Pottermas 2016 is coming to an end and with the last day of December, Elizabeth from Book YAbber, Marci from The Plot Bunny and I reviewing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child screenplay or Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film. The three of us hope to see the play either in London or in New York City sometime in the future. The play will premiere on Broadway in 2018! SO EXCITING! Catch up on Pottermas 2016 here!
Title: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Author: J.K Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (US), Little Brown UK
Publication date: July 31, 2016
Pages: 320
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Synopsis (from goodreads.com):
Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a new play by Jack Thorne, is the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. It will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on 30th July 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.
M Y T H O U G H T S
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the 8th book in the Harry Potter saga. The only difference is that J.K. Rowling did not write it and it's a screenplay format. Some readers may see this book as a fan fiction which I don't blame them. There are many fanon theories regarding Harry Potter after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out. Because of the gap between Deathly Hallows and The Cursed Child, some fans cannot fathom to agree that what happened in The Cursed Child is now canon.
I too fall under this category. I think because I read so much fan fiction, my brain cannot wrap around that some of the fanon theories are now canon. What did I just read? Although I enjoyed the story very much, I believe the execution of the story is not as strong as Rowling's previous work. However, I understand that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is co-written and in a different format. Rowling gave the approval but the plot line is not her work.
If I didn't read so much fan fiction about Harry Potter and co. after the epilogue, I believe my stance on the book might change slightly. However, some of these theories are insane!!! I am surprised they even became canon! I read countless stories about some of the theories back about when Deathly Hallows came out. Some I deemed could become canon and some are just crackpot theories!
Although, I was wary about the execution and the plot unoriginality, I found the friendship between Albus and Scorpius to be charming. Their strong friendship and it is what helps them survive. Without their friendship, they would not be who they are today. Because they can only rely on each other, their perseverance is on point. There are many returning characters which I cried over. I disliked Harry's character in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. My favorite character is definitely Scorpius. He's so sassy and is definitely up there on my list of favorite Harry Potter characters.
No spoilers here but if you are a Harry Potter fan, it doesn't hurt to read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I believe seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child live might increase your willingness to dive into the screenplay but it's a solid book nevertheless. I cannot wait until Harry Potter and the Cursed Child reaches Broadway in New York City!
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the 8th book in the Harry Potter saga. The only difference is that J.K. Rowling did not write it and it's a screenplay format. Some readers may see this book as a fan fiction which I don't blame them. There are many fanon theories regarding Harry Potter after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out. Because of the gap between Deathly Hallows and The Cursed Child, some fans cannot fathom to agree that what happened in The Cursed Child is now canon.
I too fall under this category. I think because I read so much fan fiction, my brain cannot wrap around that some of the fanon theories are now canon. What did I just read? Although I enjoyed the story very much, I believe the execution of the story is not as strong as Rowling's previous work. However, I understand that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is co-written and in a different format. Rowling gave the approval but the plot line is not her work.
If I didn't read so much fan fiction about Harry Potter and co. after the epilogue, I believe my stance on the book might change slightly. However, some of these theories are insane!!! I am surprised they even became canon! I read countless stories about some of the theories back about when Deathly Hallows came out. Some I deemed could become canon and some are just crackpot theories!
Although, I was wary about the execution and the plot unoriginality, I found the friendship between Albus and Scorpius to be charming. Their strong friendship and it is what helps them survive. Without their friendship, they would not be who they are today. Because they can only rely on each other, their perseverance is on point. There are many returning characters which I cried over. I disliked Harry's character in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. My favorite character is definitely Scorpius. He's so sassy and is definitely up there on my list of favorite Harry Potter characters.
No spoilers here but if you are a Harry Potter fan, it doesn't hurt to read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I believe seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child live might increase your willingness to dive into the screenplay but it's a solid book nevertheless. I cannot wait until Harry Potter and the Cursed Child reaches Broadway in New York City!
Did you read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child? If so, what did you think? Did you love, hate or did you feel indifferent about the book?
I loved Scorpius and it was great to see some favourite characters again. I liked the screenplay a lot more than I expected to!
ReplyDeleteScorpius is definitely a new favorite! I was a little bit hesitant to read the screenplay but I can't wait to see the play when it comes to NYC. Maybe one day, I will venture out to London to see it but for the meanwhile, I will wait for it to come to the United States.
DeleteSo agree-- it was nice for what it was, but not like the other 7 books for me. Scorpius is definitely a new fave character, but other than the friendship, I wasn't feeling the rest of the "book". It was a lot fanfictiony and at times felt lazy. Like I'm pretty sure Hermione's bookshelf safe would have been harder to get into!! She's so smart! And not very many of the original characters felt like themselves-- I mean, who even was that Rob character??
ReplyDeleteThe original of the 7 is canon to me. I understand that this screenplay is also canon but it reads too much like a fan fiction where canon and fanon blend too much. OMG to Hermione! There were so many mishaps with her in the screenplay.
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