It’s been nine years since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was published and every Potter fan has grown up. Not to mention Warner Bros. has been trying to find its next cash cow for years and hasn’t found one. Well, rejoice Potter fans because another Harry Potter book has been published called Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. And it’s a play instead of a novel.
Now, that is one thing I keep hearing people complain about this. The thing is, every media outlet has said that it’s the script to the play that opened the same day the book came out. This should not come as a shock. Also, plays are super easy to read, especially if they’re modern plays. This isn’t Shakespeare or a Greek play. Also, it’s the first Harry Potter play in nine years.
Anyway, onto the plot. Nineteen years after Deathly Hallows, our heroes have kids who are going off to Hogwarts. Albus, Harry and Ginny’s second son, is having daddy issues in that everyone expects him to be at the same level as his dad. Not to mention he’s best buds with Scorpius Malfoy and was sorted into Slytherin. So he and Scorpius decided to steal a time turner and go back in time to change the future.
Obviously, there are a lot of paradoxes in this story and none of them are good. Yes, it’s one of those stories. Cliche though it may be, it’s actually quite interesting. Yes, most of the story is focused on the kids, but remember Harry’s story has been told. Hell, look at another series that did the same thing: Naruto. They are now coming out with stories about Naruto’s son Boruto and the fans like it.
Admittedly, there are some sour notes to the story. One of the major ones is Draco Malfoy being pretty damn out of character. He’s WAY too nice to Harry even if his son is in trouble. Him also trying not to be his dad is another thing that doesn’t make sense. He did everything to follow in his dad’s footsteps in the first seven books.
Then there’s the power of love. I’ll leave it at that.
Another downside is the main villain. This character has a cliche backstory and isn’t all that interesting. Yes, this character does have some new interesting powers, but on a whole was pretty weak.
Of course, novel writing and playwriting are two different things. John Tiffany and Jack Thorne are both stage veterans and the script itself is well directed even if some of the stuff can only be done with a Broadway budget. It’s one of those plays that are easy to pick up and do any kind reading, even if it is a drunken dramatic one.
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” may be a play, but the story is good enough for a Harry Potter story and it does make you want to see the play. It’s too bad that as of the publication of this review you can only see it in England at the Palace Theatre in London. Just hope it does well to come over to the US or, if you’re an actor, try to get your company to do your own production.
Categories: Novels
Tags: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child review, J.K Rowling
Sanrock Reviews 