship tigtens more than ever.Together they use wat thy'v got to open the chamber of secrects which was believd tro be occupied by sth as big as a serpent.They make the poly juice portion to disguise themselves so they can knw ol truth behind Slythering hous:the heir of slythern...Harry discovrd sth very mysterious about himself-he could speak pussel-tounge(NOT SURE ABOUT SPELLING)it made his friends turn away from him as this bcoms th proof that he ws actually the heir of slythrin,a house that belonged to marvollo Riddle b4 he bcame a fraud...
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-01-31 12:35:06.
(Language: English)
I absolutely love the Harry Potter series. It's even more special for me as my grandfather bought me my first HP book which happened to be "The Chamber of Secrets". What a read. I was instantly hooked to the wizards, muggles, snitches fantastical tale that JK Rowling has to say albeit the initial shame of being hooked to a children's book! The story is about Potter's second year in Wizarding school run by the legendary wizard, Albus Dumbledore. Harry is new to the wizarding world, living with his aunt and uncle as his parents were killed by the greatest evil wizard of all times, Lord Voldemort. Infact, Voldemort is feared so much by the wizarding community that they can't even bring themselves to say his name in fear of attracting negative energy. As this is only the second book, much of Harry's discovery about his parent's death, his curiosity about other wizards, his friendship with Ron and Hermione are being formed.Needless to say, the story is incomplete till all 7 books are read. However, the first 4 books are instrumental in laying down the Potter foundation and strengthening his urge for revenge against Voldemort.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-01-16 07:20:00.
(Language: English)
When Harry Potter first came out and a friend gave me the book to read I could not put it down, I was hooked. The first book of the series took me two days to read. There is nothing like curling up in your favorite chair and adventuring through the pages of a book . . ....You never know where you might wind up. . . .The Harry Potter collection brought out the mystical child in me. They re~opened my imagination and belief that anything is possible. They took me to places I always wanted to go and with the magical tools I only used in my dreams.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-12-28 12:46:33.
(Language: English)
I finally finished this book. I'm embarrassed to admit it took me a long time, but that was because I've been sick and I don't tend to read when I'm sick. I usually read before I go to bed and since I was going to bed early I wasn't reading. The book itself was really a quick read. I really enjoyed it and have already bought the third Harry Potter book and expect to read that sometime soon. t isn't hard to see why these books are so popular with kids but they have an element that attracts adults as well. Any good literature is timeless and ageless, as long as the reader has an understanding of what the subject is all about. In a fantasy piece like Harry Potter, it doesn't matter how old you are - chances are you're going to like reading it. The story is there and the characters are interesting. I look forward to the next book!
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-04-03 11:31:10.
(Language: English)
I'll say it right now (Even thought it's probably been said 100,000,000 times before me), the Harry Potter series is simply amazing. However it's popularity sort of sucks some of the enchantment (No pun intended) out of the books. They're predictable but I still adore them. But it's on that note that makes me pretty much flip out over this book and how much I love it. While all the other books get to an almost ridiculously yet wonderfully predictable pattern, this book was anything BUT predictable. While it's only good to read once (Rather boring at the second bout), I remember going from 9:00 PM and reading till the crack of dawn, unable to put aside the book almost as if I'd miss the entire thing if I didn't read. It was terribly suspenseful for me and for any lover of mystery, I say put this on your reading list now!
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Maria Magdalena posted a review at 2012-06-10 09:59:40.
(Language: English)
Me fascina
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-01-04 06:40:57.
(Language: English)
Pour sa seconde année à l'école des sorciers de Poudlard, le célèbre Harry Potter fait une rentrée fracassante, à bord d'une voiture volante, en compagnie de son ami Ron. L'année promet d'être mouvementée : une terrible malédiction s'est abattue sur les élèves, mystérieusement pétrifiés les uns après les autres.Entre deux matches de Quidditch (sport favori des sorciers qui se pratique dans les airs, à califourchon sur des balais.), les cours de potions et ceux de l'insupportable et prétentieux Gilderoy Lockhart, Harry décide de mener l'enquête et de pénétrer le mystère de la Chambre des Secrets, dont la légende veut qu'elle soit habitée par un monstre que nul n'a jamais vu, et de découvrir l'identité du descendant du clan des Serpentards. Cette deuxième aventure d'Harry Potter mêle avec génie humour, mystère et frisson. L'intrigue savamment ficelée et pleine de rebondissements inattendus envoûte littéralement le lecteur de la première à la dernière page. Un régal !
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-07-07 08:40:01.
(Language: English)
Since pretty much everyone I know has read these books, I figure reviewing them is pretty pointless. But with the new book coming out in a couple of weeks, I have to go through them beginning to end. To make the reviews more entertaining, I will be doing them in a variety of unexpected formats. For this review, I will be writing as someone who's just getting into Freudian theory. From the very beginning, the true nature of this story is quite obvious - The Chamber of Secrets. There is only one "chamber of secrets" that is of any human concern, and it is no coincidence that the book of such a title was written by a woman. By sending her young, immature male character, Harry (whose name, along with Tom and Dick, just happens to be one of the "universal" male names) into the mysterious Chamber, Rowling is exploring her memories of early childhood sexuality. The Chamber is filled not only with mystery, but danger and legend - its very existence is debated, which no doubt refers to the elusive female orgasm. Ms. Rowling, whose sexual impulses have no doubt been unfulfilled over the years, is attempting to fulfill them by way of her own fiction. She has created a perfect sexual explorer in Harry Potter - a young, innocent and noble young man whose powers have not yet matured. Obviously a male that Rowling would feel comfortable with. This is especially interesting given the actual resident of the Chamber of Secrets - a huge, deadly serpent. And there's only one thing that a huge, terrible serpent can represent. Rowling's sexual past is the fertile ground in which this book was grown. It is her cathartic attempt to win over the guilty feelings that she's repressed from her former sexual life, the one she regrets more than anything else, by manufacturing a hero. That hero, in Harry Potter, represents the type of man for whom she would "open" her "chamber - pure of heart and noble of intention and, most importantly, under her control. The vanquishing of the serpent-symbol is her victory, leaving her free to explore other aspects of her life, including the eventual resolution of the Electra complex that appears to have been built up around Professor Dumbledore....
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Sarah posted a review at 2009-07-08 05:46:19.
(Language: English)
Rowling ended Sorcerer's Stone with plenty of room for a sequel, and thank goodness, because I know I was not finished hearing about Harry's story! I eagerly picked up The Chamber of Secrets as soon as it came out and devoured it. Events take a chilling, malevolent turn in this sequel as whispering voices and dreadful occurrences make it clear that an enemy is at Hogwarts. Harry, Hermione, and Ron do everything that is wizardly possible--including risking their own lives--to solve this 50-year-old, seemingly deadly mystery. This deliciously suspenseful novel is every bit as gripping, imaginative, and creepy as the first; familiar student concerns--fierce rivalry, blush-inducing crushes, pedantic professors--seamlessly intertwine with the bizarre, horrific, fantastical, or just plain funny. Once again, Rowling writes with a combination of wit, whimsy, and a touch of the macabre that will leave readers young and old desperate for the next installment.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-09-22 10:40:22.
(Language: English)
“Os Dursley foram tão mesquinhos e abomináveis durante aquelas férias de verão, que Harry Potter só queria voltar para a Escola de Magia e Bruxaria de Hogwarts. Na hora em que está arrumando as malas, contudo, ele recebe um aviso de um elfo estranho chamado Dobby, que diz que se Harry Potter voltar a Hogwarts haverá uma catástrofe.E ela, de fato, acontece. No segundo ano de Harry em Hogwarts, surgem novos tormentos e horrores. Agüentar o arrogante professor de Defesa Contra a Arte das Trevas, Gilderoy Lockhart, driblar o assédio do coleguinha deslumbrado que a todo custo queria fotografá-lo e conseguir um autógrafo, ignorar a tímida paixão e desviar da atenção indesejada de Gina Weasley, e suportar as lamúrias da Murta que Geme, um espírito que ocupa o banheiro das meninas, não é exatamente a melhor coisa que podia acontecer a Harry, mas, sem dúvida alguma, isso representa muito pouco diante do grande mistério que envolve a petrificação de alguns estudantes da escola. Quem ou o que estaria por trás daquelas ocorrências assustadoras? Seria Draco Malfoy, mais venenoso do que nunca? Talvez Hagrid, cujo misterioso passado é finalmente revelado? Ou o responsável por todo o pânico e tumulto seria aquele de quem todos na escola suspeitam… o próprio Harry Potter? Como descobrir e eliminar definitivamente a ameaça que está aterrorizando Hogwarts?”
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Justin posted a review at 2009-08-03 02:39:25.
(Language: English)
J. K. Rowling continues to capture the reader's attention in her second installment of the Harry Potter series, developing further her intricate cast of characters and introducing a handful of new characters, each with her or his own elaborate history. Rowling's strength in taking the new reader up-to-speed quickly provides enough background information from the first book that a new reader could pick up 'the Chamber of Secrets' and not miss a beat - although I'd strongly recommend the new reader start from the beginning. Her writing style appears more polished than in the first book, and her endless imagination provides a vivid picture for the reader, complete with important life lessons and themed messages that I expect will continue to develop as the series progresses. Harry Potter is proving to be a delightful series for readers of all ages!
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-08-12 10:45:46.
(Language: English)
the first book i read of the series. must have sneaked it from the library or my mom's stash before she'd decided whether or not to allow us to read them [actually, i probably had permission. i wasn't that bad of a kid. then again....]. i new right away what danger i'd be in if i didn't stop there. the power that this author has of engaging the mind is something else. then, and now, a devout tolkien fan, i felt it would be wrong of me to continue reading a competitor's work, but now that the battle between the two author's fan clubs has subsided i feel it is safe to proceed.... i know how ridiculous i sound. please don't take me too seriously. ;)
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-02-01 01:02:23.
(Language: English)
Better than the first book if only because Rowling doesn't spend 200 pages on setting up her world, Chamber of Secrets is a bridge between the agressively youthful style of The Sorcerer's Stone and the darker tomes to come in the series. Harry is a little older and less flummoxed by Wizarding World, but that doesn't mean Rowling is out of tricks to surprise the reader with. One great scene comes early on when Harry and Ron pliot an enchanted flying car to Hogwarts with somewhat disastrous results. The plot structure is nearly identical to that of the first book, but relationships and characters are more fully fleshed out, especially those of Albus Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort (whose appearance here is very eerie and well done).
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Bruce posted a review at 2012-05-15 12:11:41.
(Language: English)
Continuing in the Harry Potter series, this sequel was every bit as good as the first book. Actually, it felt almost exactly like the first one in terms of pace, style, how the story developed, etc. which is a pretty cool aspect in my opinion. Often times, sequels feel like they're trying so hard to replicate what gave the first book success that they come out as mediocre iterations. J.K. Rowling did a great job of telling a completely new story but staying true to the characters and the feel and the personality of the book. The characters were still a little too one-dimensional but the writing style didn't quite feel as "kiddy" as the first one and, as I always say, the purpose of reading a book (just like watching a movie or a TV show or playing a video game) is to enjoy the experience. I would say that this book, like the first, was very enjoyable to read and if I were to rate it would probably give it an 8/10.
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A Reader posted a review at 2013-02-23 08:17:58.
(Language: English)
this book is mostly all about magic its really nice
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-05-13 05:01:06.
(Language: English)
Tras derrotar una vez más a Lord Voldemort, su siniestro enemigo en Harry Potter y la Piedra Filosofal, Harry espera impaciente en casa de sus insoportables tÃos el inicio del segundo curso del Colegio Hogwarts de Magia y HechicerÃa. Sin embargo, la espera dura poco, pues un elfo aparece en su habitación y le advierte que una amenaza mortal se cierne sobre la escuela. Asà pues, Harry no se lo piensa dos veces y, acompañado de Ron, su mejor amigo, se dirige a Hogwarts en un coche volador. Pero ¿puede un aprendiz de mago defender la escuela de los malvados que pretenden destruirla? Sin saber que alguien ha abierto la Cámara de los Secretos, dejando escapar una serie de monstruos peligrosos, Harry y sus amigos Ron y Hermione tendrán que enfrentarse con arañas gigantes, serpientes encantandas, fantasmas enfurecidos y, sobre todo, con la mismÃsima reencarnación de su más temible adversario.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-02-06 04:20:12.
(Language: English)
Harry Potter is once again back 'home' with the Dursleys, and his summer holidays are not going to plan. The Dursleys have forbidden his broom, wand and all of his schoolbooks. Harry has not yet received any letters from his friends, Ron and Hermione. On his 12th birthday, Dobby the house elf, arrives to warn Harry that he will be in mortal danger if he returns to Hogwarts. Harry is determined to return, as it is the only true home he has ever known, so Dobby destroys the cake for an important dinner party attended by Uncle Vernon's potential client and the client's wife. The Ministry Of Magic send a letter explaining Harry cannot use magic outside of school as he will be expelled. No longer afraid of this, Uncle Vernon tells Harry he cannot return to Hogwarts and puts bars on Harry's window.............
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-12-19 06:08:29.
(Language: English)
A slow read. Chamber of Secrets is essentially a rehash of the first book without any of the humor and depth that made Sorcerer's Stone so incredible. The plot was weak and uninteresting and the main characters were not further developed(with the exception of a couple side ones).Also, I hope the format of the following books changes. The start of the story with the Dersley's served a purpose in book one but in this book it seemed pointless and dull. I get it--they're not very nice people. Let's move on already. The ending was also predictable since it was basically the ending of book one in a new setting with a snake. Hopefully, new villians will be introduced in the books ahead.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-11-01 11:26:34.
(Language: English)
Harry knows he is a wizard, and after a lonely horrible summer with his aunt and uncle, he is looking forward to going back to school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But Harry is no ordinary wizard, and there are those who want him to return to school and those who do not. Harry has a run in with a house elf named Doby, who keeps causing havoc for Harry in his attempts to save his life. He has a run in with a tree that hits back. And the new defense against the dark arts teacher is so full of himself he's over flowing. And then of course there is a monster that has been set loose in the school, and everyone blames Harry. Seems to be a typical year for Harry though. Ron and Hermoine team up with Harry to solve the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets, a mystery that most people believed to be a myth. Together they save Ginny, and defeat Voldemort yet again.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-08-21 09:46:20.
(Language: English)
So the titular 'secrets' in the Chamber of Secrets... was a basilisk? I feel somewhat misled by the title of this book. And I don't understand why Harry keeps going back to his secretly Mormon aunt and uncle and why they continue to take on the responsibility. In the beginning of the book MF'er escapes out the window under cover of darkness like a POW and at the end he's all, "Oh heck, back to the Dursleys!" They lock you in a goddamn cupboard, Harry. I think the unusual and traumatic circumstances of your parents' death and subsequent upbringing may have caused you to normalize some really unhealthy ideas in terms of the standard of behavior to which you hold your legal guardians. I mean really, Harry, you'd be better off getting a job in a coal mine for the summer. Or in a meat packing plant. In Chicago!
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-02-19 05:07:16.
(Language: English)
Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone The book is about a boy named Harry Potter been turned over to his aunt and her family at their doorsteps as a baby. How he grows up in miserable conditions in their home. Until the day he turns 11 years. Where the family Dursleys house being searched by owls up with letters from Hogwarts school of witch artist and magician crew. His aunt and uncle are trying to prevent Harry from getting a letter it didn´t succeed. Fianlly, they must flee from the house in the hope that they can hide which failed. From this moment his life turns 180 degrees. He gets new friends who are just as himself. He finds out that he has hidden talents. He is challenged in many different ways of good and evil. The author J. K. Rowling writes in a way that capturres one's curiosity.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-01-02 08:56:00.
(Language: English)
Because it is precisely through the imagination that the evil one first attacks us in order to lead the soul captive, Orthodox Christians are to avoid as much as possible not only the Potter series but all fantasy literature. Regarding so-called “good witchcraft,†be it known that any practice which seeks to manipulate future events according to the wish or whim of the practitioner -- whether his or her intentions are “good†or bad -- is always evil, since it does not account for and even contradicts the Divine Will. Harry Potter, therefore, is not appropriate for anyone to read. The books are intended as an initiation into the world of witchcraft. For anyone who doubts or denies this, let him visit a Barnes and Nobles or Borders bookstore and observe which books accompany Harry Potter on display: the series is surrounded by books about witchcraft aimed especially at teenage girls, and it is rarely, if ever, prominently displayed among other children’s books. Those in favor of reading the Harry Potter series have criticized those against the series as being led astray by Protestant arguments. Orthodox Christians do not base their decisions on what Protestants have and have not said. Regardless of its source, an argument is either valid or invalid, either true or false. If a Protestant has spoken the truth regarding Harry Potter, we must commend him. Those in favor of Harry Potter also insist that the books are good because they inspire children and adolescents to read. Pornographic material also inspires adolescents to read, but is it appropriate reading material? The last resort for the pro-Potters is to declare that the Three Holy Hierarchs insist that we should learn anything secular. This idea comes from a selective reading of these holy fathers. With a closer look at the text, any school boy could see that Sts. Basil, Gregory, and John all favor a selective reading of secular literature, especially those works dedicated to virtue, logic, and rhetoric. St. Basil even gives a list of books to avoid. The “everything-secular-is-okay†argument, therefore, is based on false premises. Of course, we cannot cover all objections in a short article. For this reason, St. Poimen’s Brotherhood is offering free of charge a booklet about the Harry Potter books. It covers a wide range of valid arguments, both Protestant and Orthodox. We encourage you to send us an e-mail or write to us for a free copy. If we do not already have it, please include your mailing address. In conclusion, one very simple point in the debate is often sadly overlooked: on the great and terrible Day of Judgment, what will we say to our All-Merciful God when he asks us why we did not even read His commandments or pay any attention to the lives or writings of the divine men and women He sent to instruct us? “We left them, Lord, in favor of Harry Potter.†The Phenomenon Harry Potter The entire series Harry Potter is full of allusions to the occultism. The gravity of this fact is usually ignored. by the writer Rowling' s fans. They pretend that they create an imagery world, the way J. R. R., Tolkein and C. S. Lewis created in their books, and, accordingly, they cannot understand why such a commotion should be created and that it shouldn't be given too much importance to the presence of the witches and of the other similar things. Unfortunately, the world of the writer is far from being imaginary; it follows thoroughly the contemporary occult activity. Harry's entire magic activity in Rowlig's books has a correspondent in the real life. Let's start by taking a look at the Hogwards School's program. It is a seven years' program which resembles very much the teaching offered by Ordo Anno Mundi (OAM), an occult group in London which venerates the snakes. Just like the Hogwarts School, the OAM offer a seven years' program of instruction. The OAM' s program also includes a course on the "ancient runes". In the volume "Prisoner in Azkaban" Harry Potter is initiated in the "study of the ancient runes" (Rowling, "Harry Potter, Prisoner in Azkaban"-New York: Scholastic, 1999, pg. 13). The group OAM also offers courses on fortune telling, farsightedness and divination for the students in the first year. In "Prisoner in Azkaban" Harry Potter is told in the classroom that : "This year we are going to learn the basic methods of the divination". The OAM members also have a course on" the metamorphosis into beasts and werewolves". At the Hogwarts School Harry Potter is also told: "the metamorphosis is one of the most complex and dangerous witchcraft practices we are going to learn"("Harry Potter and the Philosophical Stone"-Scholastic, 1997, pg.134). And we could easily go on with other similar comparisons. Other occult activities mentioned by Rowling are: astrology, spells, necromancy the science of plants, magic, familial ghosts (spiritism where are invoked relatives), talismans, chiromancy and others. Rowling does not create new types of "imaginary" witchcraft, but, on the contrary, she presents practices appeared in the ancient times which are still used in the contemporary occultism. She herself admits having researched and studied occult practices in order to render her story credible(Abanes,pg. 23, quoting Rowling in a radio interview in the broadcasting "The Diane Rheim Show", Wamu, National Public Radio, October 20, 1999. The writer's admirers could consider the magic and meaningless words introduced by her -"Alohohora! Expelliarmus! Rictusempra! Finite Incantatem!"- as being a proof fanciful and eccentric approach of witchcraft, but these few funny introductions in her story are just some insignificant changes in the actual witchcraft that she describes. In many epistles she describes the witchcraft practices without changing anything. She proceeds the same way when she writes about "the hand of glory" which appears in "the room" of the secrets" : " Oh, the hand of glory! Put a candle on it and it will give light only to the one that has it. The thieves' and pickpockets' best friend!". This kind of dreadful "hand of glory" really exist in the occult tradition. It is about a hand of a murderer who had been hanged. It had been cut, drained of blood, kept in salt and conserved. Candles (made by another murderer's grease and with a wick made by his hair) were put between the fingers before a thief had entered in the house of the victim. This hand is said to have magic powers of protection and warning for he thief. Rowling also describes the practice of fortune telling in the crystal globe with the same accuracy and little imagination. Hogwarts' teaches of divination tells to the children: " the fortune telling is an extremely refined art. We'll start by the relaxation of the mind and of the eyes in order to clear our interior eye and the superconscience" (Rowling, "Harry Potter, Prisoner in Azkaban"-pg. 297). This is an exact description of the practice of fortune telling. It is used in order to get into touch with the spiritual world in an attempt to find out the future. The most scaring occult practice described is that found in the fourth volume, when Harry is kidnapped in a spell and brought in a cemetery where is described a satanic ritual in the most dreadful details. Although this description may not follow thoroughly the known rituals, the classic elements are present: the human sacrifice, self- maimaing and other elements specific to the satanism, including a "atomey" (a sharp, double-shaped dagger, used for sacrifice). Pages peopled by wizards In Rowling's books can also be found many characters well-known in the occultism. For example, Nicholas Flanel and his wife Perenelle are mentioned. These were some occultists who lived in the 13th century. Nicholas Flanel practiced alchemy and became famous as the creator of the "philosophical stone" (J. K. Rowling's book was initially entitled "Harry Potter and the philosophical stone" when it was published in England the title was modified as "Harry Potter and the wizard's stone" by the Scholastic Books, Inc., Who is the American publisher of the book). The stone had to turn any substance into gold and to produce the elixir of life which made anyone immortal. Rowling lacks imagination when she introduces in the book the characters Nicholas Flanel and his wife together with the very "philosophical stone". In the same manner are also mentioned Adalbert-an archbishop of Cantebury in the 8th century, sentenced to death for witchcraft (naturally, presented in a positive light by the author); and Paracelsus, a Swiss alchemist. A character in Mrs. Rowling's books who should be attentively looked at by the Christian readers is Cassandra Vlabatsky. Richard Abames constantly shows that this character is named after the famous Helena P. Blavatsky, whose name is reformulated in order to hide the outspoken mentioning (Rowling used an identical anagram when one of Voldemorteste's pseudonyms is introduced in the form of the anagram "Tom Marvolo Riddle".This pseudonym is elucidated when the letters are rearanged under the form "I am Lord Voldemort"). H. P. Blavatsky lived in the 19th century and she is the founder of the Theosophical Society whose aim was " to oppose the scientific materialism to any form of dogmatic theology, especially the Christian one that is looked at by the leaders of the society as being extremely dangerous" ( taken from a booklet of the Theosophical Society quoted in the book The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow" by Constance Cumbey, Shreveport, Lousiana: Huntington House, 1983, pg. 45). Blavatsky said about herself ad had been described by her disciples as being possessed by "somebody" ( M. K. Neff, "Helena P. Blavatsky's Personal Memories",pg. 244) and moreover, she clearly stated that "Satan, the snake of the Genesis, is the real creator and benefactor, the Father of the spiritual world"( Helena P. Blavatsky, "The Secret Doctrine - Los Angeles: The Theosophcal Company, 1925. Third volume, Pg. 386). Rowling also introduces many well-known pagan and mythological characters, using their names for her characers, as for example: Minerve(Roman goddess), Argus (the one hundred eye giant of the Greek Mythology), Circe (the witch of The Oddyssey) and Cliodna A Druid/Celtic goddess still venerated by the modern new-pagan) - Abanes, pg. 30-32. Rowling does not create a "second world" as that created by Tolkein in the center of the earth, but rather "a parallel world" which thoroughly follows the contemporary occult activity. In fact, as R. Abanes states: " Mrs. Rowling plain understanding as far the occult mechanism is concerned is so obvious in her books that during a radio broadcasting interview , a person declared to be a "wizard" (a probationer of magic) ( Abanes uses on purpose the word "Magick"-magic in order to highlight the similarity between the magic used by Harry Potter and that practiced by Aleister Crowley, the founder of the satanism - our note), enthusiastically asks the author whether she herself had been member of the Association of the Wizards (Wicca). When Rowling denied, the interlocutor was shocked and retorted :" Well, you have done your homework pretty well!". This interlocutor went on expressing his admiration for the Harry Potter series, not only because it presents so many occult practices, but also for the presenting of the magic in a favourable light which helped his daughter get used with his own practices of wizard and magician. (Abanes, pg. 24, quoting Rowling in The Diane Rhein Show). The attraction of the youth in the practicing of the witchcraft Here lies the danger. Her books reflects the occult activity so well that they become a natural means of introducing the young men in the real magic. The pagan federation in England designed a young member (in September 2001) to answer the increasing number of questions asked by young men. The media official, Any Norfolk attributes the increasing interest of the youth in the witchcraft to the books "Harry Potter and the Philosophical Stone", to the other books in the Potter series and to the TV shows as for example: "Sabrina, the Adolescent witch", "Buffy, the Killing Vampire". He went on declaring that , after every article on witchcraft or paganism, " we have an increasing number of phones, mainly from young girls" ("Harry Potter' fans go for witchcraft", "This is London"-Associated Newspaper Ltd., August, 4, 200. Why do the people find it so difficult to believe that the series H. P. could easily introduce them in a contemporary occult practice? It is not surprising the fact that both Rowling and her fans deny any intention to initiate men, especially the children, in witchcraft. Anyway, we must take into account her reaction against the cover of the edition H. P. and the Wizard's stone" published by The Scholastic Publishing House. During an interview in April 1999 concerning the different editions of her books, Rowling enthusiastically declared: : The cover of the Scholastic edition best illustrates the way I have imagined the way the book should appear. It resembles a spell book due to colours and the style of illustration". Because it is precisely through the imagination that the evil one first attacks us in order to lead the soul captive, Orthodox Christians are to avoid as much as possible not only the Potter series but all fantasy literature. Regarding so-called “good witchcraft,†be it known that any practice which seeks to manipulate future events according to the wish or whim of the practitioner -- whether his or her intentions are “good†or bad -- is always evil, since it does not account for and even contradicts the Divine Will. Harry Potter, therefore, is not appropriate for anyone to read. The books are intended as an initiation into the world of witchcraft. For anyone who doubts or denies this, let him visit a Barnes and Nobles or Borders bookstore and observe which books accompany Harry Potter on display: the series is surrounded by books about witchcraft aimed especially at teenage girls, and it is rarely, if ever, prominently displayed among other children’s books. Those in favor of reading the Harry Potter series have criticized those against the series as being led astray by Protestant arguments. Orthodox Christians do not base their decisions on what Protestants have and have not said. Regardless of its source, an argument is either valid or invalid, either true or false. If a Protestant has spoken the truth regarding Harry Potter, we must commend him. Those in favor of Harry Potter also insist that the books are good because they inspire children and adolescents to read. Pornographic material also inspires adolescents to read, but is it appropriate reading material? The last resort for the pro-Potters is to declare that the Three Holy Hierarchs insist that we should learn anything secular. This idea comes from a selective reading of these holy fathers. With a closer look at the text, any school boy could see that Sts. Basil, Gregory, and John all favor a selective reading of secular literature, especially those works dedicated to virtue, logic, and rhetoric. St. Basil even gives a list of books to avoid. The “everything-secular-is-okay†argument, therefore, is based on false premises. Of course, we cannot cover all objections in a short article. For this reason, St. Poimen’s Brotherhood is offering free of charge a booklet about the Harry Potter books. It covers a wide range of valid arguments, both Protestant and Orthodox. We encourage you to send us an e-mail or write to us for a free copy. If we do not already have it, please include your mailing address. In conclusion, one very simple point in the debate is often sadly overlooked: on the great and terrible Day of Judgment, what will we say to our All-Merciful God when he asks us why we did not even read His commandments or pay any attention to the lives or writings of the divine men and women He sent to instruct us? “We left them, Lord, in favor of Harry Potter.â€
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