Sunday, August 7, 2016

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.


Rating: 3/5 stars


How do I even start this review?

I mean, really, after reading dozens of wonderful reviews, way more articulate and heartfelt than I could ever manage, trying to get my thoughts out there sems kind of pointless.

But hey, I like sharing what I think of books, and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is no exception, particularly since I had many conflicting opinions on it.

To be fair, when news came out of the eight book in the HP universe, I was unsure of how to feel. Let's face it, this book can be either REALLY good, or REALLY bad as it always happens with new stories being added to an already finished saga.
 At least, that's what I felt before reading it, and now that I'm done I can say that for me (and this is my opinion and nothing else) the book was decent, but it wasn't innovative or necessary. Many fans, myself included, have always wondered how the Wizzarding world carried on after the final battle. We got to see a glimpse of it in the last book with the gang all grown up and taking their kids to the train station, but nothing else.

I personally wanted to see more, but that didn't happen here. The story is written in play format which, even though it didn't bother me, it wasn't helpful in showing a meaningful story.
Several events were glossed over, there were huge time jumps that, although understandble since it was a play, it showed that we were missing a great deal of important information. The family dramas, the friendships, the problems... they were all set aside once introduced and discarted to pursue other topics. It left the story looking awkward and sloppy.

The characters were also quite OCC, particularly Harry. Hermione we didn't see much of and Ron seemed to have been relegated to a comic relief-sort of character with no other layer.

However, if there was something I absolutely loved, and I mean LOVED was Scorpius. My precious cinammon roll, he was everything and I love him. His relationship with Albus Potter was quite interesting too, and another aspect of the story that should have been explored more.

The build-up and revelation of the bad guy was, surprisingly, my least favorite thing in the play. It was so predictable!! Aaaand dumb, I swear I laughed when the revelation came.

In the end, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was not rage-inducing, but it wasn't a good continuation for the series either IN MY OPINION. The plot was messy, the characters odd and... honestly? I have read hundreds of fanfictions that have done a much better work with this world and the characters than this play.


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