Hmmm, Chamber of Secrets, you are my least favorite Harry Potter book. I don't know precisely why - there's polyjuice potion and Moaning Myrtle and the Whomping Willow - which is one of those wizarding things that you think will just show up in book 2 but NO! we will need to remember these secrets for many books to come! Also, it is the FUTURE, people. Where is my flying car?!?
The Dursley's continue to be gross, Aunt Wassername is VILE, and then Harry goes to the Burrow and we see the wizarding world outside of Hogwarts. Is it everything you dreamed, my dears? The Burrow is the epitome of everything Harry always wanted: a boisterous, inclusive family, a loving mother, and Arthur Weasley who is so charming and bumbling and whose Spirit Disney Princess is obviously Ariel.
And then there's THIS GUY:
Gilderoy Lockhart is the best. Did anyone in the Harry Potter movies have more fun than Kenneth Branagh? I do not think so.
Mr Weasley as Ariel is beyond perfect.
ReplyDeleteRight? *happy sigh*
DeleteOhhhh, Branagh. He can do no wrong. Even when he's wearing a top hat and bouncing around the Olympic Stadium. LEGEND.
ReplyDeleteI'm SO glad I had something constructive to add to this discussion. :)
That was totally constructive! As much as my ENTIRE POST was. *high fives you*
DeleteOh man, I thought everyone was going to be like 'oh Dobby, you're so cute!' and 'Lockhart, you egotistical bastard UGH' but then I remembered that everyone is AWESOME and so we win the internet. The end.
ReplyDeleteBOOM. Done.
DeleteHey now, hey now. Nobody thinks Dobby is cute. He is bad at the thinking, but he TRIES, dammit.
DeleteAre you thinking of Aunt Marge is Prisoner of Azkaban? ARE YOU? THAT'S IN TWO WEEKS.
ReplyDeleteAlso oh yeah, the Whomping Willow. And flying cars. But the concept of flying cars scares me, because another one could ACTUALLY COME FROM ANYWHERE. We need flats planes and roads and not random sky maneuvering!
Hipster Ariel is the greatest.
AHEM. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nCjgKz1E6HI/UH9cs7BUrcI/AAAAAAAAAcg/8zqOqf2_UD8/s1600/Did+Not+Read.gif
DeleteI realized it this morning, but I was hoping no one would notice? I'm starting CoS tonight now that I'm done with Ruby Red and Sapphire Blue (both great).
Are all those lights in that gif supposed to distract the viewer from the fact that the giffer Did Not Read? Because IT IS WORKING.
DeleteAgreed CoS is the worst of the HP series. Not a bad book but just, when compared to the others it's "eh". But Lockhart is the best and Branagh is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteAll of these things. And Dobby is the WORST. So freaking annoying. Grrr.
DeleteI love your ARthur Weasley = Ariel moment, not least because it ties it in to the whole discussion last week about being able to sing "Part of Your World."
ReplyDeleteLittle Mermaid for everyone! ALSO she is a ginger. BAM!
DeleteThere's no Aunt Anybody yet! Somebody's reading ahead! Ooooh, I'm going to tell!... Oh wait. You meant Aunt Petunia? Yeah, she sucks. **Hides face.**
ReplyDeleteCoS has to be the worst movie, too. But Branagh is one of the best parts of the whole *series*, so, conflicted feelings.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that could make Branagh as Lockhart any more spectacular is if they had dressed him in the pastel tones he's always wearing in the book (after all, his favorite color is lilac...)
ReplyDelete"Arthur Weasley who is so charming and bumbling and whose Spirit Disney Princess is obviously Ariel"- AWESOME!
ReplyDeleteOoooooh KB. I do not like Lockhart but I do very much like Branagh's acting of him! Also, Arthur is the best, and the Ariel spirit is SO SO SO accurate.
ReplyDeleteMAN I ALWAYS EVEN FORGET that is Kenneth Branagh, he is that good in this.
ReplyDeleteWhy would a VIOLENT tree be planted next to a school, where there are children? I do not understand the rampant irresponsibility of wizards.
ReplyDeleteNO REASON!!
Delete*clamps her hands over her mouth and leaves the room*
YOU KNOW SOMETHING. Dammiiiiiit.
DeleteChamber is my least favorite too - I think it's because there were too many new characters that I quickly found to be very annoying. It redeems itself through darker magic and the mystery surrounding Moaning Myrtle and the chamber.
ReplyDeleteJKR still exaggerates the difference between the Dursley household vs. the Burrow, but I love how generous the Weasleys are - God bless 'em.
Gilderoy Lockhart IS the best! I'm sure they had a kick out of filming his parts for the movie!
Awww Mr. Weasley and Ariel ship! YES! I approve. Well, except that it leaves poor Mrs. Weasley in the dust... hmph.
ReplyDeleteI love the Burrow. I would totally live there.
Oh, I don't know. I think Emma Thompson had as much fun as Kenneth Branagh. Side note: Part or most of me hoped that the Harry Potter movies would prove to be the Parent Trap for Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh, and they would fall back in love again and get married and live happily ever after. WHY DID THAT NOT HAPPEN.
ReplyDeleteSo much yes to this!
DeleteI can't say this is my least favorite book [yet], because I haven't read the rest, but had I been reading this as a kid, I'm pretty sure I would have lost interest right about now...good think I have this readalong to push me through! ;)
ReplyDeleteI loved the chapters in The Burrow. I can't wait to see it on film!