Chamber of Secrets Novel Blog

This might seem strange to you all, because it seems strange to me, too, but technically this is the first time I have read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets all the way through. I think I might have finished it in second grade when I first started reading it, but I didn't remember any of the last quarter of it until I saw the movie. I tried to read it a second time years later and couldn't get past the Deathday Party chapter. After reading it again, I can't help but laugh and shake my head at my head at myself now because it just seems ludicrous that I never finished it. I would like to emphasize, however, that my not reading it wasn't a reflection of it's value or integrity as a good novel. I enjoy the story of the second one much more than the first.

In general, I actually think that the second book improved in the story sense from the first, though. It seemed that in the Sorcerer's Stone a lot more scenes and instances that were not necessarily related to the plot were written. Despite the entertainment or informational value of them, they didn't necessarily move the plot along. For, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, nearly every scene eventually proves to aid plot development and bring the characters closer to solving the mystery of the Chamber and all its secrets and perils.

The mystery of the Chamber, I think is one of the most interesting ideas that Rowling comes up with throughout the series, though there are so many. As well, I think it sets the beginning of a tone and atmosphere that she creates and maintains for the rest of the series. The Sorcerer's Stone opens our eyes to this awe-inspiring world through Harry's. Though, it had it's darker elements, I think in Chamber of Secrets is the first time the idea starts hitting harder home that, "Wow, the Wizarding world has seen some dark and evil times and could again." It's the first glimpse past the fascination to the darker reality. Like I said, I think Sorcerer's Stone had this in it toward the end, too, but I think a stronger impression of it is made in Chamber of Secrets.

Despite it being a smaller part of the novel, one of my favorites is the scene where Harry overhears other students talking about him. I personally found it very interesting to get that perspective of Harry from other people's view. For the most part readers understand that the Gryffindors typically support Harry, and the Slytherins despise him, but hearing students from other houses and just other students in general was intriguing. This is true, especially considering that these other students don't know or see everything that we are exposed to in Harry's point of view. That's why I think it's neat to see how one my interpret Harry's actions and personality from an explicitly outsider's point of view.

My one wish for the novel would be to know more in full detail what Ginny wrote in the diary and the struggle she went through, even what it felt like to have part of Tom Riddle's soul in her own. The book reveals a great deal more than the movie, but even that bit of it in the book made me want to know more about that situation and to get to know Ginny better as a character.

Upon finishing the book, I looked at the accolades for the first Harry Potter book on the back inside cover of the hardback edition and one of them caught my attention. From School Library Journal, "Surely the vilest household in children's literature since the family Roald Dahl created for Matilda. Harry himself is the perfect confused and unassuming hero." I really like what this says, one, because it's true, and two, because it made me realize the similarities the two author's have in their style of writing.

Questions

1. Regarding the possibility of Dobby being a JarJar Binks type character: do you think that Dobby is a successful use of that sort of stereotype or not? (I apologize for the wording of this question, I struggled with how best to phrase it.)

2. If you could make polyjuice potion, who would you want to turn into for an hour?