First Printing: 1998 by Bloomsbury
Cover and Interior Art by Mary Grandprè
The last few weeks have been a little rough for me. I won't go into details, but I've been the kind of stressed out that makes me want to lay around in pajamas all day and eat nothing but heaping spoonfuls of nutella.
Some of my fictional friends are having a rough time of it too. Let's start with Mr. Harry Potter.
In my last post I reviewed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Today we move onto the second installment, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
After a grueling summer with the Dursleys, Harry is dying to go back to Hogwarts. But a few weeks before he is to return, an unexpected guest appears in his bedroom. Dobby the house elf, a small creature with bulbous eyes and bat-like ears, has come to give Harry a warning:
"Harry Potter must stay where he is safe. He is too great, too good, to lose. If Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts, he will be in mortal danger." (page 16)
But Harry cannot bear the thought of staying with the Dursleys any longer, so he dismisses Dobby's warning. After being at school for only a few short weeks, things take a dark turn at Hogwarts. A bloody message in an empty corridor warns that The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. The Chamber of Secrets is rumored to be a remnant of one of the school founders, Salazar Slytherin. Soon after, students begin turning to stone, and suspicion spreads throughout the school. Harry is not immune to the gossip among the students, and soon people are accusing him of being Slytherin's heir. Harry must find out who opened the chamber and released the monster within before Hogwarts is closed forever.
Final Rating: 5 out of 5
I think it's pretty clear that I'm in love with this series. I think these books are solid proof that you can miss places you've never been to and people you've never met. It's from this book on that Harry starts to realize that his defeat of the dark wizard Voldemort has made people suspect some sleeping darkness within himself. He begins to doubt everything he is, and those emotions are so true and so human that you can't help but feel his pain along with him. I think that is why these books are so important to me. Regardless of the magic, these people feel so real and their struggles are relatable. I think there is no better way to conclude this than to wrap up with my favorite quote:
"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." -Professor Dumbledore, page 332
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is available in both physical and digital copies from all major booksellers, including Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
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