Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - thoughts?

michellen303

I've finished reading Harry Potter and the Cursed Child already (!) but don't want to speak too much about it on social media or to friends because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I figured speaking in a forum would be a safer way for people to share their thoughts!

I was really disappointed by it to be completely honest. I didn't think the plot was strong and the new characters were flat. Nothing about it made me excited or surprised. It was great to catch up with what the main characters are doing - Hermione as Minister for Magic was the highlight for me!

Does anyone else feel underwhelmed by it?

tracy18

I feel the same way. I feel let down by the book which is nothing but a script of a play. I didn't connect with the new characters cos no time was spent to show their back story, their upbringing etc. And books are supposed to provoke your imagination and transport you to a whole new world all together like the earlier Harry Potter scripts did. All this can't be expected from a play script which is just exchange of dialogues between people. Cursed Child looks like a plan to earn quick bucks using Harry Potter's name. The play might be great but the book ain't.

andy1249

A lot of negative reviews on this , but all born from ignorance.
From day one this was always intended to be a play for the stage only.
It has always been advertised as such from the outset.

As with all plays , and indeed movies, you cannot review based on a copy of the script.
You either see the play and review or you don't.

No reading of any script for any medium is a substitute.
It will never do the final product justice.

This was never a book or novel. It cannot be judged as such.

hippo99

I've watched the play, and it brings the 'flat' script to life (& then some)

Would people read the lyrics to a song (without listening to the actual song), & decide the song must be poor because it didn't do anything for them when they read the lyrics?

michellen303

I appreciate that it's a play but even from reading a script, you get a strong sense of the characters and the overall story. For me the characters and the story just weren't that great.

hippo99

...Hence why a great many reviewers have said they don't particularly like the book/script, but think the play is great & recommend people watch the play instead?

michellen303

I didn't enjoy the story and the characters. That's all I'm saying. I love how petty people become on forums...

hippo99

All I'm saying is IF you do want to enjoy it more, then it might be an idea to watch it/consume it as it was originally intended.

andy1249

Take any of the books, remove everything except the dialog, and you have the equivalent of a script.
I dont think you,d have anything like the same sense of character and overall story.

tracy18

I think they should never have advertised it as the eight book. It is a script of the play not a book. I am sure the play must be brilliant, but by publishing it in disguise of a book it seems as if the JKR and Jack Thorne wanted to make easy money cashing on the Harry Potter craze among the fans.