First of all, I am so sorry for two weeks off the map!!
However, I am back with a BRAND NEW REVIEW. Worth waiting for, yes?!?
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two by J.
K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne is the script that carries on the
story of Harry Potter in a new modality.
Beginning as Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione’s children
are at the start of their Hogwarts education, Cursed Child introduces us
quickly to our primary child character, Albus Severus. We had a brief meeting
of him at the very end of the original series, Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows, in which his name brought us to shuddering tears or scoffs of
bewilderment of the terrible name – I was in the former category, unashamedly.
Now, though, we see that something happens in the start
of young Albus’s time at Hogwarts that puts a strain on his relationship with
his father, Harry. And as some initial years pass – quickly in a montage-like
scene in script format – growing that resentment in a way that is disheartening
and surprising.
In the meantime, Harry and Hermione both play vital roles
in the ministry – Harry being the Head of Magical Law Enforcement and Hermione
being the actual Minister herself. They deal with what has been a lasting peace
after the defeat of Voldemort – but also whispers of a scandalous rumor.
A rumor that Voldemort has a child.
And that this child is living. Somewhere.
There are some that think they know exactly who that
child is, too. They believe a time-turner must have escaped the utter
destruction in Harry’s fifth year and a devoted follower of
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named went back in time to make sure this would happen.
When these mutterings reach Albus and his best friend at
Hogwarts, and the means of investigating further happens, Albus decides it is a
perfect opportunity to correct a vital mistake he feels his father made in the
past…
But is this best way to try to conquer the heavy weight
of a legacy he never wanted to inherit?
Okay, so y’all know I am a HARDCORE Harry Potter fan. I
love it. I’ve read the books so many times that they have become a part of me.
Because of this, I like many fans, know these characters and plots through and
through.
That’s why as much as I didn’t want it to be the case –
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child felt much more like entertaining fan fiction
than actual canon. In fact, I cannot include it in my mind as “Book Eight.”
Keep in mind, it is not a bad read. I enjoyed it as I
think most fans will. But certain concepts that had been well established
throughout the series get a little tweaked here, which is unsettling. Also, the
script format is so very different and lacks the lovely, imaginative narrative
that Rowling excelled at in the novels. It’s not meant to be a novel, and it’s
not.
What it is, is an interesting concept that was never
boring and certainly was a fast read. Seeing the children of our favorite protagonist’s
is fun in a curious way and the twists the story take are at times quite shucking
and, dare I say, eyebrow raising.
As I do not want to give anything away, I cannot go into
more detail here. I will just say I do feel it is worth a read from Harry
Potter fans – but I warn you to go into with a grain of salt or a preparation to
not feel fully satisfied.
I am wholeheartedly excited about going to see Fantastic
Beasts and Where To Find Them and honestly am hopeful it will be a more
satisfying experience than Cursed Child, as it is not extending a plot and
characters we know well and love – it’s a prequel of sorts just taking place in
the same world as Harry Potter. I think it will step on less toes and be a more
enjoyable experience. I hope.
But, again, still a pleasurable read and I do still
recommend it – as a fan fiction type of story that is watered down from the
Rowling we know and adore.
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