Hi guys! I am doing my best to catch up on my blog, and I do promise you’ll see more and more posts coming your way very soon! I am finally on holiday, and I can dedicate some real quality time to this now, so YAY!!!
As it is the end of July…I will not be able to do my normal Introduction and Q&A Book Club sessions… however, I still thought I’d review a book for you, and hold our traditional Instagram Live Book Club Chat.
As I was a bit short on time, I thought it would be fun to grab a playscript, and I decided to go for John Tiffany & Jack Thorne’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. As many other Millennials, I grew up reading Harry Potter books, and was absolutely enraptured by the magical wizarding world J.K. Rowling had managed to create. It was a dive back in childhood to read this book, and a very welcome and pleasant one too.
My Review:
The plot takes place over an arc of 4 years, starting 19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry, Ginny, Ron & Hermione are all standing on platform 9 and 3/4 with their numerous daughters and sons. A new school year is about to start, and with it a whole new set of mischiefs and adventures. The rumour of the Dark Lord having left a child behind lures in the background…
The two main characters in the play are best friend Slytherins Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Severus Potter. It is heartwarming to see how the bond between these two rebellious teenagers actually manages to replenish the relationship between their fathers too. I always thought Draco should be given a second chance at life…and in this book he is.
I like the fact that this “8th Book” is a play, but I honestly would have loved for it to be a novel. I can imagine the staging of it being SPECTACULAR…and I do wish to see it one day, however as a book, I find J.K. Rowling’s writing style unequalled. And I did miss it a bit whilst turning pages…
Albus and Scorpius decide one day that they want to ‘change the world’ and make it a ‘right and just place’. They manage to get hold of a prohibited time-turner, and resolve to ‘fix’ their parents’ mistakes. Little did they know that playing with time is a dangerous hobby, and that the changes they make in the past could have terrible consequences in the future and present.
Most characters are well written and three dimensional, especially the teenage boys and the new entries, but I did find Ron, Hermione and Harry a bit a parody of their teenage selves. The readers knowledge of the Harry Potter Saga is a bit given for granted, as all complex interrelationships and past events are thrown at the audience with little to no explanation at all.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this play as it was a way to revisit a world I most loved and missed. I loved the time-play, the what ifs, the hypothetical scenarios, and the incredible teenage friendship bond portrayed between the two boys. I recommend the book to all Harry Potter nostalgics, and I do advise to brush up on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, if you want to enjoy it to the fullest.
Have you also read this playscript? What are your thoughts on it? Let me know in the comments below! I look forwards to reading your answers!
As it is all last minute, I communicate that I will have my Instagram Live Book Club Chat today at 5.30 pm (GMT+1). If you can, try not to miss out! Although I know it is very last minute!
I will be back on my normal Book Club Schedule from August onwards…so do stay tuned…
Looking forwards to Connect with you!
Have a wonderful day!
Elly, XO
PS: You can get your copy of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child here.
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