Hey Seoul Daydreamers!
For this post, please bear with me I fangirl over books and unleash Momo’s inner “ojisan” on you, ok? And know that a “Momo review” is a bit different from normal reviews. I don’t really attack the plot as much, I like to analyze the characters and the life lessons found in the book instead. So, I hope that it’s not confusing and that you enjoy it!
Have a great day!
Much love and keep dreaming,
Momo
Fanart by Lila
Review: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
So, you’ve probably heard about the famous Harry Potter, right? But, have you read about him and let yourself fall in love with Rowling’s writings too? If you haven’t done so already, please stop what you’re doing right now, turn around, and go to the library. This is urgent business. Once you had taken the day off to read the first book, grab some tissues and a bunch of food, and get ready to enter into a beautiful escape from reality: The Chamber of Secrets.
And by now, you may be wondering why I chose the second book as my first Harry Potter review instead of the first. And that is because I think that it is the second book that I truly fell in love with the Harry Potter series. It was the second book that I was able to walk alongside the characters and sit with them in class. It was this book that made me realize the important things in life and the significance of true friendships. Of course, the first book had its own charms, but just like when you meet someone who you can connect to in a deeper way, I realized the really deep connection between me and The Chamber of Secrets. Crazy how life works, huh?
The first thing I realized was that J. K. Rowling is an amazing author. She’s not your typical author. I imagine she’s one of those people who’ve been through a lot, but found so many life lessons on the way and scatters them throughout her writing in a way to help other lost and lonely souls out there. She just has the talent to speak straight to you in ways that people do in real life, you know? It’s as if you get to know more and more about her through her writing, and you discover that this beautiful world that Harry Potter lives in, is the world that you’ve always dreamed of. It’s like she takes your hand in hers and runs into nine and three-quarters station as if Hogwarts and Diagon Alley could actually be found-that is, if you genuinely appreciated the world and knew how to play around with “magic.” She seemed to know how to produce characters that you could identify with and understand. By this, I mean that even though most people despise Snape, I relate to him in that we both have the tendency to shy away from business and people that we don’t want to meddle with. It is interesting how the characters that some people disregard because they are just “side characters” can suddenly become a significant role in the plot. Through each book that I have read of the Harry Potter series, I am finding more and more aspects of Rowling’s writing that I like and admire.
The second thing that I have realized was that Harry Potter has taught me so many valuable life lessons. Harry, who is scraggly, oddly proportionate twelve year old boy, is not afraid. Throughout the book, despite the fact that Harry caused trouble in Hogwarts here and there and had some trips to Dumbledore’s “office,” he didn’t have to think twice about standing up for what’s right. He cared more about making things right than pleasing people. I guess that also meant he doesn’t think of the repercussions of situations until the consequences were suddenly thrown at him. But when’s the last time you met a middle school boy doing stuff like this? He valued doing what was right, even if that meant throwing away his pride. I also didn’t think Harry thought much of his fame in Hogwarts, in fact, I think that he wanted to be treated like everyone else at times, but kept quiet still. Harry Potter challenges us to stand up for what is right and to go out of our ways to help someone in need, even if that means that everyone else won’t agree with us. And lastly, Harry taught me that it’s ok to not fit in. As he said, “You don’t know what it’s like here. I don’t belong here. I belong in your world-in Hogwarts.” We all have to wait for God to reveal His plans to us, and maybe they’re not what they expected. So, maybe we’re all a little bit crazy, and maybe we all have problems and issues of our own, but it’s God that directs each step of the way. And maybe it takes patience and hurt for the right time to come, but I think that I can trust the God of the whole universe with my life plan.
The last thing I realized while reading this book is the power of friendship. Hermoine, Ron, and Harry are one of the best known “trios” because they did everything together and stuck up for each other. Even though they bickered every now and then and had their own problems, they all came back together. They weren’t just friends, they were the best of friends. They were the type of people you’d meet and know instantly that they were different, genuine, and precious. This taught me that friendship is something that you don’t just throw away because you move out of town or because it’s convenient. From doing “secret missions” when the teachers weren’t watching to practically save all of Hogwarts, to going through “adult stuff” to stand up for what’s right, they knew the cost it would take to ensue justice throughout the school. And because of their great example of friendship, I think we can all learn a thing or two about people.
And so, I proudly give this book an 8/10! I was pleased with the overall writing style and the way Rowling played around with the characters. Harry Potter is definitely something you should put on your bookshelf, but be sure that when you read it, to be appreciative of the writing! Forcing yourself to read a book and resenting each page is just about the same thing as insulting the author. So, want to meet me at nine and three-quarters station tomorrow?