Thursday 5 April 2018

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two (Harry Potter, #8)

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a play by J.K Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne.

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.

The Breakdown:
1. First, this is a play, and it is written as a script for a play.  I have read many of complaints that it was not a novel, which it is never intended to be.  If you have the money and the time, you can even see the live play in London. That being said, it mostly composed of dialogue and some stage directions.   It does not give the reader descriptive settings or nuanced reactions because that would be up to the set and the actors to convey.   Although, I feel like the description is misleading.  This is far more about Albus than it is Harry.

2. I love the fact that Albus and Scorpius, Draco's son, are best friends in this.   It is interesting to see how different they are from their fathers, and somethings they are very much alike.  They definitely have a quirky and wonderful friendship.

3.  I just want to take a moment to talk about that Scorpius is the most amazing character.  He is funny and awkward at the same time.  Plus, his eternal hope that he will one day gain Rose Granger-Weasley's friendship and love. 

4. Then there is the character if Delphi.  She is strange and is definitely keeping some big secrets.  For me, there was just something sketchy about her from the beginning, the way she deflected questions, and no one else talked to her.

5. This play is proof that terrible things happen when wizards mess with time.  Albus and Scorpius reset the timeline several times, and they do some pretty big damage to it.

6.  I have to say now having read the play, I would really love to be able to see it in person.

To Read or Not to Read:
Read