Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

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biblioem
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Re: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Post by biblioem »

As a fan of the series, there was no way I wasn't going to read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. And, because I am such a fan, I did enjoy reading about the next generation...but I definitely agree with others that this read more like fanfiction than an actual eighth entry in the series. Some elements had an almost soap-opera-y feel that I just couldn't reconcile with the Harry Potter and gang that I know and love. I do think that this, like any other play, is meant to be seen not read, and I look forward to seeing it performed (if it ever comes anywhere near me).

Overall, read if you are a Harry Potter fan, but set your expectations low and appreciate Harry Potter and the Cursed Child for what it is.
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Post by Genaaa »

I haven't read this yet but I keep seeing stuff about it all over twitter. Words can't express my excitement to read it as I absolutely loved The Harry Potter series when I was younger.
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mauralynn
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Post by mauralynn »

I have been a Harry Potter fan for just about as long as I can remember; however after I finished reading The Cursed Child, I found myself wishing that I hadn't. I had so many ideas and expectations about how the next generations of witches and wizards would be and I feel like this book took that away from me. I think my biggest issue with it was how they painted Ron Weasley. His character felt so different in this book as opposed to the Ron I came to love in the original series. It was well written, and I can see how it would've been great as a play. So kudos to those who enjoyed it. As for me, not my cup of tea. What can a girl do?
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Wasif Ahmed
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Post by Wasif Ahmed »

Seems like a really great book. It is in too much demand at my library so I cannot get my hands on it but will definitely give it a try if I get a chance.

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Post by hartsocktr »

"Harry Potter and The Cursed Child" by J.K Rowlings, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne was a treat to read. I read all of the Harry Potter series, and I was so happy to see the characters that I grew up with grow up as well. Tons of my friends did not like the screenplay, simply because it was a screenplay. However, as a mega fan, I enjoyed seeing my heroes and "villains" grow into extraordinary wizards. I appreciate Draco's character development. From the beginning, I was rooting for him to have a change, and He did.

Another pleasing aspect of this book is the child/parent relationship. Especially the one between Harry and Albus. It highlights the lack of experience Harry has with father figures and being a father. Harry as a father is interesting. He is by far way too judgmental of his black sheep of a son. He constantly fights with Albus, and at times you feel like screaming at him. Draco and Scorpius's relationship is also really well done. It is completely different than Draco and Lucius's relationship. Draco is a somewhat distant father partially because he doesn't know how to connect with his son. This is another result of Lucius, being Draco is terrified of being his father.

Overall, this is a fun read! I loved it, and it brought closure to the grand Harry Potter series. I hope they bring the play to Broadway so that I would be able to see it live!

:D
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alex-l
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Post by alex-l »

The Cursed Child disappointed me so much. I thought it was going to be so much better. And the wired part is that it was given very good reviews on the play.
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Post by Tami216- »

I was always a fervent Harry potter fan and I have read each book in the series many times over. When The Cursed Child came out I wasn't expecting anything great because of the disappointed feedback from my friends. However, when I began to read the book, I actually liked it. The story started off lighthearted and funny despite the tension underlining the Potters' home-lives. While I really enjoyed the insight into Harry's life after the war, the entire plot was a huge disappointment. There was absolutely no point to it, and it was pretty obvious from the start where the story was going. It was also very frustrating that the characterization didn't seem to match up to what was shown in the original series.
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Post by Jjnessie 33 »

I got the book the day it came out but I'm holding back from reading it because I don't like that it is in script format and not written like a normal book. scripts don't take me long to read and I don't find them all that entertaining.
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Post by MaryKnight »

I recently read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and I was extremely disappointed. When I heard that the eighth installment was coming out as a continuing of the original series, I was ecstatic. I knew that they were also making a stage production in London so I thought that this was going to be a really big treat for all of us HP fans.

To start, the book was written in the form of a script. Not my biggest complaint, but not my favorite thing about the book either. I knew the stage production in London was a big hit but I did not want to read the 8th installment in that format. But this was also something I could get past.

Secondly, we knew that it was not going to completely focus on the main characters from the series. So I was excited to see how their legacies would live on through their children. Albus Severus and Scorpius were whiny and arrogant (somewhat like their fathers when they were that age) but it was a little over the top at times. It was difficult to take them seriously at times, especially when they didn't learn from their mistakes the first time around.

The plot twist involving Delphie was what took me over the edge. If you've read the first 7 books of the series, you would understand that there is no way possible her story line is plausible. If she was just a long lost cousin trying to avenge Cedrics death, that would have been okay for me. But the twist of being someone else was too much of a stretch and I couldn't get on board with that.

Overall, my hopes were destroyed and I would not recommend reading if you haven't already. If you STILL want to read it, save your money and borrow a copy from a friend that already got it.
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Post by Ljessup »

I finished reading this about three weeks ago and had to give myself time to digest what I thought. I think overall is was okay. It being in script format was quite frustrating, but I buried that since it is also a play and continued on. I enjoyed the fact that original characters were present and had some action within the book. I also enjoyed the different scenarios that were revealed as the children went back in time and tried to change the past and fix mistakes. I wished we could have had a bigger connection with Rose, James, Lily, and Hugo. I know that might seem selfish of me as the play is based on Albus and Scorpius' adventure to try and change past events and then fix errors, but I wanted so badly to relive, to an extent, the magic I experienced with Harry, Ron, and Hermione as a child. I was also a bit frustrated with how many times they had to go back and fix what was done and felt as if it would never end and had to remind myself not to just skip to the end as there might have been vital information in the middle I needed to understand for the ending. I enjoyed Delphi's character, but wanted her to stay true to form near the end when she causes me to pity her instead of wonder what will become of her like Voldemort always provided in his reign of terror. Harry taking Albus to Cedric's grave to end the play was not at all what I was searching for, but it made sense based on how the play was written thus far. I appreciated the dedication to keep Harry as the caring person he has always been, but I can't say that I didn't want more. I was happy with the read when finished, but felt there could have been many different avenues to travel down and more acts to it than what I read. Still just as excited though, and feel that this particular work from J.K Rowling has to be seen, rather than read, to be completely appreciated.

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Post by twitsken »

I purchased this book at the midnight release party at Barnes and Noble I've been a Potterhead since I read the first book in first grade 18 years ago. Upon first reading the book I found it hastily written with a bad fan fiction vibe. It wasn't until my second reading that I rediscovered the magic that is a new Harry Potter story. It stays true to the characters, and original series but adds new twists and eeve more material to the Harry Potter universe.
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Post by Guppy »

The script format took a while to get used to but I loved the story and finding out what had changed in the Harry Potter universe since the last book.
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Post by Caoilfhionn73 »

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was a very enjoyable read. Myself and my four daughters are massive fans of the Harry Potter books. There was great anticipation in our house waiting for the postman to arrive.
As it is a play and not a novel it is a very different experience reading it. On the whole I thought it was good. It helps if you have read plays before. It is a big jump to imagine Harry and the other central characters as adults with their own children at Hogwarts. Once you get into it you have to keep reading to see what happens. I found it confusing at times with the time turner and the jumping back in time.
Certain fans are always going to be disappointed but in my opinion it was a good read.
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Post by Aurakzai »

I have always been a huge fan of Harry Potter books, having read and re-read them many times over and still feel the same excitement, every time I start to read the books from the beginning. Sooo, Imagine my excitement when I saw the 8th book this summer as I was strolling down the shopping mall.
I felt the same exhilarating feel when I held it.. Finally, I was going to read what happened with Harry Potter. My expectation was high. I finished the book in set 24 hours.
I must say, I was disappointed to see the script format of the book, as I had always enjoyed the details of the wizard world and all the little details Rowling put into her writing. The book started in the fourth gear and for a while I thought it was going to be Harry's life problems dominating the storyline. It gets exciting with the time turners and even more so, when the cursed child is finally revealed. Somehow I had naturally assumed that the cursed child was Harry's second son Albus. I was wrong. But I must admit, It was not nearly as adventurous as the Harry Potter's adventures. It almost felt like "muggle adventures". The Harry Potter spark was missing for me.. I still like it though :)
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Post by Becky Mb »

I loved the Harry Potter series and we have the play but I haven't read it yet. I was kind of "saving it" but also wonder if it might be a bit more challenging because of the format. Will have to read eventually though!
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