The Chamber of Creativity has been opened!. Review on Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets - J K Rowling

Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger

Stepping unknowingly into the paws of danger.

All are wary of the mishaps, accidents and open threats

For here is revealed: The chamber of secrets.

About the author: I usually read about the authors out of curiosity once I finish reading the book. But this time, I pounced on Wikipedia at the first opportunity just to read about J.K. Rowling. Her life story itself, before she started off in this league of her own, is praise-worthy. Waiting for a delayed train at a platform, she struck upon thought of a story of a little boy attending the school of witchcraft and she started writing at the earliest opportunity.

It was truly awing to read her'rags to riches' story where she went through tragedies like her mother's death and a divorce in the span of 7 years after which, she presented her completed manuscript of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone”(later renamed to “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s stone”) to publishers. After getting rejected by around 20 publishers, she was given an enthusiastic response by the 8 year old daughter of one of the publishers! The rest is history!

She had and has no one to compete with but herself.

Today, Harry Potter is a brand, a league and a world of its own. In addition to merchandise like Tshirts, caps, Halloween costumes, Potter badges, calendars, there are complete theme parks depicting the Potter world. The most famous of the parks is in Orlando, Florida in the US.

Plot: Harry Potter looks forward to his second year at the “Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry” with feverish impatience. After an adventurous escape flying away(literally) from his cruel relatives, the Dursleys, Harry shakily starts off his second year at the esteemed school!

A queer looking creature who calls himself “The house elf Dobby” tries to convince Harry to discontinue his year at school since, according to him, there is some threat to Harry’s life . It tries to ward him off by filling Harry’s paths with mishaps so as to discourage him and urge him home.

A message scrawled at a corridor “The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir. beware” shocks the entire school. A series of mishaps harming the children of the non-wizarding families(muggle families) sends a chill down the spine of the entire wizarding world prompting the teachers to think of shutting down the school for good. Is this a sign of impending doom?

Moreover, Quidditch, the most enjoyable part of Hogwarts for Harry and the most anticipated sport at the school turns out to be a near-death experience for him. A bewitched bludger(iron ball) tries to attack Harry and knock him out for good!

A new, charming “Defence against the dark arts” teacher Mr. Lockhart has impressed one and all with his numerous books and eloquence(more than eruditeness). But annoyingly, he’s way too conceited and boastful. Will he pass the most difficult challenge and solve the ‘Chamber of secrets’ mystery, thus restoring peace at Hogwarts?

Will the victims who have been petrified become normal again? Is Draco Malfoy(Harry’s rival who despises Harry) behind all these mishaps? Where is this Chamber of secrets hidden and who seems to have opened it? What is the mystery of all the spiders scrawling speedily away?

My opinion: Fantasy - The name of a garden in a creative mind; the world of childhood innocence where flying fish, croaking cats, roaring rats are not uncommon. This is my first fantasy read at a time when I wanted to experience something other than my usually treaded path – suspense thrillers and mysteries.

I’ll be cursed by Hogwarts if I give any less than 5 stars to this work of marvel. After watching the movie “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s stone”(which is the first story), I switched to the book of the second story  in the series ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ for a more fulfilling experience and I was elated. I actually felt sad when it ended. As Rowling quoted in one of her interviews, “I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book.”

There was a time when fans of Harry potter waited feverishly for the next in series. Although the series is over, Harry Potter clan has the ability, charm and capability to attract many a reader to the wizarding world just like bees would be attracted to a blooming garden of flowers for generations to come.

Library, here I come, speeding on my broomstick for the next book!