The famous Chapter 2's

[magentanation]

When I was younger I almost never read the Chapter 2 unless it was my first time reading that particular book. Then I would skim it to make sure there wasn't any meeting dialogue in there or something. Nowadays I always read Chapter 2, because they're a guaranteed place to have a giggle or two at some inconsistancies. ;D

[msstock87]

I usually skim over them to make sure I am not missing anything important. The only thing I ever enjoyed in chapter two's were the outfit descriptions!

[memory]

i read them, maybe because i jump back and front from the end of the serie to the begging while recollecting

[morbiddadestiny]

sometimes i like when there's a theme for chapter 2, like claudia describing what kind of charms they would be on a charm bracelet or what their self portraits would look like. i remember i wanted to be an author so badly when i was younger (okay i sort of still do) and i would write a "series" of books about all these kids who lived in the same neighborhood. there were a total of 10 main characters, and with every book i wrote, i would seriously pull a BSC chapter 2. i even went with a theme once--one of the kids had failed his quiz about roman mythology, and i had him describing which roman god or goddess each of the neighborhood kids would be. i was SO proud of myself.

[Lauren]

I always found them annoying and always skipped them. I'm glad the graphic novels so far don't have them.

[Amalia]

morbiddadestiny said:

sometimes i like when there's a theme for chapter 2, like claudia describing what kind of charms they would be on a charm bracelet or what their self portraits would look like. i remember i wanted to be an author so badly when i was younger (okay i sort of still do) and i would write a "series" of books about all these kids who lived in the same neighborhood. there were a total of 10 main characters, and with every book i wrote, i would seriously pull a BSC chapter 2. i even went with a theme once--one of the kids had failed his quiz about roman mythology, and i had him describing which roman god or goddess each of the neighborhood kids would be. i was SO proud of myself.

^ Would you consider posting these stories?

[morbiddadestiny]

^ if i could find them, definitely, even though they're incredibly embarrassing. oh i really hope they aren't long gone.

[Lauren]

They sound interesting. I'd like to read them if you can find them.

[aln1982]

I liked it in Claudia and the Mystery in the Painting how Chapt 2 had Claud "drawing" everyone. Thinking of Mystery in the Photograph and this one makes me think that Claud's books often have the best Chapt. 2s because they are tied to the story somehow. This is probably easier because of the art stuff. Anyone else notice this or find any of the other girls' chapter 2s better than the others? I've also noticed that some ghost writers seem to write the chapt 2s differently(Lengris (sp?) tends to focus a lot on looks and appearance which is kind of creepy ;D) ?

[Kylie90210]

I dont read them now, but I used to. Actually, I do tune in to the end bit, but I dont read majority of it.

[sotypical42483]

I've been re-reading a lot of the older books lately and in those I do read the chapter 2s. They're soooo much better and shorter and not just page after page after page of describing each member and their job etc etc. I guess cause there's less to describe, but it seems like it actually flows with the story rather than being a whole separate thing, if that makes sense.

[lyricalangel]

^Perfect sense

[aln1982]

I had forgotten that the early chapt 2s are different. I usually just skim all of them and pick out the parts that I am interested in to see if there are inconsistencies and exactly what they say - MA and Kristy's dads, Claud's school troubles, Stacey's diabetes. I usually never read about Mal, Jessi, or Dawn and only occasionally about Abby.

[Deleted]

I thought the introductions were handled better in the Sleepover Friends books. Their "chapter 2" section was in chapter 1 (usually - it might not have been in every instance) and described briefly how the girls met, that Lauren and Kate were the first two to have sleepovers, etc. It took a page or so, I think. Other details were integrated into the plot - for instance, a girl's sibling might be described when he answered the door at her house. It felt more natural. I realize a bit of backstory is necessary, but the BSC ones always seemed so over the top, and it didn't seem vital to tell everyone's details right at the beginning rather than at a logical point in the story. Worse yet was when something would come up in chapter 1 where it would make sense to explain, and the narrator would say something like, "I'll get to that later when I tell you about everyone."

[Deleted]

I definitely agree that the brief descriptions in the earlier books felt much more cohesive. It was just another way in which the books became more about telling than showing.

I can't remember which book it was in, but I remember one where Abby is quoted as comparing the members of the BSC to parts of a car - but she leaves out Mallory and Jessi. Charming, Abby. You've only been in the club for about five seconds - M+J have been there for 80 books or so!

Does anyone remember which book it is where the club is compared to a charm bracelet? I like the sound of that one.