From: Kathleen Horning <horning>
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 13:06:49 -0500

Christine, you made some very interesting points about HP and the Chamber of Secrets. I hadn't thought of it as a mystery, but, as I recall, I couldn't put it down once I started reading because I was so anxious to find out what would happen next. That's exactly what happens to me when I read a mystery.

I, too, liked the second book a lot and find it puzzling that it seems to be the least favorite book of so many HP fans. So perhaps you've got something there, in terms of mystery readers vs non-mystery readers. In addition to the themes you described, I enjoyed Rowling's exploration of fame as a theme, contrasting Gilderoy Lockhart and Harry Potter. And, in spite of the serious issues she raised in the book, I found it to be the funniest one so far, what with Lockhart and Moaning Myrtle as key players.



Kathleen T. Horning (horning at education.wisc.edu) Cooperative Children's Book Center University of Wisconsin-School of Education 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 North Park St. Madison, WI 53706 608&3930 FAX: 608&2I33
Received on Thu 21 Sep 2000 01:06:49 PM CDT