Jack Thorne (2) (1978–)

So much love! OK, first of all, it’s in script format. No doubt that disappointed some--it's not a new novel. But for me it was a plus. For one, none of the stylistic tics that have bugged me in Rowling were present: No jarring book-saids or adjective abuse. It’s not bloated in plot; there aren’t any plot holes that I can see. One of my friends said she did roll her eyes at one aspect, but even with her that was a minor complaint.

There's another way I find this a past due recognition. show more The way Gryffindor dominated the other books and all the Slytherins were depicted negatively really bugged me. One quarter of the kids are cool and another quarter evil little tyrants or their followers in the making? Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff still don't get their due but at least there are heroic Slytherins in this one and some Gryffindors who... well, let's say make some mistakes. There's one line of McGongall's I've been waiting for *someone* to say to Harry Potter for years: "The lesson even your father sometimes failed to heed is that bravery doesn’t forgive stupidity."

A lot of the lines are witty, out and out funny and/or wise. There are some old favorite characters that unexpectedly show up--a highlight of the book for me. And I love, love Scorpius beyond measure. In fact, in the immediate aftermath of reading this I'd name this my favorite Harry Potter story. No doubt partly because it's been a long time--I hadn't realized how much I'd missed them all. show less

“My geekness is a-quivering.”

- Scorpius, echoed by every Potterhead that has been fangirling over this screenplay since it was first hinted at

"She raised her wand and said, "[Vitiatus] Revelio." Nothing happened."“Well, you’ve just had a big shock,” said Ron kindly. “What was that supposed to do?" It was my I-don't-quite-remember-my-high-school-Latin-courses attempt at warning/revealing there might be spoilers lurking forthwith. Though this is a pretty good presumption to have show more about any review, really. If you haven't yet read this screenplay just consider this review a typed out version of Trelawney; it might ramble on or it might smack you over the head with some hardcore vaguenesses that some people take quite on the nose. Pun intended - and rather satisfying from this side of things.



Right then, review. This was a hard book to pick up and it's a hard book to review/rate. I've had it the past couple days and kept shuffling it off to the side. It's not that I wasn't excited for its release - it's a continuation of Harry Potter, of course I'm excited, my fangirl-side keeps exploding like she's swallowed a crate of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes fireworks - but it's been excitement tinged with trepidation. I certainly wanted more when the series drew to a close but it was the satisfied yearn of a highpoint ending. Rowling left her readers with a wealth of magical what-ifs and can-you-pictures. Part of me didn't want to stroll out of that magic and into an unknown, the possibility of crashing finality. So I knew I was going to read it but I also knew why I wouldn't be popping by any release parties and why it might get shuffled down a few pegs in my TBR. The anticipation built, however, and my fangirl side finally won out by gobbling this up earlier today.

In complete stuck-on-the-fence honesty, I both liked and disliked this addition to the series. Which makes my rating a puzzler because four stars doesn't really gel with a lukewarm read yet four stars feels about right. Partially because the story, while disappointing in areas, kept me interested in its resolution. Largely because this read came paired with a whole heaping pile of nostalgia.

I haven't read much HP fan fiction; I like lugging my books out and doing a reread whenever I get a hankering and just haven't sought much out. That being said, this screenplay reads like mid-road fan fiction. Which definitely doesn't sound complimentary, I'm aware, but isn't necessarily meant as an Avada Kedavra either. I love the universe Rowling built; the build of her wonderfully involved narrative that went into that universe continues to be important and beloved. For me, HP without this build doesn't read like HP. I get it - different format, different feel. However, it wasn't just the different feel that bothered me.

Rowling developed her main cast of characters over seven books - introducing new characters in this format is going to have some limitations in comparison. Still, just like the aforementioned build up of this magical world her readers have taken flight in during the books and afterwards, the fleshed out feel of these characters is a large aspect of the series' popularity. In this format even the well-known characters felt stunted to me - not in the least because they seemed so much less than they were. I missed the wit and heart of Hermione, the chemistry and sweetness of her and Ron. I missed Ron's nature - in the previous books we see nuance to his character but in this script he fills the field of a funny foil. Part of what is spectacular about Harry is that he has such a big heart after everything, but for a large part of this script I found myself wondering exactly where that heart went.

So, some letdowns. However, letdowns are an expected part of any addition to a beloved series in my opinion. We all take a certain perspective away from loved characters and well-worn pages which may or may not fit in with the perspective of its creator. So these letdowns and comparisons don't serve to diminish interest in this script nor the overall enjoyment of it. I was pulled in enough to be invested in how it would turn out and ended up feeling much more connected to what was happening as the play ended. I loved Scorpius - I loved how the friendship between Albus and Scorpius was both the epitome of the word as well as a learning process for them and for their families. I loved that we get to see a new layer of perspective from Ginny, Draco, and Snape previously unexperienced. While 'love' isn't quite the word for it, I really appreciated that we see further interaction between Harry and Aunt Petunia through his dreams - I think these moments add greatly to the perception of that relationship and environment while giving a good background insight into why Harry has such a gut-wrenching reaction to feeling unwanted by his child.

I think I liked where HP originally ended but I enjoyed the chance to fangirl over it all again, to be reunited with its magic in a unique way. It may be easier to consider it a mixture of 2, 3, and 4 stars rather than a solid 4 star read but I'll end up revisiting this book through the years as I have the others and can imagine I'll be grateful for it, perceived flaws and perfections all. As we know:

“Those we love never truly leave us."

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The Cursed Child features mostly the mechanics that I hate the most in the Harry Potter universe. I'm referring mainly to the time-travelling nonsense, which is confusing to the point that you sometimes have difficulties following which era of the Potter story you're currently in, what has already happened and what is about to happen again, especially with the Triwizard tournament "fixes", which feature Inception-like layers of time reversal. It's also a bit boring reliving the events that show more you've already read about in other parts of the series.

I've said it in reviews many times before, unless you really know what you're doing, as a writer, stay away from time-travelling. There's just no good way to explain why everyone can't just go back to fix their problems. If Albus Potter and Scorpio Malfoy can travel back in time in an attempt to save a life, why couldn't the same have been done before, for Harry's parents or Sirius Black or Cedric Diggory? Why can't the Death Eaters travel back and prevent the death of Voldemort?

In a universe as rich and teeming with, heh, magical possibilities, there is absolutely no need to rehash the same scenes, especially since JKR deliberately destroyed the time-turners in Order of the Phoenix (I think) to prevent further time travelling and all of its complications.

Nor do I think there's any special need for the rehashing of the tired old Voldemort story, especially since at this point he's been dead for twenty years. I believe this play to be a lost opportunity as regarding the introduction a new source of conflict, a new point of contention into the Potterverse. Instead we are treated to another complicated scheme by a Voldemort supporter that should bring him back, with dubious chance of success. An opportunity lost, indeed.

I also missed more warmth and funniness in the play, the kind that permeated the original series. This is possibly because the main character, Harry's son Albus, is a major emo kid and he projects his gloomy disposition on his parents and other relatives, which also feature heavily in the story.

I kind of have a feeling this is a lot better if seen live, but, man, so much more could have been done with such a chance. show less

The internet is probably not short of reviews of the new Harry Potter play. On one hand, it's Very FanFic and fan service - it would score a full house in any HP Bingo of Platform 9 3/4, sorting hat, polyjuice potion, deaths of Harry's parents etc etc. And the plot that spoiler is Voldemort's spoiler just felt a bit too unlikely.

It is basically a time travel plot, but annoyingly is exactly the opposite of the perfectly crafted timetravel in Prisoner of Azkaban, where the universe is in a show more stable state, and things already seen can be reinterpreted once you know about the time travel. It is the multiverse, 'go back and kill your grandfather and vanish' time travel, which is always just going to make for slightly annoying plots. And never lends itself well to overthinking.

It definitely has the feel of something crafted for adults. Which doesn't mean there isn’t a lot there for children - I'm sure the magic spells and potions and running on the top of trains and travelling through time would be really appealing to a younger audience. But the central theme of father-son relationships, of feeling like you don't know your children or how to be a good parent to them, definitely seems pitched at an older audience than the first Harry Potter book.

Anyway, despite those flaws, it was a joy to read - it was quick and page turning and exciting, and very Harry Potter. show less