“Not kill you, sir, never kill you!” said Dobby, shocked. “Dobby wants to save Harry Potter’s life! Better sent home, grievously injured, than remain here, sir! Dobby only wanted Harry Potter hurt enough to be sent home!”
**Original thoughts, 2018, on the American Audible version**
Going through all of the HPs, listening on Audible. I have listened to the Stephen Fry Philosopher’s Stone, but all the rest I have are the Jim Dale versions. I much prefer the Stephen Fry, as Jim Dale has some odd intonations and I don’t like his pronunciation of Voldemort and other words. Sometimes Dale sounds really whiny and wheedling, especially with the children’s voices.
**re-read on kindle 06/2025**
Even though this remains a Harry Potter that is not a favorite of mine, it cannot be skipped. It is the introduction of Dobby, Lucious Malfoy, Tom Riddle, Ginny Weasley, Arthur Weasley, the first Horcrux, The Burrow, Polyjuice Potion, the Sword of Gryffindor, Borgin and Burkes, Aragog, Moaning Myrtle, and Fawkes. And probably some others I don’t remember. It gives so much context to many momentous events to come. So many aspects which have far reaching influence on our key players’ final outcomes and fates start here. Nevertheless, it still comes across as a children’s’ book (which it is, of course) but, for me, minus much of the wonder, and, though there were some funny lines, humor, of its predecessor. I almost think the movie surpassed the book in many areas particularly in its portrayal of Dobby. It brilliantly captured the amazing, almost impossible, mix of annoying and adorable, funny and tragic, victim and victor.
And a few things took me out of the book. I couldn’t get over why Harry was shunned and suspected of being the Heir of Slytherin when Draco Malfoy should have been the obvious suspect of everyone from the start.
Then someone shouted through the quiet. “Enemies of the Heir, beware! You’ll be next, Mudbloods!” It was Draco Malfoy. He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed, as he grinned at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat.
But there is no reaction to this outburst! Where is the outrage? It is a harbinger of Harry being celebrated one minute and vilified the next that repeats itself throughout the series.
Also the whole Polyjuice Potion scheme was a very high risk, low reward plan. It could only succeed in possibly satisfying the trio’s suspicion of Draco’s guilt or innocence, but would prove nothing to anyone else and could never accomplish anything.
Hermione’s infatuation with the nincompoop Lockhart seemed very out of character.
Of course Chamber of Secrets is part of Harry Potter so I liked it a lot. I am enjoying noticing things I didn’t notice before. Listening to books on Audible holds many joys, but you miss some detail and subtleties. This is my second time reading Harry Potter in “print” on Kindle and it’s been quite a few years. I am enjoying all of the re-discoveries. One of these worth noting is the part where Harry first hears the name “Riddle”. He thought it sounded vaguely familiar. He knew he had never heard it before but it “still seemed to mean something to him almost as though Riddle was a friend he’d had when he was very small and had half forgotten.” Chilling. It’s a clue and dark foreshadowing as to what is going on with the connection between Harry and Voldemort that will gradually be revealed in the coming books.
“Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can’t believe I’m meeting you at last.” “So proud, Mr. Potter, I’m just so proud.” “Always wanted to shake your hand — I’m all of a flutter.” “Delighted, Mr. Potter, just can’t tell you, Diggle’s the name, Dedalus Diggle.” “I’ve seen you before!” said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle’s top hat fell off in his excitement. “You bowed to me once in a shop.” “He remembers!” cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. “Did you hear that? He remembers me!” Harry shook hands again and again — Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.
What can I say that hasn’t already been said about this book? And by far smarter and more insightful people than me. All I can say is I enjoyed it very much and was very entertained by Rowling’s playful sense of humor. I am amazed at the funny names she gave her characters. The humor is geared for children in this book, but there is much for adults to enjoy as well. She seems like she was having a heck of a good time writing it and sometimes I imagined that she was just cracking herself up. And I appreciated that reading the book instead of listening to it or watching the movies gave me the opportunity to pause and reflect. Knowing the series backwards and forwards, I enjoyed the foreshadowing of things yet to be and happen. Or was it foreshadowing? How far down the road did she plan out the story and details? It is said she spent 5 years planning out the series before she started writing Sorcerer’s Stone. I wonder what she would have changed if she knew then what she knew by the time she wrote the words “All was Well”? She mapped out everything before she even knew this first in the series would be written, or if written, if it would ever find a publisher. Amazing. A truly amazing woman and writer.
The only quibble I have ever had with this book was the way Gryffindor won the House Cup at the end. As a fair-minded Hufflepuff, it really bothers me. If I was a Slytherin, I can’t even imagine my reaction.
This a review of the Audiobook performance of this wonderful book. I love the Harry Potter book series and the movies and am currently, slowly but surely, listening to them on audio. I have read this book twice before. I listened to the first in the series read by Stephen Frye which was marvelous. The last two, by Jim Dale, because I don’t have a choice in the United States. I much prefer Stephen Frye. I know Mr. Dale has won numerous awards for his reading of this series, but there is one aspect that regrettably presents itself frequently. It is the voices of the 3 kids, especially Hermione. He often makes them sound querulous and whiney. Hermione’s “Haaaaaarrrrrry” is just like nails on a chalkboard to me. I am hoping that as the trio grows older, the squeals will abate. I have no quarrel with the way he pronounces Voldemort (with a silent “T”) But his pronunciation of the spell “Accio” as Ah-see-o absolutely drives me up a wall.
Re-reading on kindle 01/01/2026. Started reading and immediately settled in to that “home again” feeling. Loving it again. **01/26/2026** Upon this 4th reread of this third in the series, and numerous watches of the movie, I was struck and a little shocked at how nasty Snape was. He was really unfair and unreasonable throughout the book. I had to remind myself that he did not know Sirius was innocent of betraying the Potters, particularly his beloved Lily. I guess I can excuse him for his reaction to Sirius, but not for his behavior otherwise as a teacher. Harry is starting to exhibit some of the unattractive traits that come to the fore in subsequent books. I thought it was unrealistic how quickly he did a 180 on Sirius. My brain understands why, but it was still a little off to me. Still, these are quibbles. I am very fond of this book and will continue to be. But I will never be able to recapture the transport that my first 2 reads caused in me. And that is fine and to be expected. I will try to continue my mission of re-reading the series again “on paper”. But I am tempted by the full cast audible edition recently put out. We’ll see.
By the way, I just noticed for the first time the cover design of this edition. Brilliant!
