rating: 9/10
Finished this book within a day! I wish I could watch this play live! I know many Harry Potter fans did not like this book because of the style of writing and the way it was more character-driven.
However, I feel that’s the beauty of plays! It’s entirely dialogue and actions and scenes; it can be dramatic and more of a “show not tell”. (Many people will probably disagree but I respect all your opinions) I have actually only read the first two books of the Harry Potter series.
I started reading the first book in 2008 when I was six, and I was reluctant to put down my Grimm Brother fairytales for a book my mom forced me to read just because “it was her favourite book”. I picked it up again in 2013, I found the book rather childish and narrative. It was about magic, so I wanted magical and enchanting descriptions that would make me in awe and want to be a wizard too. I longed for action, for oohs and ahhs. I wanted something different from:
“It was a dark, cloudy night and they were a bit late arriving at Hagrid’s hut because they’d had to to wait for Peeves to get out of their way in the Entrance Hall, where he’d been playing tennis against the wall.”
This one sentence is four lines long in the book, and I found my eyes hurting from staring at those extensive and draggy sentences for hours.
I understand that many people grew up following the release of each book, and that’s probably why it was more suited for their age. Don’t get me wrong, I love all the Harry Potter movies. I love the friendship of the Golden Trio, I love the parallels of the Wizarding World, I love the magic and their lessons and their growth throughout those years. I think it’s beautiful and there’s a strong sense of pathos attached to these characters— you just can’t help cry seeing Hermione having to watch Ron “be in love” with Lavender (I hope this doesn’t come as a spoiler to anybody!)
The Cursed Child gave me what the other seven books of Harry Potter didn’t. It was the free will to interpret characters for yourselves without having to be told that person was a “git” or that person was “attractive” and not get influenced by what Harry thinks. It’s a stage through your own eyes, and I love it! It also gave me what I expected from the children of our beloved characters — realism. Albus Potter, son of our beloved hero, does not want to be the great Gryffindor hero his father is! It makes sense, that he does not want to have to carry his father’s name like a burden. He does not want to be held down by the expectations of the entire Wizarding World just for being his father’s son. Scorpius thinks the same way, except that he also carries the weight of the infamous “Malfoy” name, and most people don’t see him for what his really is— kind, caring and beautiful. (It’s quite obvious he’s my favourite character in Cursed Child) I expected him to be Ravenclaw actually. I think his life might have turned out quite differently if he were in Ravenclaw.
Lastly, I love the three generations of the Potter-Malfoy relationship!!! (The Boy who lived vs The Boy who had no choice, The Boys who didn’t want to be held down by expectations of being their fathers’ sons.) I really like how Albus liked Delphini, Scorpius’ cousin, and how Scorp likes Al’s cousin, Rose. PARALLELS! Oh, and I love the nicknames and how good friends Scorp and Al are. It made me think that Harry and Draco could have been equally good friends, if not for their plights they were thrust into, the minute they were born.  was bittersweet
Cursed Child was bittersweet, humorous and hopeful all at once.
daisyfield 