Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling - Kynan Moretti

Growing up, much of my family would consider me an avid reader.  I would sit at a library for hours on end, reading a book I had found mere moments after entering, and even continuing to read throughout the night once I arrived home.  If I had found a good book sleep was not a necessity that was processed into my schedule, to my mother’s dismay.  I was not always like this, however, as I originally viewed such a task as tedious a chore as homework.  This was until I found a book that engulfed my attention, and showed me how novels could open doors to your imagination.

In second grade, I had slight emotional troubles due to my undergoing in a change of school districts.  When I shut myself off from my family, I found that I had nothing to do. This, as can be expected, led to an extraordinary amount of boredom, an amount that did not go unnoticed.  When prompted to try reading, I was more than reluctant, although eventually began with the second book in the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. After only a few pages, I was hooked.  As each page came and went I found myself diving deeper and deeper into the story, growing increasingly attached to the characters, and like a book on anti-gravity, I just couldn’t find myself able to put it down. Some of my fondest memories include running outside with my cousin, of whom was the brother I had never had, and grabbing sticks to sling the spells we had taken time to memorize and go off on adventures to the wizarding world in our imaginations.

This is all true, but my love of reading is not the only thing that I obtained from this tale. Throughout the book, the students of Hogwarts, the only place that Harry considered sanctuary from the Dursleys, turned on him because they believed that he was Slytherin’s heir. This was mere speculation due to Harry’s ability to speak Parseltongue, and throughout the book the reader knows this to be nothing more than a falsity, and as the consequences become dreadfully worse one cannot help but feel bad for our protagonist. This shows to those of a young age how rumors can lead to more harm than they were meant to and are rarely true, a lesson that I personally believe is of extreme importance.

One could always find how the most righteous of intentions can lead to disastrous consequences, especially when looking at Dobby’s actions throughout this novel.  I, for one, could always find myself relating to the bumbling fool, and was personally ecstatic due to what he accomplished on page three hundred and thirty eight of the 1999 hard cover printing. Other than that, Dobby was kind of a dolt throughout the book, and the Harry had to deal with the consequences of Dobby’s actions to the point where his life and ability to go to Hogwarts had been put at risk. At the end of the book, Dobby even states that Harry didn’t need his protection.

Throughout the book you are forced to learn that not everything is what it seems. The author leaves hints and clues, along with betrayal making this lesson very prominent throughout the entirety of this book by using characters, such as Tom Riddle and Lockhart, objects, such as his diary, and even the safety of certain characters. And although this is true, I did learn one final lesson from this book. Although some things are not what they seem, others are. Seriously though, you quickly realize that the Malfoy family is filled to the brim with jerks as you progress through this story.

In conclusion, if I had not found this book I do not believe that I would have grown as accustomed to reading, or living, as I have over the years.  J.K. Rowling made a book whose complexity could keep your attention, all the while keeping a simple enough selection of vocabulary as to where children could understand it.  This blend of wordsmithing was something that I had an extremely difficult time finding a competitor for, and was definitely a worthwhile read that I would recommend to anyone.