Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
December 19th 2006 07:01
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
When I first read the Chamber of Secrets I was stuck by the form of the novel, a whodunit set in a fantasy landscape. There might be very few other examples of this genre but I haven’t come across any of them and so far, Chamber of Secrets remains insuperable example. I have read the book at least 3 or 4 times since then and every time my appreciation of the technical skill Rowling displayed here only grows more ferocious. It is hard to pull of a satisfactory whodunit in the normal crime genre as it is but, when you create a alternate universe, it should be harder.
One might argue that the alternate universe will give the author a degree of arbitrariness that is not available if the plot were set in “real”world. But Rowling’s creation is not arbitrary and has a finite number of rules on which it depends and there are many conditions which the plot has to meet. The demands on Rowling are more rigorous because this novel is second in the series and has to be consistent with the first novel and not jeopardize the five sequels that were planned.
So, what’s the fuss about? Harry Potter is in his second year at Hogwarts and before going to school is warned by Dobby the house-elf not to go there because a number of dangerous plots are being hatched. Harry goes nevertheless. A number of students, one by one are being petrified( turned to stone) and there are rumours that an ancient monster that had been sleeping in Hogwarts is awakened again. Harry keeps hearing strange murmurs and when the school comes to know that Harry can talk to snakes, he becomes the main suspect. Meanwhile, Harry with his friends Ron and Hermione, hatch an audacious plan to find out who is instigating the attacks. The final denouement is extraordinary and will spoil you forever with anagrams.
Once you reach the end, you realize how perfectly the plot has been cooked. It is clear that there is a parallel saga running, the feud between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort that is the backbone of the series but this novel starts off as a separate adventure but cunningly ends by prefacing the main saga
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