“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
One of my Popsugar Challenge categories this year was to reread a book that I loved as a child. Since I was a kid that was never without a book in my hand, I had a whole ton of choices for this one. What narrowed it down for me was the fact that I got the new, illustrated version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for Christmas, and after rereading the first book in the series last month, I was keen to go on and reread the second book too.
I loved all of the Harry Potter books as a kid. I was around twelve years old when I discovered the series. The first two books were out at that point, and I read them both in just a couple of days. Since then, I've been a huge fan of the Potterverse. I talked about my affection for these books in more detail in my Sorcerer's Stone review, so I won't repeat myself too much here. Rest assured though, this book was most definitely one that I loved as a child.
The Chamber of Secrets is the story of Harry's second year at Hogwarts. Soon after the start of the new term, a series of mysterious attacks leave several students petrified. Rumors about a hidden area of the castle called the Chamber of Secrets begin to fly, and fear of the monster that supposedly lives inside of it spreads throughout the school. Of course, Harry winds up in the center of the action. He begins to hear a voice in the castle walls that no one else can hear and becomes determined to find the truth about what is going on. His mission leads him through several harrowing situations that include battling gigantic spiders and fighting the shadow of Lord Voldemort himself.
My absolute favorite thing about the novel is Gilderoy Lockheart, the pompous and annoying new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. This celebrity in the wizarding world spends his time trying to make the front pages of magazines and impress everyone with his dashing good looks. He's written several books detailing his heroic exploits, but as the students at Hogwarts soon learn, his actual skill level with magic is suspiciously low. There's more to this character than meets the eye, and watching him strut around the school trying to impress everyone is quite entertaining. Rowling writes this character to perfection. He's so arrogant it's incredible, and all of the "wisdom" he tries to impart to Harry is hilarious. I always laugh out loud when he tells Harry that, "fame is a fickle friend" and "celebrity is as celebrity does." Watching him annoy all of the other teachers is quite amusing too, because I know quite a few teachers in real life who act quite similar to Lockheart, and the reactions of the other professors to him is spot-on.
Other high points in this novel include learning more about Hagrid's background, meeting Fawkes, Dumbledore's pet phoenix, and the Snape's performance in the short-lived (and hilarious) dueling club. Like the first book in the series, the world-building is excellent and it's easy to get lost in the story. I rarely reread books, but I've read all the books in this series several times and I am always entertained. Of course, Jim Kay's illustrations in this version are stunning and whimsical. They add a real sense of artistry and depth to the pages. It's nicer reading these versions with pictures because it lends a real "old storybook" feeling to the experience. I'm so excited to see what he does with the rest of the series.
This is the last Potter book before the deeper story of the battle against Voldemort picks up. It's a bit lighter in tone and more kid-friendly than the books that come after. Its story is a bit more self-contained as well; the events from this one don't bleed over into the rest of the series as much as the other books do. For these reasons, some readers describe this story as one of the weaker ones. I, however, have a soft spot for it. It's a fantastic adventure with some great character building. I like that it's not as heavy as the rest of the series. Reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is just plain fun, which makes it an excellent nostalgia trip for me.
Challenge Tally
Popsugar Challenge: (a book that you loved as a child) 33/40
TBR Challenge: (previously owned) 30/60
Total Books Read in 2017: 38
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