Always the tone of surprise CC #1 - Page 98

Originally posted by: tournesol

Shubho Bijoya, Simi 💙

Awesome, sounds like a plan 😊

Reading Target

We are starting Chamber of Secrets (i.e. Book 2) from tomorrow. We are going slow in the beginning as many of us including me are having a very busy schedule these days. So we will finish Ch 1 (only) within Friday & come to discuss on Friday @10 PM IST. One may come & discuss in between too as per their own wish/ suitability of time.

Our discussions may include:

1) Top 3-5 favourite scenes from the reading target.

2) What did you dislike in the part if there is any?

3) If you have any other opinions, share please.

My take on Ch 1 of CoS:

Since its a single chapter, there's not much scope to discuss but what I've always loved about this chapter is few of the LOL moments especially by Dudley, the spoilt kid of the Dursleys.

This was the best part:

“How about —‘We had to write an essay about our hero at school, Mr. Mason, and I wrote about you’.”

I mean we got to know about Dudley's hero in this chapter and he is none other than the builder, Mr. Mason🤣🤣😆😆whom he might not have seen once in his life. Dudley's thought process was truly worth noticing in this chapter, however hilarious it maybe. Even he didn't forget Harry's birthday and he noticed too that Harry got no wishes from his magical world. He instantly guessed that Harry might not have any friends there. Dudley even found out that Harry had none of his own other than them (Dursleys) or nowhere to stay other than their house, so he can irritate Harry how much he wish to as long as he is here with them. Dudley is one character in whom I have never never found any qualities as such to like/admire for, just like Draco. Both are equally spoiled by their parents & both of them think very highly of themselves & never hesitate to belittle others or their families around them.

Now coming to the VIP Mason's visit preparations inside the Dursleys' house, their rehearsal of acts has always been super fun to read. Lile Dudley's duty to ask & collect the coats of Masons to Harry's sole duty to remain silently in his bedroom as if he don't exist. Verson is such a mean & self-centered person that he asked Harry his duty two to three times in a row, let alone not celebrating his birthday. Various instances of Dudley being overpampered by his parents is all over this chapter. His parents always seem so proud of him.

In such a small chapter, there is nothing to dislike as such. I may not be available at 10 PM today, so posted my part right now, but I would love to read your favourite parts and analysis too from this chapter and will come back tomorrow to reply you back & set the next reading target.

What I liked best about this chapter is what I've always loved about reading HP. The witty parts. Here, of course, the only witty lines came from Harry, the Dursleys being as dense as a rock. The Dursleys' acts and stupidity seems a bit exaggerated but it was funny to read nonetheless.

There's nothing I didn't like about the story but Harry's treatment by them is abhorrent! It's painful to read about it even when it's presented in a humourous way for sake of it being a kid's book. Some of the lines that made me hate the Dursleys are -

(Chapter 2 spoilers ahead)

1. she aimed a heavy blow at his head with the soapy frying pan.......with the promise he wouldn’t eat again until he’d finished (his work). The details of that work made me even angrier.

It was half past seven in the evening when at last, exhausted, he heard Aunt Petunia calling him.

“Eat quickly! The Masons will be here soon!” snapped Aunt Petunia, pointing to two slices of bread and a lump of cheese on the kitchen table. (While there was a whole feast organised for themselves. And this was after starving the boy for practically an entire day - morning till evening)

2. he paid a man to fit bars on Harry’s window. He himself fitted a cat-flap in the bedroom door, so that small amounts of food could be pushed inside three times a day. They let Harry out to use the bathroom morning and evening. Otherwise, he was locked in his room around the clock.

3. Harry, whose insides were aching with hunger, jumped off his bed and seized it. The soup was stone-cold, but he drank half of it in one gulp. Then he crossed the room to Hedwig’s cage and tipped the soggy vegetables at the bottom of the bowl.........somehow even hungrier than he had been before the soup.

This is disgusting!😡

Note: I never realised that I have read two chapters insted of one until just now while writing the review. That's what HP does to me😆 Since I've already written it, I'll keep it as it is. If anyone wants to avoid chapter 2 spoilers, please don't read it.

The way Dursleys try to butter up the Masons is hilarious 😂 🤣🤣

What kind of person buys this bullsh*t..

The scene has which a 90s vibe to it though.. which I love ❤️

Hello guys, 🤗 Sorry, I couldn't be there before due to a situation over here. But now I am back in the discussion.

It is interesting how Rowling starts another book with a birthday, particularly Harry's birthday, which is interesting because the entire story is centered around Harry's birthday: that Voldemort killed his parents because Harry, someone who could defeat Voldemort, was born. It also makes sense to start the book with Harry's birthday since he was born right before the beginning of the academic year. (Now nobody will bother Harry for bday treats 😆 Am kidding)

It is funny how Petunia and Vernon keep feeding their already fat and spoilt child with food and ego. It never occured to them that Harry might also need some parental affection. I can't express how much I dislike the Dursleys for treating Harry this way. Also, I am exasperated as well as laugh at how the Dursley's react to please as a magic word. It never occured to them that 'please' might be a more powerful magic-word than maybe 'Avada kadavra', more powerful since please can win a place in people's hearts because they see how sincere one is. Avada, on the other hand, well, didn't Voldemort Avada Harry's parents and so many other people? Yet he was the most insecure wizard alive/dead (Like Schrodinger's cat. 😆 We have to wait till 'the box' opens in Book 4 🤦🏻‍♀️) So 'please' had more magic than 'Avada kadavra'.

And the Dursleys locked away all of Harry's belongings in their fear of his magical abilities. Harry was only a boy. I am so aghast of his treatment by them. It is interesting how both pureblood wizards and pureblood muggles have strong prejudices and a sense of superiority, and Harry is a victim of both kinds of people.

Wow, Rowling does a whole recap of Harry's first year in this chapter, 😆 maybe she did not expect people to read her earlier book.

Mr. Dursley is Harry's worst bully (after Voldemort maybe), for making Harry say repeatedly "I’ll be in my room, making no noise and pretending I’m not there." Harry was already sad thinking that nobody remembered his birthday as he received no letters or cards. He was even ready to see Draco Malfoy to get in touch with his wizard life. (Really, Harry? 🤦🏻‍♀️) Harry will soon discover how mistaken he was. Dobby was already keeping an eye on Harry from the hedges in the garden. So Harry doesn't get to see the Malfoys to feel like a wizard, but he gets to see their house-elf.

I don't think Dudley remembered Harry's birthday, he probably heard Harry sing 'happy birthday'.

Even I laughed out so much at Dudley's lame plan to impress Mr. Mason. He is very good at buttering people, after consuming so much butter himself. 😆

I think the way Dursley’s react to the “m” word is how bigots actually react to ideologies/ communities they despise . It’s just that she has replaced a particular group/ racism with “magic folk”.

They are so blinded by their hatred towards something they either can’t have/ or don’t understand that Harry is seen as an “abnormality” in their otherwise controlled household.

It’s human nature - when you see people directing their hatred/ frustration towards a particular group/ individual. It’s us & them.

Originally posted by: Autumn_Rose

I think the way Dursley’s react to the “m” word is how bigots actually react to ideologies/ communities they despise . It’s just that she has replaced a particular group/ racism with “magic folk”.

They are so blinded by their hatred towards something they either can’t have/ or don’t understand that Harry is seen as an “abnormality” in their otherwise controlled household.

It’s human nature - when you see people directing their hatred/ frustration towards a particular group/ individual. It’s us & them.

Yeah, I agree to that, Rowling has used the Dursleys behaviour to show effectively how bigotry exists in real societies against relatively minor communities. Not only the Dursleys, the Malfoys depict another aspect of bigotry, where they feel special about geneations of their magical abilities (nothing wrong with that), and look down upon anyone who isn't as previledged as them (this is not acceptable).

It is sad to see the Dursleys treat Harry, their own nephew, the way they do, blinded by their hate/fear for magical folks. True, it is human nature to direct one's hatred or frustration towards a particular group or individual. It's a sad truth.

I feel Harry was really witty when he said 'please' as a magic word. Being bullied all his life himself, he really understood the importance of treating everyone with respect. Something which the Dursleys never understood.

Originally posted by: 23Diya

What I liked best about this chapter is what I've always loved about reading HP. The witty parts. Here, of course, the only witty lines came from Harry, the Dursleys being as dense as a rock. The Dursleys' acts and stupidity seems a bit exaggerated but it was funny to read nonetheless.

There's nothing I didn't like about the story but Harry's treatment by them is abhorrent! It's painful to read about it even when it's presented in a humourous way for sake of it being a kid's book. Some of the lines that made me hate the Dursleys are -

(Chapter 2 spoilers ahead)

1. she aimed a heavy blow at his head with the soapy frying pan.......with the promise he wouldn’t eat again until he’d finished (his work). The details of that work made me even angrier.

It was half past seven in the evening when at last, exhausted, he heard Aunt Petunia calling him.

“Eat quickly! The Masons will be here soon!” snapped Aunt Petunia, pointing to two slices of bread and a lump of cheese on the kitchen table. (While there was a whole feast organised for themselves. And this was after starving the boy for practically an entire day - morning till evening.

This is disgusting!😡