Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets - J. K. Rowling
The second volume in the Harry Potter series is a pretty fast read, too, with the titular Chamber of Secrets as the central mystery. Harry is warned by Dobby the House-elf not to return to Hogwarts because of a plot against his life; and shortly after the start of school, a mysterious message appears on a wall of the school: "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware." Various people (and a cat) start turning up totally petrified, and rumors abound.
In the meantime, we get the second Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart, a vain best-selling author who's quite popular with the girls but doesn't seem very talented. Dobby the House-elf turns up more than once, causing pain and trouble every time he tries to save Harry's life. There's an animate Ford Anglia, giant spiders, Polyjuice Potion, and a few Quidditch matches. And Dumbledore, as usual, offers some cryptic and prescient comments which figure crucially in the final scenes.
We're also introduced to Lucius Malfoy, the father of Harry's school nemesis Malfoy. He was a one-time supporter of Lord Voldemort who, it appears, hasn't really changed his ways. He's a villain who works through legal and official channels, and you can be sure he'll turn up again.
More fun, a mystery to solve, and old and new magic. What's not to love?
Fed to jonathan's brain | May 17, 2007
| Comments (0)
