Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: A compelling disappointment

To many young adults of today, the “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling was a huge part of their childhood. It was no surprise to me that when “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” was released under Rowling’s name that it quickly became a best- seller.

Sales, however, do not mean everything.

Ever since the book was released on July 31st, it received a fair amount of heat from hardcore fans of the original series who had been hoping for Rowling’s own creation of her own crafted words.

So where does this book fit in with its seven predecessors? Some Potterheads would argue that “The Cursed Child” does not belong in the “Harry Potter” collection at all.

The story itself picks up where Rowling’s final book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” left off, then weaves masterfully through the Harry Potter world’s timeline.

Though I feel it is a tacky way of doing it, “The Cursed Child” succeeds in tying back to its origin by using the time-turner to visit events from Rowling’s original books. The night Harry Potter became “The Boy Who Lived,” the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and several returning characters all come into play as unexpected twists and turns drag the son of Harry Potter through time itself.

One particular spin of the story involving the character Delphi, completely alters an important element of the original series and is uncharacteristic of Rowling’s stories.

The plot is compelling. The magical world that Rowling developed is so rich, it carries its own throughout “The Cursed Child.” However, the screenplay itself proves lacking in echoing the magical world of “Harry Potter.”

I was disappointed that Rowling labeled the screenplay as the eighth book to the “Harry Potter” series. The potential she built through ten years, seven books and eight movies was thrown away toward a screenplay that takes less than five hours to read.

While the story itself is a real page-turner and I would certainly recommend that fans of the original “Harry Potter” series add it to their “To-Read” list, I feel let down by this “sequel” to such a magical and captivating series.

 

1 Comment on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: A compelling disappointment

  1. I was disappointed too.

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