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The Cursed Child


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I'm not sure if there is a thread on this topic. I did the search in the upper right corner and didn't find one but if there is one, please direct me to it, lol!

 

I was wondering who will be reading the Cursed Child by J. K. Rowling? Anyone pre-order the book yet?

Edited by Virginia
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  • 1 month later...

I've just finished reading it and although obviously it would have been a lot more enjoyable to read as a novel, I did enjoy the story as a whole.

 

I'm not one to criticise Rowling, who am I to do that, but I feel she could make a whole new set of books based on this story and really take off with it. Give us more depth and detail and bring it to life in cinemas again

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I loved the Harry Potter series but I found myself really disappointed with this one. I scoured the internet to find how other people thought about it but it seemed fairly mixed. I don't know if it's because of the format of the script that made it hard for me to connect with the story. I have read other plays before and loved them but I found that one of the things I love about JK Rowling is the way she writes her novels so maybe it has influenced me.

 

 

One of the biggest problems I had with this book was the Time Turners. Since they were so controversial in the third book when they didn't reappear any time after that I found it an odd choice that it was used so heavily here. Instead of explaining how they worked, it made the whole thing more muddied. In the third book it appeared that going back in time didn't change the future, only helped to shape what it was originally. But in the play it changed the future so drastically that I got the alternate dimensions vibe.

 

 

I had more to say but I don't walk to make this too long so I wrote more about in on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1544466112

Edited by Kylie
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I read it this morning.  I can't deny, I was a bit excited before starting, and had put it off until I knew I had time to sit and read it in one go, but this morning worked out perfectly.  I still have some problems with the later books in the series being too long, and I found it a refreshing change to read this latest element of the story as a play.  I did enjoy it, and I wondered how they could possibly stage some of the scenes, and perhaps they will film it and broadcast it on television or issue it on DVD so that it can reach a wider audience who can get the full experience (maybe one of those live theatre cinema broadcasts they do nowadays).  

 

I'm currently listening to the audiobook of Deathly Hallows, so when I've finished that, I might come back and read the play again. :)

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Though it's reported that there are no plans for it to become a movie, I think that if it becomes popular enough that it could happen. Especially since Warner Bros have optioned the rights just in case. But if that doesn't happen I am sure that it will be filmed. Or something will happen so the play can be shared with many more people. There is no way that they would limit this play to London.

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My Mum has loaned me her copy and I'm about a dozen or so scenes in. Enjoying it so far, although I find Albus a bit of a petulent, sulky brat - LOL!

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I've read this and while Harry Potter is my favourite ever book series I was a little disappointed with this. I thought the plot was a little far fetched and I didnt enjoy how some of the characters were portrayed. Still its a Harry Potter book and I'm happy to have another but to me it read rather like fan fiction.

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I've read this and while Harry Potter is my favourite ever book series I was a little disappointed with this. I thought the plot was a little far fetched and I didnt enjoy how some of the characters were portrayed. Still its a Harry Potter book and I'm happy to have another but to me it read rather like fan fiction.

I felt the same. I've just finished reading it, and although I did enjoy it, I felt parts of it were a little garbled and confusing, or, at least, not as well put as they could have been - there were several parts I had to read more than once to really get the gist of what was happening. Granted, I do most of my reading late at night, so tiredness may account for some of that, but I had similar trouble during the final battle in the last HP novel. (Seriously, I read that whole section three times before I could get to grips with who had done what and how and when and where - LOL.)

 

I know script is a far different format from novel, but I'm used to reading scripts (you get to be when you're on the stage from being a kid!). This didn't scan particularly smoothly for me, and it felt quite jarring when it jumped from one time period to another, even before the whole time turner business - it just didn't flow well for me. And the characters all felt rather flat - they completely lacked the dimension they had in the novels.

 

However, it remains that I did enjoy the story, and I'm glad I read it, but I'm equally glad I didn't fork out for it myself, and instead borrowed my Mum's copy, because I would have felt a little put out if I'd been out of pocket for this. I won't be buying my own copy to add to my Potter collection - I shall leave it as it is.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Harry Potter books are supposed to be magical. At least that's what I have come to believe until now. But there was something missing in this book. It wasn't quite that magical.

For one, it lacked powerful characters like dumbledore. And the picturization of Minerva was downright disappointing. To think that she might bow down to anyone, even Harry is unacceptable. That was not her. To snoop around teenage boys just because one of their father said so was ridiculous. She is the indomitable principal of Hogwarts, not just some petty baby-sitter!!!!

Entertaining characters like Luna were missing. The story seemed to have too serious an undertone even though Rowling's humour shines through the clouds now and then.

There was no scene or character that was unforgettable as so many were in the original series. It was disappointing because I have read better fabrics than this.

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I originally wasn't going to purchase this book, but after the rave reviews by the media after the previews of the show about how amazing it was I caved in and pre-ordered it a few days before it was released.  My main reasons for doing so was 1) it continues the story of Harry Potter and 2) I will probably never see the play.  However, I've yet to pick it up, partly because of the reading slump I've been in but mainly because I'm worried it will be one big disappointment.  I'm not too keen on the script format but I am willing to give it a go, just so I can get a glimpse into the magical world of Harry Potter again.  I just have to go into with an open mind.

 

It does annoy me that they're marketing it as the 8th Harry Potter book though because it's not a novel and it hasn't been written solely by J. K. Rowling.

 

I really, really, REALLY wish she would write more Harry Potter books... maybe set around the time James and Lily were at school.  How amazing would that be?!

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I hope that I don't give anything away. For some reason I can't find the "spoiler" option.

 

The script was a struggle at first because I'm not a "play" reader. It took me two attempts to work past it but I finally did and completed the reading in two sittings. 

 

It's not what I expected. I wanted to know what happened to the Weasleys and Some of the other major players. It was disconcerting with the time changing and I often felt that Harry, Heromine and Ron's characters were just too NOT them. How old IS McGonegall? Dumbledoor...well, not what I expected. 

 

Overall I guess it was a good read. I don't feel the need to go back and read it again but I will purchase it as part of my HP book collection. 

 

There's more that I'd like to say but again, it would involve revelations and I don't want to do that.

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I like everyone else was so thrilled to hear of another book of Harry Potter.  Yes I enjoyed it but did feel the original characters were a bit feeble.  I suppose it was centered around Albus and Scorpios so the others got left behind a bit.

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I know that plays are not as easy to read and get the most out of but think it's important to think about how this is only the script, and not a novel, so you're only getting one element of the story.  It can be difficult, but I try to imagine what this would look like on a stage, not a television or film screen with computer generated effects, but live action taking place in front of me.  I think it must be pretty magical (groan, sorry I couldn't think of another word, but it's such a terrible pun :D) to see that script brought to life in front of your eyes.
 
I wonder how many people saw the play first and then read the script, and if they had a different view.  Again, that might be difficult, because I'm sure all those who saw the play before the script was released, were probably mostly die-hard Harry Potter fans, who would love the script no matter what, but I imagine having seen it performed first of all, it would be amazing to then be able to go home and relive it in your minds eye while reading the book. :)
 
I think I've said it before, but I'd love it if they did one of those broadcasts of plays into cinema screens so that it could reach more people.

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  • 1 month later...

I was very excited to read this just because it's another Harry Potter book. For this only, I liked it, I enjoyed reading about all the characters I loved while I was growing up. Not a fan of the plot to be honest, and I really didn't like Albus at all! I guess because of the format you can't get enough details and context, which I think would have made it more enjoyable for me. Still, it was part of the Harry Potter world, can't deny it put me in a good mood. 

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  • 2 months later...

I thought it was a good book, although after reading all of your comments I definetely agree with most of you. When I read the book I really enjoyed it, but now I think that it wasn't what I expected from the book. When I first read all the books I expected a bit more of Ron and Hermione, and less a sort of spin-off. With those who say that it should become a movie, you're totally RIGHT, I would love it if I could see the play, but I think the movie would be good too.

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I wonder how many people saw the play first and then read the script, and if they had a different view.  Again, that might be difficult, because I'm sure all those who saw the play before the script was released, were probably mostly die-hard Harry Potter fans, who would love the script no matter what, but I imagine having seen it performed first of all, it would be amazing to then be able to go home and relive it in your minds eye while reading the book. :)

 

I'm a pretty die-hard Potter fan, and pretty much for that reason I did not like the script at all. The characters where just not well written. I felt most of the old characters where just off. Ron e.x. was reduced to a comic relieve, Hermione seemed way understated, Snape was quite simply not Snape, etc.

Also, there where some holes in the plot where it meets the plot of the books. It just doesn't quite fit together, it seems shoehorned in.

 

And as someone who reads a lot of HP Fanfiction, I just felt a lot of the relationships and plot points where just popular, not to say stereotypical, fan fiction storylines. The whole thing seemed to me as fan service written by someone who is not a big fan himself, and that put me off immensely.

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  • 1 month later...

I didn't hate it. I could never hate anything J.K. Rowling is involved in. However, I was disappointed. I felt that it didn't show the depth I expected from it. The characters weren't as spot on and the plot didn't hook me. It felt slightly off. I enjoyed it, but it didn't live up to my preconceived notion of what Harry Potter should be. 

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