Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two
Ratings925
Average rating3
Meh. Reads just like slightly below average Harry Potter fanfiction.
Worst part: The characters behaved - for lack of a better word - uncharacteristically. (Don't even mention the plot holes) This leaves me feeling extremely underwhelmed.
This was a disappointing addition to the Harry Potter canon. Read like bad fan-fiction.
I found the book, or play I should say, quite boring. I'm not sure why, but I just could not wait for the script to end. I'm glad I didn't get this book when it came out for the $30 and waited because it was not worth that much.
If I could give a 0 star review I would have done it.
If you like Harry Potter don't read this I wish I haven't.
I have read and loved the series. I felt the characters lacked depth and development, likely depending on the actors to show that emotion and nuance. 3.5 stars, 3 for the story and 4 for knowing more about some of the myriad of characters.
Honestly felt kind of like a cash grab. 80% of the enjoyment I got out of it was only because I was already attached to the characters in the original series. A lot of the book just makes you relive some of the moments that happened in the previous books, and those were the only moments that actually got some emotion out of me.
I enjoyed the friendship of little Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter, super adorable. Besides that, I really can't consider this a good book, since it's entirely standing on the previous work. Really can't imagine enjoying this at all if I weren't already a fan beforehand.
Cursed Child? More like cursed book. I hated everything about it. Gave it a full star instead of a half only because I love the world so much and it was nice to see some of my favorite characters again after so long.
As a former theatre kid, the play format didn't bother me at all, but the story itself was terrible. I've seen people call it a well-written fan-fiction and honestly that's an insult to many of the amazing fan-fictions out there.
NO PUEDO CREER QUE HAYAN HECHO ESTO CANON.
Sólo me lo terminé por Scorpius, claramente.
No sé si me borraron mal la memoria pero en los primeros guiones Scorpbus no se besan? por qué cambiaron esas historias tan horriblemente forzoso e hicieron a Harry una escoria
As someone who read the books after watching the movies, I completely devoured each and every Harry Potter book, taking in the details the movies so conveniently left out. In my excitement and emotions to read everything “Harry Potter”, I completely ignored the numerous warnings by my friends to not read this one.
I am not saying it was disappointing because that would be an understatement! This book was completely berserk, to put it mildly. I cannot, for even a second, believe that the same author who wrote the 7 Harry Potter books also wrote this one. It feels like a fan fiction written by a teenager. For starters, there is unnecessary drama, extremely high emotions, the writing is all off. It just gets worse as you progress through the story.
If I started listing everything wrong with the book, it will take me ages and a series of my own to complete this review, but here is a hint of why this book is everything that should not exist -
1. The book is less “magical” and more science fiction for the most part. The entire premise is based on changing the past to bring Cedric Diggory back, and ending up bringing Voldemort back instead, which on the face of it itself is quite stupid, to say the least.
2. The characters are so not themselves. For instance, Harry is an extremely bad father from what I could guess, and that does not sound like Harry at all. At few points he is even rude to McGonagall and Ginny without any justification. Ron is bumbling baboon and a complete and utterly useless idiot. Hermione, in one timeline (yes, there are different timelines) becomes DADA professor instead of Minister for Magic, and is rude, unfair, bitter, and “too eager” to take points from Gryffindor (a house she LOVED).
2. Albus is a spoilt brat. James and Lily (Harry and Ginny's other two kids) have absolutely no role after the first few pages. Rose (Ron and Hermione's daughter) only appears for namesake in few parts, and even ceases to exist in two timelines. Hugo Weasley and Ted Lupin are not so much as mentioned even once.
3. Draco has different sob story. He is suddenly better than Harry (physically, emotionally, as a father, as a person, as a reasonable prudent man). While this itself is hard to digest, he also falls in love with a woman who dies soon after the first few pages, and we never know exactly who she is. Draco has a son - who is funnily enough named Scorpius and who happens to become “best friends” with Albus daughter.
4. Scorpius, who otherwise is a good character, is rumored to be son of Voldemort. And if this doesn't sound bad enough, get this - the exact rumor is that Draco and his wife could not conceive so a time turner was used to send her back and conceive with Voldemort!!!! Who even thinks up this stuff?????? I was genuinely concerned about JKR's sanity at this point.
5. Now Scorpius is only rumored to be Voldemort's son, but guess what? We discover Voldemort actually has a daughter!!! And she is trying to change the past with Albus and Scorpius to bring Voldemort back, and now everyone - Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Draco are trying to prevent her from doing so. I gave up here.
The only positives? Well, there are none. But you could say it was good to see Snape alive in the timeline where Voldemort still exists, and the fact that he was still trying to secretly fight him along with an underground Hermione and Ron, years after Harry died. But the timeline was still ruined because suddenly Cedric Diggory (the most pure hearted boy) is a DEATH EATER!!!!!
Anyway, I do not completely regret reading the book because it gives me a sense of closure. I admit I even got extremely emotional at some points - Snape talking to Scorpius, and Harry talking to Dumbledore's painting, or future Harry seeing his parents being killed all over again.
However, everything aside, I cannot accept this book as part of the series. It just won't do. The author who gave us the previous 7 masterpieces cannot create this.
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.
left no impact on me but had some nostalgia..
some of the dialogue just felt very unlike what the characters would ever say....
I thought this was slow starting but then got me back into the world. I liked the new characters and how in the end everyone overcame their differences and changed for the better. It was nice to read something uplifting for a change.
Tengo sentimientos confusos con este libro. No lo considero canon porque hay incoherencias y los personajes muchas veces están re out of character. No veo a esta obra siendo lo que de verdad pasó en el futuro de Harry.
Sin embargo, como una obra aparte me gustó hasta por ahí. Me emocionó y me atrapó. Pero no es suficiente para mí.
En fin, no sé bien qué decir, pero eso es algo
“harry potter and the cursed child” who? i only know “the scar had not pained harry potter for nineteen years. all was well.”
Wow! I didn't expect to love this one as much as I did. This was a lot of fun to follow the adventures of Harry and Malfoy's son and “see” Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny and Malfoy as adults. LOVED this one ❤️
An enjoyable follow up to the Harry Potter series. Some nice twists and some good suspense. Keen to see this performed live.
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.
I am certain the stage production of this is heaps better.
As this was a script and not a novel, the plot was good but without J.K Rowling's extensive character descriptions, the story just lacks magic.
Feels more of a children's amateur tale rather than an epilogue.
(Or dare I say 8th part as its advertised)
Dialogues seemed forced. Constantly reminding the reader of past events.
But who doesn't like a bit of nostalgia eh?
Looks lovingly at Tales of Beedle the Bard
2 1/2 stars. I'm not sorry I read it, but. I read once that Rowling regrets the epilogue to Deathly Hallows, that she wrote it to please fans. So this script surprises me, because it's an extension and justification of that epilogue.
And it doesn't ring true, especially with regards to Ron and Hermione. Ron took on Fred and George's joke shop, and their personalities. “Oh no we're going to get in trouble” Ron is now practical joker extrovert Ron. It feels off. Also, Ron is super kissy-smoochy with Hermione in a way that feels forced in the script, and doesn't feel reciprocated to me. In almost every scene they are in together, Ron is either declaring his love randomly to her, kissing her, or blowing her a kiss...it's odd. They don't have chemistry, not in my opinion.
The story itself, saving Cedric Diggory, the major guilt of Harry's life, is an interesting device. Add to that what happened to Bellatrix, and this could have been much more than it was.
My rating: 3.7
“ALBUS: Friends?
SCORPIUS: Always“
I'm going to be honest with you here, I did not expect to like this book but it snuck up on me and took me by surprise. Though there were some little plot holes that I noticed, this story was really good! It perfectly displayed the characters of the Harry Potter series that we all know and love, and even introduced some more! It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time and completely captured me in this new world. Though a lot of people say they don't like this book, and while the story was never asked for, I genuinely loved it and would recommend it to any fans of the series!
Scorpius and Albus should have ended up together