Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
In some ways, Chamber of Secrets is a retread of Sorcerer's Stone. It follows the same basic mystery plot, with the same red herrings and clues. This is probably why it's most people's least favorite Harry Potter book.
That's not to say it's a bad book, though. Rowling is pretty good at setting up a mystery and peppering the clues throughout for the attentive reader to put together. Of course, most people fly through this book too quickly to solve the mystery on their own. Like the rest of the books in this series, it's a compulsive page-turner. It's the first book I ever stayed up way too late to finish after all (good thing it was summer). But it has a structure that rewards re-reads, that stands up to further scrutiny (unlike so many other page-turners I could mention).
There's also a lot in this book that becomes hugely important later in the series. We get some of Voldemort's past, come across the first Horcrux, and learn more about the history of Hogwarts. The first mention of Azkaban, the Whomping Willow, and house elves are all here, too. And we get one of the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, one of the things the movies absolutely nailed in the casting of Kenneth Brannagh.
Still, this book can feel like so much setup. After the initial introduction to the magical world in the rather short first book, there's still a lot to set up before the story can really take off. It's done well, but it's just not as exciting or intricate as the later books in the series.
That's not to say it's a bad book, though. Rowling is pretty good at setting up a mystery and peppering the clues throughout for the attentive reader to put together. Of course, most people fly through this book too quickly to solve the mystery on their own. Like the rest of the books in this series, it's a compulsive page-turner. It's the first book I ever stayed up way too late to finish after all (good thing it was summer). But it has a structure that rewards re-reads, that stands up to further scrutiny (unlike so many other page-turners I could mention).
There's also a lot in this book that becomes hugely important later in the series. We get some of Voldemort's past, come across the first Horcrux, and learn more about the history of Hogwarts. The first mention of Azkaban, the Whomping Willow, and house elves are all here, too. And we get one of the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, one of the things the movies absolutely nailed in the casting of Kenneth Brannagh.
Still, this book can feel like so much setup. After the initial introduction to the magical world in the rather short first book, there's still a lot to set up before the story can really take off. It's done well, but it's just not as exciting or intricate as the later books in the series.
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