Like many people around my age, I grew up reading Harry Potter. I’m not the biggest Potterhead around (I never dressed up for midnight releases, nor have I memorized every bit of trivia), but I have read the series multiple times, watched the movies on repeat (watching them right now, actually), so you can imagine my excitement when it was announced that there was an eighth story in the works that would be produced as a play on the West End. Knowing that millions of fans would be unable to go to London to view the play, J.K. Rowling released the story (in the form of the script) so that we could all be apart of it, and not be left in the dark in regards to the continuance of Harry’s story.
First off, I want to say that I don’t agree with other fans out there who are upset and outraged at the format of this story. From the beginning, it was made completely clear (and even clearer if you can read the front cover), that this was not a novel, but the rehearsal script of the play. I actually really liked seeing this story in a new way, and seeing how Rowling’s story, which is normally rich in description and mostly told from Harry’s perspective would adapt to that.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child follows the epilogue of the 7th book, which is 19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts and the majority of it focuses on his youngest son, Albus (though we still get a fair bit about Harry, Ron and Hermione). Obviously, I can’t say much more about the plot, because that would give too much away, and I don’t want to be responsible for spoiling it for you.
However, I will say that despite a shorter story, there were so many great nuggets of goodness in there, and though the beginning moved a little slowly, once the action picked up, it was impossible to put it down (I even stayed up past 2 in the morning to finish it). If you love Harry Potter, you will love this new addition as well. My only caution is to not expect it to be the epic of the last few novels. Think of it as an addition to the epilogue, and a way to whet your appetite for Potter adventure.
Have you read it? What did you think? If you haven’t read it, are you planning to?
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