Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two: The Official Playscript of the Original West End Production

Originally posted on my blog at https://rantandraveaboutbooks.com/2016/08/26/rave-review-of-harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child/I pre-ordered this book a few weeks before its release date and held on to it for the past few weeks until the hype died down. I read very few reviews for this book, knowing only a few basic facts before I went into it. I didn’t even read the synopsis when I ordered it on Amazon because I didn’t want to risk any spoilers.Luckily, the synopsis didn’t give away the story. I’ve read some mixed reviews about this book, and I can honestly say that the hardcore Harry Potter fans will have issues with how time travel is handled. I went into this as a new adventure, happy to have another Harry Potter story. That’s it. I didn’t analyze every book in the series or make too many comparisons because I wanted to enjoy this story as if it were the lost novel J.K. Rowling stashed away in some drawer. I don’t care about the loopholes or the inconsistencies or the fact certain characters are missing from the story. Okay, I care a little bit, but I did not let it disrupt my enjoyment of this book.If you’re expecting this book to be a continuation of Harry Potter, you will be disappointed. But if you’re like me and you’re thrilled just to get another glimpse into this world, then you’ll probably rave over it. Another thing to consider is that this is a play adapted to a script book. With plays, the time is limited, and they had to cram a fair amount of information into a short time frame. There are almost always some minor inconsistencies in plays. It’s just how it is and it’s something I’ve come to accept after over twenty years of going to the theater. If you’ve never seen a live production and you’re expecting a full length book with all the questions answered, again you will be disappointed.What I Love About This Book…I forgot how much I missed Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione. I think I missed Ron most of all. I loved him from the second I read about him in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. He’s such a goofball and it was really nice to see him again. He had a few lines that made me laugh and go aww, Ron, I love you.Harry is still Harry just older and sort of grouchy. Even though the books were about Harry, I was more of a fan of the secondary characters. My opinion didn’t change after reading this book, and I was glad the focus of this book is on Albus Severus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy.I really like the dynamic between Albus and Scorpius. From the start, everyone is hating on Scorpius and he was my favorite character from this book. Each scene with him only made me like him more. He could’ve chosen to be the bad guy at certain parts but the underlying story, just like the original books, comes down to friendship. That’s what I always liked about this series and that part remained intact.We get to see Snape again!!! I forgot how much I missed him, too. He was down to help the kiddies and I loved that he was willing to take one for the team once more.We see a little bit of Dumbledore, and there’s a really cute exchange between Harry and him where they discuss their relationship. Harry is very annoying in this book, which is why I was glad he wasn’t the focus. But I liked how his conversation with Dumbledore’s painting helped him to see what was wrong in his relationship with Albus. They constantly butt heads because they think they’re so different but it’s because they’re so much alike.My favorite book in the series is Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, and for that reason, I was really happy with the plot of this book. I loved being able to revisit parts of my favorite book with the help of a Time-Turner. And without going into detail, that also means you get to see some of the characters from back then, which was really exciting.I have always liked Draco Malfoy, and I guess if I had to choose a house I would’ve been sorted into Slytherin. I never gave much thought to this, mostly because I always thought with my personality this would make sense. I love characters like Snape and Draco. Who cares what house they’re in, right? That’s my thinking.I also liked the development of Harry and Draco’s characters as family men, and even though they’re not going to hug it out and have a sleepover, I did like that they had come to sort of understanding by the end of the book. There’s a secret about Draco that humanizes him a bit by the end, which I think had a lot to do with Harry’s change of heart.The Parts That Made My Heart Hurt…Although Hagrid was not a character in this book, we did see him through Harry’s dreams. For me, Hagrid was the reason I was sucked into the first book in the series. Well, that and the fact the Dursleys were child abusers and I was so angry about it that I kept reading to make sure Harry got away from them. Sorry for the short rant but I really hate the Dursleys. Anyway, hands-down Hagrid is one of my favorite characters in any book. There is a serious tear-jerker moment where we get to see the past, and when Hagrid sees baby Harry, oh my God, my heart melted. It reminded me why I love Hagrid so much. He’s such a sweetie. I just wanted to hug him.There are a few scenes at Godric’s Hollow, and if you’ve read the books, you’ll know what I’m talking about. I don’t want to get into the specifics, but my heart literally hurt for Harry. I was hating on him most of the book until this one particular moment.Harry and Albus’ relationship was painful at times, but I was really happy with their overall character development. Some of the exchanges between them made it feel like they were strangers and not father and son. It was sort of depressing to see Albus feel somewhat like Harry did as a kid when he had a father right there. I thought it made sense to some extent, considering Harry did not grow up with a father. It was also very sad to read about.There wasn’t much I disliked about the book, which is why I gave it 5 Stars on Goodreads. I think I was just too excited to have another Harry Potter book that I was willing to overlook some minor issues with things that J.K. Rowling attempted to fix throughout the series, only for them to reappear in this book. Just writing this review made me miss it even more so I decided to start watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I own all the movies through Amazon, so I couldn’t resist throwing it on just so I could see some of my favorite characters on-screen. And now I need to do a reread of this series, most likely some time closer to winter.I really tried to limit this review to character development, and I didn’t give any spoilers, not unless you count who made a reappearance, even though I didn’t mention all of them, but other than that, I didn’t reveal any of the plot. You’re in for hopefully a pleasant surprise if you haven’t read the book yet.

My birthday is one day after Harry Potter's, and getting this book was definitely an early birthday present. I read it from beginning to end in one sitting--nearly 4 hours, and the time flew by.I don't want to spoil any of the story for those who are going to read it, but it is, in my opinion, an amazing feat. I am not usually a fan of "revisionist writers" -- going back and making things too tidy, too self-contained--because life is full of serendipity and messiness. In this case, though, there's just enough of the "old" Harry Potter story to build the story, and there is a lot of really good thought that went into this. There is excellent adventure, fast pace, mistakes, regrets, challenges, growing up...There are a lot of similar themes to the original Harry Potter books, as well as some expounded and clarified themes. There are many "old friends" -- Moaning Myrtle, Severus Snape, Cedric Diggory, Hagrid, Bane, Draco Malfoy, Professor McGonnagle, Madam Hooch, Aunt Petunia, ... There are a number of twists that kept me reading it from beginning to end. The twists and turns, the breathtaking audacity and philosophical discussions about regret, responsibility, power, heritage, friendship, family, are pure J. K. Rowling.There are some great quotes, powerful insights, and it was so good to "visit" the Harry Potter world again. Well worth the read.EDIT:There are a lot of mixed reviews being posted, and I can see some of the points that are raised. I will address a few of these, hopefully without being unnecessarily critical of the points raised.1. This is a play. This isn't a 400-to-800-plus page book. There isn't going to be the lengthy plot and character development that goes with a J. K. Rowling book.2. This is a play. There are necessarily constraints on the "special effects" that can happen. Similarly there are really few plots that are possible (person faces external hardship and overcomes, or doesn't; person faces intrapersonal conflict and resolves it, or doesn't).3. This play has some major components addressing how we in Western society always want what we can't have, and how we think "if only this had (or hadn't) happened, then my life would have been so much better", and how completely incorrect that can be.Spoiler alert! Stop here if you don't want to know any key elements of the story.4. Time-turners: Yes, the supply of time-turners was completely destroyed in HP5. It's also been 20+ years since then. The Ministry of Magic never banned them being created, and even if they had, the Wizarding community is pretty fast and loose with rules. The rule about not going back more than 5 hours isn't a physical law, but one that indicates the catastrophic effects that can happen if one does go further back...as evidenced by this story.4a. Time-turners: The wealthy are able to procure things that the average person can't, and can get a "pass" because they are privileged.5. Delphi: I can completely believe Bellatrix would want to be the mother of Voldemort's child. I have a harder time picturing Voldemort being ok with having a child, because s/he would be a potential rival, and he has no natural affection for anyone. (mentally I was like-- thishas to be artificial insemination!) I find Delphi's overwhelming desire to please her father an interesting juxtaposition to Albus's desire to annoy his.6. Cedrick would never have been a death-eater: You can only be misused, the deck stacked unjustly, and be faced with unreasonable expectations for so long before you chuck fairness into the bin. Cedrick could have become a Death Eater just to spite HP.7. Harry was really out of character: Harry was never the fabulous hero that too many fans made him out to be... he was a rule-breaker, a liar, a thief, not good at homework, frequently vengeful and unreasonable when it came to people he disliked. He's a frustrated, overworked Ministry official who sometimes gets it wrong (as he's done in the past), who is over-protective and has personal prejudices. If you've never said something you shouldn't have to a child, especially in the heat of the moment of frustration or anger, then chances are pretty good you're not a parent.8. Hermione, Ron, Ginny, whomever isn't much of a character anymore: no, this is a story about Harry, Albus and Scorpios. Accept that and move on.9. How could they all stand there and watch October 31, 1981 happen again? This is the whole point... changing one thing changes everything, and who you are is a result of all you have experienced. If we are fortunate, we will be able to look back on those devastatingly difficult times, and see how they brought us to the present moment to those we love, and it will have been worth the price.