Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The second book in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is just as thrilling and delightful, if not more so, than its predecessor, Philosopher’s Stone. There are new dangers, new characters, and new magic! 

Harry Potter, famous boy wizard, is gearing up for his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but his year gets off to a shaky start when a house elf appears in his bedroom and begs him not to return to school because “terrible things will happen.” No sooner has Harry ignored the elf’s warning and returned to Hogwarts when sinister things begin to happen. Students are being attacked and a fear begins spreading through the school that the Chamber of Secrets, a legendary chamber built by one of the school’s founders, has been opened again… 

Essentially the first book introduced us to the series’ central characters, now in book two we’re getting into darker and more exciting adventures. There is a lot more action and adventure rammed into this book and it’s great re-reading it as an adult and being just as thrilled and eager to finish the chapter as when I first read it as a child. 

What I also liked about this book that was different to book one was that the chapters are broken up into little subchapters, sometimes consisting of only one paragraph, that really clearly convey the passage of time. We read about the school’s scenery as the seasons change and about the student’s attitudes that seem to change with the seasons and it really feels as though you’re right there with the characters, something that I just did not feel in the first one. 

As if the basic adventure isn’t exciting enough, we are introduced to some new characters in Chamber of Secrets. We get to meet Gilderoy Lockhart the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher with a secret of his own, Dobby the house elf who tends to go the wrong way about saving Harry’s life, and Lucius Malfoy who is even more sinister and nasty than Draco. We also get to meet Cornelius Fudge, the Minister For Magic, Colin Creevy, a very excitable first-year, Moaning Myrtle who haunts an out-of-order girls’ toilet, Tom Riddle, and we get to know Ron’s sister Ginny a little better. 

I have to say that, having seen the films and now re-reading the books, I can see no other person more perfect to play Lockhart than Kenneth Branagh! The Lockhart in the book is even more peacock-like and cringe-inducing than the one that we saw on the screen. His character added some much-needed comic relief to play against the dark and sinister happenings of the story. 

Filled with more magic, new monsters, new and memorable characters, and another epic adventure, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a fantastic and even more engaging read than the first. It’s the perfect book for both adults and children.