Fun and Satisfying Sequel (Staff Review) Having been the perfect age to get completely absorbed in the Harry Potter mania that swept the world back in the day, I was equal parts excited and skeptical about the creation of an "eighth book" -- I wanted more Potter, but I also felt that the original canon was sacred and not to be tampered with.
That said, I was not disappointed. Harry's son Albus (the protagonist) was a completely unique character as was his friend Scorpius Malfoy. The characters from the original series make appearances as side characters, and you meet them enough to completely enjoy getting reacquainted with them while staying distant enough to not take away from the new plot line. The story itself was very clever and enjoyable.
The screenplay format did take away from the story a bit. Because the descriptions are so basic and straightforward, it felt like without seeing the acting and directing, I was missing half of the story. I'm now excited for the play, but a little disappointed that I read the screenplay first, because all the twists won't be as exciting.
Finally, I found the way magic was portrayed as kind of weak and ambiguous compared to the magic in the books. Whether this was because of the writers, or the limits of the screenplay format, I'm not sure. In the end, I enjoyed it for the most part -- it was fun. But it's just not the same. The original 7 can never be added upon for true fans. - Paul, Kitchener Public Library
Not your typical Potter tale Yes this is a Harry Potter story, but it's definitely not a Harry Potter novel with the wonderful depths each of those books brought to the reader. Even knowing I was about to read a script for the West-end play, I think I still expected more - and hoped to hear at least an echo of the Potter tales so many of us know and love. But, for me, this was a pale imitation that did not fully engage me. It was very readable, switching easily between characters we already know and new ones who have naturally arrived since we last left the world of Hogwarts. Sadly most characters appear very lightweight and I must especially say that I was very disappointed in the way it treats Ron Weasley, making him appear to have descended into benign buffoonery as he aged. All in all I was left with the distinct feeling that this is a postscript tale created purely to cash-in on the Potter name, and not a story that HAD to be written because it was banging on the inner doors of an author who knew they had to bring it out into the world.
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" (Staff review) I am one of the Potter fans who has lined up for countless hours in true Harry Potter fashion (costume and all) for midnight releases at Chapters!
Not surprisingly, I have been eagerly awaiting the 8th installment to the series!! I devoured my copy of "The Cursed Child" in less than 8 hours and feel somewhat satiated. I must admit, being such a fan my expectations were quite high.
It is important to bear in mind that this is a script for a theatrical play so the reader will not get the benefits of Rowling's skilled narration and character development. What is more, the script is in fact NOT written by Rowling and I could hear the absence of her voice in the readings despite the valiant efforts of playwrights Jack Thorne and John Tiffany.
The authors did succeed in capturing the overall essence of the characters and we do get to delve deeper into lesser known characters such as Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape.
Part I of the play is a little slow but hang in there because Part II will give you whiplash it moves so fast!
Go Gryffindors! (Sabrina, Waterloo Public Library)
Harry I didn’t know what to expect from the eight Harry Potter story, partly because it was a play, and partly because for the first time Jo Rowling was letting other authors into her world. I wasn’t disappointed. The story felt like it fit right into the world Rowling created and although it was necessarily missing the descriptive nature an author would achieve with a traditional novel, the dialogue filled in all those gaps. The heart of the story spoke to the relationship between parent and child, expectations and disappointment from both about how they see each other. It was a beautiful and moving story and a great conclusion to Harry Potter. – Meghan, Waterloo Public Library
A good epilogue to HP (Staff Review) I am a huge Potterhead but part of me hesitated to read this book because A) it is a screenplay and B) while the plot was Rowling's idea, this screenplay was written by two other authors. Would they get the feel right? Would it fit in well with the first seven books? Part of me wanted to know and part of me wanted to leave my knowledge of HP to the first 7 books. My internal dilemma lasted 24 hours. What I liked about this book ---> I got to revisit some of the characters that I loved from the series and see what happened to them after the Battle of Hogwarts. The authors got Rowling's sense of humour right. I adored Albus and Scorpius's characters - how they related to each other and their parents - and surprised myself by liking Draco and Scorpius so much. There were some great suspenseful scenes and a good twist and readers get to see a very different side to Harry, other characters and their relationships. What I wasn't fond of in this book ---> There was a lot of jumping around with time travel which made it a little convoluted at times. My biggest issue was that I was not a fan of reading a screen play. I did not like it. Not one bit. It felt awkward and didn't flow well. And I think by using this format the reader misses out on Rowling's immense talent of pulling her readers into her world with her vivid descriptions (that is IF she had written this book herself). I would have much preferred for her to write a novel and if she wanted to publish the screenplay then do so as a separate publication. But she apparently doesn't require my two cents before publication. ;) Overall, this is a good addition to the Potter universe but as I read my rating wavered with my favourite parts clearly being the second half of the book (the first half had a 3 star feel). The last half is when the action picks up and secrets are revealed. I consider this Harry Potter: The Next Generation and an epilogue to the original series. While it does have its place in the Potter universe, the format (screen play written by other authors) diminished my ability to immerse myself into her world again., Laurie P, Waterloo Public Library