CoS 1!

[pauraque_bk]

As some of you will recall, last spring I did a chapter-by-chapter re-read of Prisoner of Azkaban. I mean to do similar treatments of all the books eventually, and today I'm starting Chamber of Secrets.

I did PoA first not only because the movie adaptation was about to be released, but because I love the book and knew it would provide rich material. CoS didn't make much of an impression on me when I first read it, but now that we know the upcoming sixth book has connections with it, it seems like a good choice.

For those who like to read along at the same pace, I'm going to do a chapter every two days. Participation is very much desired; don't be shy. I made some good friends during the PoA re-read.

I'll be reading the UK paperback edition, so that's what the page numbers will refer to.


CoS 1: The Worst Birthday

Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast at number four, Privet Drive. (7)

The book actually gets off to a fairly quick start, setting off in the middle of a row. JKR rapidly and entertainingly sketches the characters with dialogue and action, rendering the upcoming block of exposition unnecessary.

As a matter of fact, [Harry] was as not normal as it is possible to be. (8)

This is hyperbole, but it puts me in mind of the reading that makes Harry a symbol of Otherness -- queerness, if you like.

It also kicks off a solid page and a half of exposition, a quirk of the earlier books. JKR doesn't write like this anymore.

The Dursleys were what wizards called Muggles (not a drop of magical blood in their veins) [...] (9)

An odd way to put it.

Of course, he thought bitterly, Uncle Vernon was talking about the stupid dinner party. He'd been talking of nothing else for a fortnight. Some rich builder and his wife were coming to dinner and Uncle Vernon was hoping to get a huge order from him (Uncle Vernon's company made drills).
'I think we should run through the schedule one more time,' said Uncle Vernon. 'We should all be in position at eight o'clock. Petunia, you will be--?' (10)

It was at this rather hilarious sequence that I realized -- Vernon is Hyacinth Bucket.

Petunia seems more enthused about Vernon's social-climbing than Richard does about Hyacinth's, but it's obviously Vernon who's providing the steam. Of course, Vernon has a financial motive for impressing this guy, but the way he micromanages the *appearance* of the household is telling.

(For those who are lost, Hyacinth and Richard are characters in the British sitcom "Keeping Up Appearances".)

[Dudley:] 'How about: "We had to write an essay about our hero at school, Mr Mason, and I wrote about you."' (10-11)

Though the thought doesn't occur to Harry, I can't help but think Dudley is making a deadpan joke at his parents' expense here.

'I know what day it is,' Dudley repeated, coming right up to him.
'Well done,' said Harry. 'So you've finally learned the days of the week.'
'Today's your birthday,' sneered Dudley. 'How come you haven't got any cards? Haven't you even got friends at that freak place?' (12)

Dudley knows full well it's Harry's birthday, even when his parents have forgotten. He seems very interested in Harry, actually -- interested in pestering him, of course -- even though Harry's made a habit of "muttering nonsense words under his breath and watching Dudley tearing out of the room as fast as his fat legs would carry him" (12).

I like Harry's typically sarcastic response here. He's been a bit of a bastard all along, it didn't just come out of nowhere in OotP. As malograntum pointed out not too long ago, Harry and Snape have similarly sarcastic senses of humor, and might get along better if they decided it was more fun to mock other people together.


I don't have any CoS-like icons. Perhaps I should rectify this.

Comments

[caesia390.livejournal.com]

<3

[pauraque]

<333

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

It was at this rather hilarious sequence that I realized -- Vernon is Hyacinth Bucket.

Perhaps Vernon actually pronounces his name "Ver-NOHN"? (Drat, there's no good way to indicate nasalized vowels in English orthography, grumble mutter.)

[Dudley:] 'How about: "We had to write an essay about our hero at school, Mr Mason, and I wrote about you."' (10-11)
Though the thought doesn't occur to Harry, I can't help but think Dudley is making a deadpan joke at his parents' expense here.

Oh, I LIKE that! That's my Duddykins! : )

I've never been a fan of CoS, but I'm really looking forward to your commentary. It's inevitably witty and perceptive, and you find such interesting things in your readings.

[pauraque]

Perhaps Vernon actually pronounces his name "Ver-NOHN"?

HA! Love it! :D

CoS was always just sort of... there, for me. Not notable. I'm hoping once we get in there, we'll find more of interest than we expected!

[aubrem.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha. The Hyacinth thing fits in a twisted sort of way with the magical side of the family being kind of hidden away like Daisy, Rose and Onslo. Nah, it doesn't fit because Hyacinth is actually fond of her family. : (

That Harry is snarky from early on is true and I agree entirely that he and Snape have similar sarcastic senses of humor. Not that that's the Snarry fan in me talking or anything.

I'm glad you're doing this - am looking forward to the rest of the chapters.

[pauraque]

True, Vernon is... much more neurotic than Hyacinth. His behavior is desperate (frequently approaching hysteria) while hers is merely clueless.

(Hee, Onslo. Such love I have for him. ♥)

[fennie-snake.livejournal.com]

CoS is probably my favourite book in the series and I'm enjoying your re-read already...Vernon is Hyacinth Bucket.!!!! Absolutely.

Its a much more streamlined book than PoA, and it has a lot of interesting things to say about Harry's confrontation with his own darker side (the Parseltongue episode, the Diary, and especially the descent into The Slytherin Common Room of Evil, with its sinister, pointy furniture...) Anyway, I'll be reading along with you, and I look forward to your observations.

[pauraque]

I really hope people who love CoS will chime in with lots of good thoughts, since I haven't pondered it nearly as much as I had PoA by the time I started the re-read. Good to have you aboard!

[nakedcelt.livejournal.com]

Nice. I liked CoS too. Mind you — do you mind if this comment is off topic? — I just developed a whole new appreciation for GoF, because I've finally figured out the major thing that didn't make sense: Voldemort's motive for waiting for the TriWizard Cup final before abducting Harry. It's actually quite an insight into Voldemort's character, and it fits perfectly with the duel in front of all the Death Eaters. And it's very creepy when you think about it.

First of all, what does Harry want? I think his deepest motive is to succeed on his own merits, rather than because somebody let him or, well, because of some accident that made him special. Winning the TriWizard Tournament would have finally made him feel he'd achieved that. Learning immediately afterward that it had all been arranged by Voldemort must have been the biggest blow his self-esteem ever took since coming to Hogwarts. No wonder he was grumpy in OotP.

And that is the state of mind in which Voldemort intended that he die.

He waited an entire year just to take Harry's triumph away from him.

Because — after all — Harry was the Boy who Lived, the hero who defeated the Dark Lord. Voldemort needed to see, and needed his followers to see, that Harry had no particular merit after all; that Voldemort's power was unmatched by any other.

[missfahrenheit.livejournal.com]

Woah, is this a good time to express my undying affection?
I love your point about GoF and the tournament and al, and next time I see someone complaining about how Voldemort is just stupid and cliched and how they would have done it differently, I think I shall ahev to point them to this comment :)

[atalantapendrag.livejournal.com]

...yes! yes! yes!

Must show this to a friend who plays Voldemort in an RP.

[lycoris.livejournal.com]

*claps you* Fantastic! Couldn't have said it better myself! (couldn't have said it ALL myself actually - I had my own theories about it but this one hadn't occured to me!) Very, very interesting idea!

[pauraque]

Yeah, this works for me too. In another discussion, someone came up with the idea that V did what he did in order that his victory be DRAMATIC and visible. Your observation is an extension of that... V is a theatrical person; it isn't enough for him to win, he has to win in the most impressive and elaborate way possible.

[undeadgoat.livejournal.com]

And of course, there's the huge repercussions in the wizardfing world, not least those for the Tournament if a participant disappears. Harry disappearing quietly during the school year is big, yeah, but during the final event of the Tournament . . .

Terrorists like explosions because they play well on TV; I've often thought that many of Voldemort's tactics are similarly motivated.

[mimine.livejournal.com]

Nice insight on Dudley. I never give him much thought but it seems he is pretty interested in Harry.

[pauraque]

Yeah, it isn't until later in the books that the serious resentment starts to come into play. It makes perfect sense, too; as a 12-year-old, Dudley's cruelty is more playful than savage. At 15, JKR gives him some of that teenaged angst too, not just Harry.

[black-dog.livejournal.com]

It's great that you're doing this again with CoS! I couldn't come out and play when you were doing PoA, which sucked for me because it seemed like such a fun exercise. I think this round will be especially interesting though, because of the peculiar place of CoS in the canon.

CoS didn't make much of an impression on me when I first read it

Yeah, me neither, and I've only skimmed it once since then, never properly reread it. With the exception of Lucius Malfoy and the House Elves (famous '70's band!), the stuff it dealt with always seemed hard to fit in with the big ongoing narratives -- is Tom, as a sort of ghost!Voldemort, just a way of marking time till JKR can bring the real adversary back? Why does the scariness seem to be generated within Hogwarts itself, which is more typically set up as an intended refuge from from danger, albeit one that is often invaded from outside? What does all the creepy paranoia directed toward Harry say about his actual, if unstated social status in the other books?

Second books in a series also occupy an interesting structural position, because by definition that's where it first becomes clear what kind of recurrent devices the author is going to use, what kind of fixed themes she's going to ring changes on. I'm sort of doodling hypotheses mentally here, but on this reading I'm inclined to pay more careful attention to the way the Privet Drive scenes set up major issues for the book, and how this year's DADA teacher relates to this year's themes. Also, if OOTP sensitized us to the books as a series of steps in Harry's moral progress and comprehension of his world, what does CoS do, specifically, to undermine or transform some of the things we might take for granted about the world of PS/SS?

The book actually gets off to a fairly quick start

I love JKR's openings -- they sort of plunge you almost breathlessly into the middle of things and keep you working to catch up while she gets a nice complicated story underway. I agree with you about the pages of "exposition" of past events, which is always a problem in series (do you know the Aubrey-Maturin stories? The "catch up" scenes, which get progressively longer in the earlier and middle volumes, are the one awkwardness in an otherwise brilliant set of books, which makes me think it's just a hard thing for any author to get right. I'm glad she dropped/curtailed that stuff in later books.)

it puts me in mind of the reading that makes Harry a symbol of Otherness -- queerness, if you like.

There's also Vernon's line, on page 2 of the U.S. paperback, "I WILL NOT TOLERATE MENTION OF YOUR ABNORMALITY UNDER THIS ROOF!" And of course, the very idea that Harry will be "making no noise and pretending [he's] not there."

Of course, Vernon has a financial motive for impressing this guy, but the way he micromanages the *appearance* of the household is telling.

Interesting! Because of course Vernon is very plain spoken about his motivations: "We'll be shopping for a holiday home in Majorca tomorrow," which almost makes me like him a little for his brutal pragmatism about the whole farce. But you're right, he really does seem a bit suspiciously enthusiastic about all the choreography. Control freak, or repressed thespian?

I can't help but think Dudley is making a deadpan joke at his parents' expense

This is my new most favorite theory! I mean, just to riff on Dudley for a minute, despite his portrayal as a spoiled favorite, growing up with the Dursleys has got to be a kind of nightmare for him, no? Especially as he gets older. As a bully and manipulator, he must have some non-trivial powers of observation, must have some notion of how groteque his parents are, and I really wonder what he thinks of them and how far he's inclined to mock them. Given the tone of caricature in the Privet Drive scenes, Dudley often strikes me as a surprisingly vivid personality, with hints of significant offscreen complexity.

He's been a bit of a bastard all along,

Yes! He enjoys playing headgames with Dudley. Not that you can blame him, given what he's been through, but he's definitely no saint, here. He's good at being an enemy.

[continued, in a bit . . . ]

[pauraque]

despite his portrayal as a spoiled favorite, growing up with the Dursleys has got to be a kind of nightmare for him, no? Especially as he gets older. As a bully and manipulator, he must have some non-trivial powers of observation, must have some notion of how groteque his parents are, and I really wonder what he thinks of them and how far he's inclined to mock them. Given the tone of caricature in the Privet Drive scenes, Dudley often strikes me as a surprisingly vivid personality, with hints of significant offscreen complexity.

I agree with all of this. I hope against hope that Dudley will have more to do in books six and seven.

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

oh, i'm very excited you're doing this! i loved your reading last year!!!

[pauraque]

I'm excited too, looking at all the great comments just on this chapter! Glad to have you with us.

[black-dog.livejournal.com]

[contined . . . ]

One other thing I'd dump into the mix, after rereading the chapter, is the way it sets up the theme of friendship and human connection and what it means to Harry. In the exposition passages, pg. 3 of the U.S. edition, when Harry is thinking of what he misses at Hogwarts, it's very interesting what he does and does not mention:

"He missed Hogwarts so much it was like having a constant stomachache. He missed the castle . . . his classes . . . the mail arriving by owl, eating banquets in the Great Hall, sleeping in his four-poster bed . . . visiting the gamekeeper, Hagrid, in his cabin . . . and, especially, Quidditch."

The omission of any mention of his friends (Hagrid excepted, sort of) is really striking here. Of course, we get an extended passage slightly later on (page 7) about Ron and Hermione, but that's in the context of the neglect of his birthday. Mostly, in this first list, he seems to be thinking of things and images that make him feel part of a significant scene -- to put it more harshly, that gratify his sense of importance and specialness. And if he's deliberately suppressing Ron and Hermione from his list of memories on page 3, because he feels let down by them, that's almost a chilling indicator of his capacity for resentment, his ability to mentally obliterate people and connections that don't gratify him. Acknowledgment or virtual annihilation seem to be the two poles Harry recongizes for the way people to relate to each other.

His thoughts about Ron and Hermione on pages 7 and 8 provide more information on how his notion of interpersonal connection is messed up. He misses them badly, but counts his grievances. His thoughts about them here are oddly intermingled with thoughts about taunting Dudley, and even about Draco Malfoy -- it's as though he's desperate for any connection that reaffirms his existence, even a hostile one.

I'm not bashing Harry here by any means -- I'm trying to feel my way into the way he's been hurt, and how that hurt deforms him. And I think it's interesting that this particular pattern is there, as early as CoS.

I also think that maybe this issue -- what happens to a person who has been starved for connection with other people? -- may get more systematic treatment in CoS than I've realized before, and I'll be reading attentively to see if this is so. Ginny, after all, is vulnerable to Tom's attentions because of her loneliness, the crushing disappointment of her fantasies about first year and Harry. Lockhart is an object lesson in celebrity-worship, false connection, and the effects of narcissim. The dueling scenes make a fetish of personal confrontation. The basilisk itself kills or stuns by a gaze, by the intensity of (maybe) its regard for you. False connections, problematic appearances seem to be central issues -- the Hufflepuffs' fear of Harry, the Polyjuice potion.

Well, I don't know if this hangs together, but I'm a great believer in reading with a theory, and then seeing it shot down and refining it further, and I think this may be a starting point.

Anyway, too much babbling! Thanks for a space to do it in, and I'm looking forward hugely to the re-reading!

[pauraque]

I love you so much for saying all this stuff. Maybe you should really be doing this instead of me!

[cruisedirector]

When I first read PS/SS and COA, it was not clear to me that the entire series was going to be from Harry's POV; I had thought some of the exposition was meant to be omniscient. So reading some of the statements like this explanation of Muggles in relation to the Dursleys is very interesting.

[pauraque]

Right -- "not a drop of magical blood" -- Harry's perhaps subconsciously acquired some of the WW's disdain for non-purebloods.

[marksykins.livejournal.com]

Ah, yay, someone else who thinks Harry has a rather mean sense of humor. One of the many things I like about the boy. He's nicer on the whole than Snape (duh), but when provoked, he actually has some pretty good comebacks. Better than, say, Ron or Draco, at least.

[slinkhard.livejournal.com]

Heh. Actually, I find Draco and Harry's humour less amusing than most, simply because they seem to be so impressed with their own wit; whereas Ron, for example makes me laugh much more.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hannelore/]

Harry and Snape have similarly sarcastic senses of humor, and might get along better if they decided it was more fun to mock other people together.

Among the Harry/Snape writers, there was much rejoicing. ;) It's telling how much Harry and Dudley actually talk, even if just snarking, since both boys could certainly ignore each other if they chose.

It's wonderful to see another read-through, too.

[pauraque]

both boys could certainly ignore each other if they chose

Very true. Dudley seeks out Harry's attention -- look how he mugs at Harry across the table in the first couple of pages. This is typical of him.

[lycoris.livejournal.com]

Yay! (I never finished the PoA one you know ... is it still in your memories?) This should be fun!

I knew that Harry had been a bit of a bastard all a long. I've also noticed about him and Snape. Harry and Snape are fascinatingly alike actually - both seem to have had highly unpleasent childhoods and they have other things in common but my brain is required to work before I can mention them and right now, it's reached the stage of "Harry. Snape. Exist. Yes." So perhaps now isn't quite the moment ...

[pauraque]

Yep, the link at the top of this post is to the memories category where the PoA posts are stored.

[paz-.livejournal.com]

Got here through the Daily Snitch.

Two things I'm going to agree with you on right NOW, is Dudley's comment about Mr. Mason being his hero, which I confess I never thought of, but it makes perfect sense; and then Harry 'being a bastard'. Perhaps in the first books it was a bit harder to realise it because we were just learning what it was all about, but I guess it's only logical in a kid with as many psychological issues as Harry has.

Obviously, that temper has been developing since book one to become what it did in book five. Lovely and angsty Harry.


I like this. A lot. I'm going to friend you so I can read the rest, if that's ok with you?

[pauraque]

Friend away. Glad to have you with us.

[jcalanthe]

As I'm just tiptoeing into HP fandom, your timing is perfect for me.

I'm struck by the physical descriptions of Vernon & Dudley - Vernon with a bit of fried egg dangling from his bushy moustache, Dudley's massiveness (I have to admit I cringe anytime she starts to describe Dudley - I suppose it's consistent with how Harry would see him, but it makes my inner fat activist stand up and start shouting) - and how cartoon-y their actions are - Dudley falling off his chair (shaking the house), Vernon with throbbing veins and a purple face, breathing like a wounded rhinocerous. Strangely, we get much less description of Petunia, and in contrast, her reactions are to become smaller/less noticable when Vernon's around (expressing her love for her son being the exception).

As to the extensive exposition, I took that as similar to early eps in season 1 of a TV show - excessive review of the premise every week to suck in new viewers, or readers in this case. I wouldn't be surprised if this were a requirement from her publisher/editor. I remember finding it interesting to see how she summarized the previous book(s) in CoS and PoA in my first readthru (I read thru GoF in pretty short succession).

I do enjoy Harry & wizards in general as representative of Otherness - I'm often reminded of XMen and the whole mutant rights and how to achieve them. Based on his background, I'd expect Harry to be more of an Erik Lensherr type. I'll have to ponder this more.

I'm also noticing that food is always central at the Dursleys - the chapter starts off at a meal, Petunia punishes Harry by telling him he can't eat until he finishes all the housework she gives him, and even her dress is described as salmon-pink.

I've been totally cracking up at the image of Vernon as Hyacinth Bucket. And I adore the idea of Dudley making a very deadpan joke with his hero comment. Shows he has the potential to be a more interesting character, tho I don't think we'll ever see that in canon.

I do think it's odd that Dudley remembers Harry's bday - I think most kids of that age would have trouble remembering such a thing, especially if it's never mentioned. Very interested in Harry perhaps, but it reads to me as budding sociopath practicing up on his most convenient victim (and getting positive reinforcement from the parents for doing so). You can see that I have a hard time stepping outside of Harry's POV for this chapter.

[pauraque]

Welcome!

It always strikes me, in the earlier books particularly, that the Dursleys are described in exaggerated, grotesque terms. Dudley is "the size of a killer whale" in one book. It's Roald Dahl-esque caricature, and though it can't be taken entirely literally, it does give a vivid impression of how Harry *feels* about them.

Though there is exaggeration in the descriptions of the magical world as well (Harry's estimate of Hagrid's size decreases significantly as he gets older), it's interesting that Hogwarts is described in more realistic, less cartoonish terms than the Muggle world. It's more real and right to Harry.