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

Ever since I did my undergraduate thesis on the entire Harry Potter book series, I wonder what new thing I’m going to pick up each time I read the books. I spent six months studying these books in-depth—my outline for the thesis alone was nearly 100 pages! How could there possibly be anything new to find?

But when I read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets last week, all I could think about was how incredibly sassy the teachers at Hogwarts are! Of course, I noticed a few other enjoyable aspects about the book, but the most memorable was the way in which the professors bonded over the ineptitude of Professor Gilderoy Lockhart. For that matter, the way Ron Weasley responds to Lockhart—even before he’s introduced to the reader—thoroughly captures the general reaction of the Wizarding World and Muggles alike. (And while I don’t like to get too political here, a case could be made for the similarities between Lockhart as an educator and Trump as a politician.)

In regard to Ron, the brotherly affection between he and Harry (and that Fred and George have for Harry as their younger brother’s best friend) is also a noteworthy point in the story. After Ron and Harry’s adventures in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, it’s only natural the pair would have bonded. However, their bond is much deeper than is directly addressed. While we know Harry is a kind, compassionate, daring young boy, the resolution he displays after he and Ron have been separated in the Chamber of Secrets as well as his willingness to risk his life to rescue his best friend’s sister is striking. In my life, I can only think of a few people who I suppose would be willing to risk themselves like that for someone I love. The dynamic of friendship between these two twelve-year-old boys is something we need to discuss more—it’s another way our youths should look up to and try to imitate the behavior of J.K. Rowling’s famed protagonists.

I’ll never forget the first time I watched Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) and saw Hermione Granger in the Hospital Wing, having been petrified. When I read the same scene in the book, I had an even more emotional reaction. This cunning and determined young girl was wise enough to protect herself, moments after solving the great mystery of the monster within the Chamber of Secrets, a query that had baffled some of the greatest professors and historians in Wizarding World history. To posses such wherewithal under duress is not something that should be taken lightly; furthermore, that she noted how the basilisk was moving through the school on the paper is another aspect to discuss. Did she make that note for herself (we know she’s an avid reader and talented scholar), or did she write it down in case something did happen to her, that way Ron and Harry would have the answer to the question she knew her friends would ask? I choose to believe the latter (that’s what I’d do).

Finally, I appreciate the insight we receive into Draco Malfoy’s bully nature. From the first time we meet Lucius Malfoy, his father, we understand that the senior Malfoy is also a bully. As an adult, I’m able to see that Draco is simply behaving the way he knows best, the way that has been shown to him his entire life. And at twelve-years-old, I can’t blame Draco for not realizing quite yet that he could rise above and be better than his father. I can’t blame Draco for perpetuating a cycle of abuse toward all who are different from him. The way in which Draco uses the slur “Mudblood” reminds me so readily of the manner in which many children/teenagers will call someone an unkind name, merely repeating things they’ve heard their parents say. It’s tragic, and I’m thankful Rowling gave us yet another fictional version of our reality in which we can discuss such matters with young people, hopefully steering them toward a kinder, more understanding path.

My favorite aspect of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is exactly that: Rowling provides many magical talking points which hearken to the real world. This is what makes an exceptional book; it aggravates me when zealous folks condemn the Harry Potter series “because there’s witchcraft!” without considering the wisdom within each chapter. Like many who have come before me and many who I’m sure will follow, I give Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets five stars.

You can see my review of Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone here as well as my evaluation of its placement on the Amazon/Goodreads Lifetime Reading List here.