Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two

There may be a reason that the only plays I have read have be school mandated...or this is actually terrible. To use the word “discombobulated” 3 times in a play is a bit wanky if you ask me. Also, turning Ron into comic relief really irked me. He is a funny character but after 7 books he is a little more than a one trick pony. The obvious effort to make the 2 sons into some nerdy cool outsiders types was clunky and ineffective in the plot of the story, which was very predictable by the way. the conversations between Albus and Scorpius had none of the elegance and the ease that comes with the type of friendship that they were supposed to have, and that friendship was the reason we all love Harry, Ron and Hermione. I don't know if they were trying to capture lightning in a bottle trying to recreate the friendship but they failed. In a colossal way.

Warning to all Harry Potter fans (books and movies): this book opens wounds you might thought have healed!
At first it read like a typical hp-fanfiction, and I laughed a lot, but then again I cried almost more than I did while reading book seven!
It's not book one to three, which are my favourite of the series, but it's high up there with them.

3.8

I'm a big fan of Harry Potter and I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it brought me back to my childhood and the wizarding world. As a Potterhead, of course I would read anything that provides continuation to the Harry Potter legacy. But for some reason, even if I enjoyed it, my reactions were mixed.

I love the fact that JK Rowling can pull anything out of her creative ass; and by ass, I mean her brain. Then I realized, this is a play... not a novel or even a film. So it's actually hard for me to visualize everything from a stage play perspective. So maybe I should re-read it again for several times to gain a better respect for this book/script.

Lots of characters pop up. From the old ones, to the new ones. Obviously, my favorite is still Draco Malfoy. As for the story, sometimes it feels like it's trying too hard, but it still works nonetheless. The Time-Turner seems to be the key feature on the over-all story, and I'm not even complaining (the Time-Turner part in PoA was the bomb).

Overall, this was a good and fast-read book. Nothing you can say a lot compared to the previous books/novels. Now, I'm fascinated to know how they pull-off this story on stage, since the scenes are constantly changing. Will definitely recommend this to all the Potterheads out there. It's not the best, but you know, Potterheads will still approve.

Well it was a thing. I'm not totally sure how I felt about that thing. I mean it was Harry Potter so Yay! But it wasn't proper Harry Potter so I'm very unsure.

I knew it was a play so wouldn't read like the other books, but I felt like they tried to pack too much into such a short story. And given it's a script the lack of description means all of that action has to come from dialogue which takes a while to get used to.

Some of the plot line was just a little off for me too, I mean You Know Who having a daughter with So and So? C'mon! It just would not have happened.

One thing I did love was Scorpius, he was just the best character in the story. Such a witty and charming person!

All in all, not too bad for being a short script but I can't really class it as one of the main HP books.

I was on the fence about whether to read this. Since it is a play, ideally it would be seen performed first. Since I know there is no chance of my being able to see it anytime soon, I decided it was better to read the script. Additionally, I was a theatre major. I've read lots of plays, and performed in staged readings. So I was probably more prepared than many who will be opening this book for what to expect.

I just finished reading this. I enjoyed it very much. While it was not the sort of thing I would want or expect in a sequel novel to the Harry Potter series, I think it was a very good Harry Potter play. SpoilerThe use of time travel and flash back dream sequences allowed us to see familiar moments and characters that we love. The new characters were great stage roles, and there was plenty of lovely dramatic dialogue that I would have enjoyed performing.

As for the story, if it were a novel, I think I would be somewhat disappointed. Since it was a play, I really liked it. With all the time travel high-jinks I felt a little like it was a Harry Potter version of Back to the Future. But that was okay. (note: I love Back to the Future)

The first thing that surprised me was that Scorpius Malfoy was a sympathetic character. I was excited when Albus chose to befriend him. I was not expecting this to be a time travel story, and it very much was. I really liked the portrayal of Draco Malfoy. I think that he was definitely changed by the end of Deathly Hallows, and that is the way he was written. He was definitely not his father. That alternate universe scene where Voldemort had won, while terrifying, was also pretty amazing. Seeing Snape was a treat, and I enjoyed the shock of Umbridge being there. “You're ruining Voldemort Day.”

By the way, I thought it was a little strange that in 20 years, no one at the Ministry had made more time turners. Why were they there in the first place? Did they decide it was too dangerous to replace them? Oh, well. Willing suspension of disbelief.

The bit I had the most trouble suspending my disbelief for was Voldemort having a child. I thought the character of Delphi was wonderful, but I just can't get past the idea of Voldemort having a child with anyone. Maybe when he was still handsome Tom Riddle. I half expected a time travel related explanation for her. It was a twinge more believable when it was revealed that her mother was Bellatrix Lestrange. It's still weird, and wait a minute she was married. But the Lestrange were severely twisted in their serving of Voldemort. Radolphus probably volunteered to share his wife with the Dark Lord. So creepy. Also just wanted to point out that this makes Delphi Draco's cousin.

The end scenes were lovely with Harry and company getting to witness his parents' sacrifice. Seeing Hagrid meet Harry for the first time was especially nice.

It looks like a good show, and I hope to be able to see it one day!

Some things were good, some things were devastatingly bad, some things were ‘meh'. I expected worst, but I also expected much more. It is Harry Potter after all. Not imprescindible, almost avoidable. I'm quite contradicted because I half hated it and half liked some of it. I give it 2 stars for Scorpius only. And I will not consider this HP canon at all.

I read this in one sitting, and I thoroughly enjoyed it (and I imagine it very much comes to life if/when you see the actual play), but a part of me can't help but see it as glorified fanfiction and so that's how I'm looking at it in my head. Which might change if it ever actually becomes a fleshed-out novel or something.
I don't really like it overall as an official part of the Harry Potter story, but seeing it separately I actually really liked it and enjoyed it. Mostly it just makes me want to reread all the books again.

I will forever love the Harry Potter Series regardless of JKR's incredibly fowl ways. I will not support her future projects and haven't since buying this book. I had bought this book when it was first released and read it knowing that someone else wrote the book with JKR's permission/guidance.

First, I loved just being back in this world but it is incredibly different than the original HP series. The characters we've come to learn and love in every aspect, say and do things in this book that make you fully aware it was written by someone else. They say things that make you say “Hermione would never say that”, out loud and with your whole chest. So take it with a grain of salt.

Hmm. I don't want to judge just based on this script–I know the production was really well-reviewed and I'm sure the actors added a lot to the story. But, since the play is only in London, the script is all I can judge atm! So I'll say I enjoyed reading it and it went really quickly...I suppose it's a little harder to feel invested in these new characters. The plot is...a little bananas...but I suppose, really, so are the other Potter books.

Still–it was fun, and had some genuinely moving bits, and I'm glad to have read it.

Not as deep or as expansive as the books, but it is a play, so that's just how it goes. I enjoyed it very much, and it is a worthy successor to the canonical books.

Below is the review I wrote for my library's Facebook Friday book recommendations.

This is a must-read for all fans of Harry Potter, and because of its timeless theme of conflict between a son and the father who loves him, it could be of interest to someone who has never read the Potter books or seen the movies.

I loved “Cursed Child,” but I have to admit that a lot of HP fans didn't. I think part of the reason is because they were wanting it to be something it is not. “Cursed Child” is a play, not straight fiction, and it was not written by J. K. Rowling, although she was intimately involved in its creation.

A son rebels against his father, and in the process destroys the world as everyone knows it and creates a living hell on Earth. A father, clueless and focused, has no idea what to do. Because there is magic involved, the consequences are dire; but because there is love, there is also hope.

It is a play, so you will need to enjoy it a bit differently than you do a novel. Let your imagination run wild! Picture how the action would look on stage as well as in real life. It's wild and beautiful – sometimes terrifying – but the words don't tell the whole story. That's why you need to turn your brain into a theatre with an evocative set, moody lighting, a great director and really good actors. All of that creativity has to come from your own mind. Read it, picture it, hear it and enjoy!

So. There were two plot points that I did not fully understand, and I've never seen this performed in person. That said, reading it still made me cry–several times–and it left me thinking deeply about the bravery of being honest about what we fear.

I'm not a super-fan of the original series, but I have read them, and I did get satisfaction from seeing the next phase of familiar characters' stories . . . And from some of the indirect ways the authors addressed mythologies and a few criticisms that have developed about certain characters' actions.

It's difficult to read Rowling's books without bearing in mind the controversy around her opinions these days. The podcast “The Witch Trials of JK Rowling” gave me much to ponder on that front. Within that context, the themes of facing our imperfections and being painfully honest with those we love hit home in a very meaningful way.

Overall, the story goes to some darker places than I would like; I have always been a little too “cozy” a reader for the Potter books. ;) (By that I mean torture & watching people die, which both happen within a very intentional context, but I am a softie and it was a step further than necessary for me personally.) Despite that it drew me in and made me love characters I did not expect to, and I think that is the real strength of the play–and the series as a whole.

Not a complete waste of time, but I saw this coming. I wish I could give this 2.5 stars. Two is a bit harsh, three is far too generous.

I thought most of the character development was decent, given how concise it was. Certain aspects, such as the Trolley Witch, were nearly unforgivable. While the introduction and dynamic brought by Scorpious was well achieved.

Since it was formatted as a script, very little can be said for character voice. That detail being largely left to actor/director interpretation. Lack of voice was distracting to a reader, and brought an almost monotone to the narrative.

Now, let's talk about one specific scene. Scorpious and Albus scheme to inform their parents of their whereabouts, and when-abouts for that matter. Despite this being the literal crux of the story, the point on which everything hinges, it was forced and I hated it. As a writer, I understand the pressure to impact the reader just right, while letting the story tell itself. It seemed the writers were also feeling the pressure, sadly, the buckled. The point was made, the plot was forwarded, the flow was halted. Forced and utilitarian.

I'd be curious to see this live. The medium did it no favors - the writing style is so far from Rowling's that it read more like fanfic than the “real thing.”

The story itself is fun and interesting. The pacing is more like a play than a novel so I'll grant it some leeway there.

The dialogue is often quite bad and feels like it was written by someone unfamiliar with the characters he's writing.

Happy to have gotten a little more time in the Potterverse; kind of bummed/underwhelmed in what I ended up getting. Beggars can't be choosers I suppose.