This was the scariest! At least that is what my seven year old son said to me, after we read aloud together, the four Harry Potter novels written,so far. But this also has to be one of the funniest: Dobby the house-elf who is at once urgent and funny and sad, narcissistic Gilderoy Lockhart is a hoot, as is Ron`s and Harry`s first driving experience on Mr. Weasley`s enchanted car and escape from the Whomping Willow, and that is just for starters. Rowlings expertly juxtaposes chilling horror with humour for a release. This is also a revealing book: more on the inhabitants of the woods around Hogwarts, Dumbledore`s wondrous phoenix and what they are like, about the nature of Azkaban and the circumstances surrounding Hagrid`s expulsion, more on Moaning Myrtle and the other ghosts, as well as a better idea of the long-established and encompassing nature of Voldemort`s evil: one which lies even in the bowels of Hogwart and its history. This was a fascinating read and a wonderful follow-up to the first book. We zipped through this at top speed, although we took a short break from it when things got especially frightening.

１巻では中学生の頃スターワォーズをみてわくわくどきどきしたような、いえそれ以上の楽しさを味わいましたが、２巻はちょっと嗜好かわって少し怖い雰囲気。一人で夜更かしして読んでいると、なんだか途中背中がぞぞーっと寒くなりました。いい味だしてます。映画では、映像はなかなかきれいでしたがやっぱり細かいディテールがとんでしまって、あとやたら活劇ものみたいになっちゃって、面白さも怖さもやはり原作の味にはおよびませんでした。原作をまだ、という人はぜひご一読を。