J. K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Hi everyone

I got the first three books in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling as birthday gifts from my husband and I absolutely adore this beautiful edition.
This copy has 360 pages.

                * SPOILERS *

Harry’s heroic deeds in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone have made no change in his circumstances at home. The novel starts with Harry completely alone, sad and surrounded by people who nearly hate him. It’s a heartbreaking start.

I absolutely love the moment Harry sees The Burrow for the first time. He adores it because it is truly a home filled with love, while Ron is a bit ashamed by how small and messy it is.

The characters develop realistically, friendships grow and we get to know a few new characters. Rowling’s characterization in general is great.
Gilderoy Lockhart is a stupid, crazy narcissist and he is hilarious. Everyone else’s reactions to him are especially funny. Unfortunately he is too stereotypical to be truly loved by me.

I do not think this book predictable like some other reviewers seem to think. As a grownup I would have seen the plot twist coming (or so I like to think because I cannot be sure) but I remember that as a child I was very surprised by the developments at the end.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a hilarious book, it’s suspenseful, magical, thrilling, funny, unique and a parody on celebrities. It is also much darker then the first book.

There’s a lot of foreshadowing in this novel. A few things are introduced in this novel that will become important plot elements in future books. It’s subtle, but on rereading the books they are definitely there.

Happy reading!
Helena