Summary: My least favorite of the books, but with some new reasons when I read it to my kids.
I have been reading the Harry Potter books to my kids. We will do the third one and then wait a while before we tackle the second part of the series, which I think moves from middle grade to YA.
I have long thought that Chamber of Secrets is the weakest book of the series. (spoilers are coming)
I really like Ginny as a character, especially after the later books in the series. But for a book that largely revolves around her, she is barely in the book. As I said in the last book and is much more of an issue here, JK Rowling raises issues of racism and discrimination but doesn’t explore them well. I know that the issues of the house-elves are only raised here, and there is more explication later. Still, even in the end, the wizarding families have no real issue with the reality of house-elves being magically enslaved, but only about some of the more reprehensible treatment. This is not unlike the rough parallels of American slavery, where justifications for slavery arise because of the system of slavery. Ron and the Weasleys, generally the most likable parts of Harry’s world, are biased against non-wizard magical creatures in ways not explored well.
As for the main story, there are not enough explanations about why adults do not do more or why kids are so unwilling to talk honestly with adults. I know it is part of children’s lit reality that kids hide from adults, but the lack of open communication is enormously frustrating as an adult. I know I am not British, but I have read enough memoirs and other fiction that involves boarding schools to know that it isn’t that Rowling is being unique in her portrayal of student life and especially the level of bullying and hands-off supervision, but it is hard to really trust that Dumbledore and McGonigal really do have the kids best interest at heart when they don’t talk to them.
Also, the main aspect of Ginny being taken over by the diary’s memory is never explained enough. I know that the subject of Horcruxes does not come up until later, but Ginny appears to be under an imperious curse, and it isn’t really explored. And does her later skill with curses have something to do with her being an early subject of curses? So much more trauma-informed storytelling could make these books much better.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling Purchase Links: Paperback, Kindle Edition