Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

[VKALFIERI]

ICYMI the internet has gone into a bit of a tizzy over the novelization of the Harry Potter play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

I'm not even excited.

I enjoyed the originals; but this just doesn't interest me.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Was just coming to post about this - a couple of piece on the BBC website:
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child announces lead cast - BBC News
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to be eighth book - BBC News

Is it definitely a novelisation of the play? The BBC pieces weren't exactly clear on that.

 

[VKALFIERI]

AFAIK it's a novelization of the play for those that can't make it to see the show in person.

That's what the article I read said. I'll find the link and post it in a few

Edit: here's the link:BREAKING NEWS: New Harry Potter Book To Be Released

 

[Caliban]

Isn't it a script book of the play rather than a novelisation?

 

[Ray McCarthy]

It sounded like the script.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

It's a script, written by Jack Thorn, not a novel or novelization.

When is JK Rowling not JK Rowling? When she collaborates

 

[VKALFIERI]

So....it's literally not even proper. It's basically fan fiction with the original author's name attached to sell "tickets".

How very vile.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

So....it's literally not even proper. It's basically fan fiction with the original author's name attached to sell "tickets".

No, It's not Fan fiction. It's a play script with extra JK Rowlings ideas, editing input and approval. Fan fiction has none of thouse

 

[Caledfwlch]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with allowing other Authors to produce works for a particular franchise, as long as they keep within the spirit and characterisation of the world involved.

I would like to see JK licence books set in the HP world, prequels, durings and futures, and I have debated over this, I think those in opposition tend to see JK as having too strong a desire for control over her work to allow this, yet this is exactly what she did for the movies.
When negotiating the movie licence, she had her little list of demands and gaining the licence was completely based on accepting those demands, which included, the films must be made in the UK with a UK cast, and Hagrid had to be played by Robbie Coltraine - I would not be surprised if she also insisted on Alan Rickman for Snape.

So there is no reason why she could not do the same with books - creating a little "bible" that all books must stick too, like for example, if a book involves Harry himself, then Harry must never kill, he never did in the original series, and even 10 years later post Deathly Hallows, despite being not only an Auror, but at only age 27, Head of the Aurors department, I doubt he kills but brings live bodies back for trial - if he was unable to kill even the people who murdered his parents, his friends, he is unlikely to change.

Mind you, that is one thing never explored or detailed in the books - DO or Did Aurors such as Mad Eye use the unforgivable curses if unable to take a dark wizard/witch down by less violent means?

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Leslie Charteris (The Saint novels) did this. The books were often published under his name.
See also Bobbsey Twins, Hardy Boys, etc (many series) by Stratemeyer Syndicate. He gave the authors outlines.

 

[Brian G Turner]

First cast photos:
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child cast photos released - BBC News

And it *is* about Harry in middle-age - I always figured JK Rowling would visit that.

 

[Anushka Mokosh]

I wish I had a chance to see it, but seeing I don't live all that near London, that is quite unlikely.

 

[AmberEyes]

Don't know if anyone here got around to reading the Cursed Child, but I had so wondered if anyone wanted to discuss it? (Checking first in case people are booked to see the play and don't want any spoilers!)

 

[Steven Sorrels]

Don't know if anyone here got around to reading the Cursed Child, but I had so wondered if anyone wanted to discuss it? (Checking first in case people are booked to see the play and don't want any spoilers!)

I read it. It was ok, but it definitely felt like they rushed through good chunks of the story. I did enjoy the twist about 3/4s of the way through, and the end was fairly solid. I also loved some of the cameos, one of which pulled at my heartstrings...

 

[Anushka Mokosh]

I read some bits about the plot online.

If half of that is correct, I no longer regret being unable to see it.

 

[Brian G Turner]

My daughter is outraged that Harry has effectively become a civil servant, rather than become a teacher at Hogwarts. I mean, he's only the guy who defeated He Who Cannot Be Named...

 

[Boaz]

Warning; Potential Spoilers.

I feel I'm the cursed child for reading that book/script. I know the reviews for the play were almost universally positive. Maybe, I could just not pick up on the pace and the feel without actors and a director.

From just reading, there was no sense of wonder. There were no exciting details of the Wizarding World, just the time-turner plot device and a number of shocking character assassinations. I don't remember any reasons to empathize, or even sympathize, or feel the slightest interest in either Albus or his circumstances. Scorpius was slightly interesting. Maybe knowing/guessing the book was a one and done story with no further development, left me expecting more...

Even the title is misleading/nonsensical. The Cursed Child. Who is the cursed child? Albus? Scorpius? Delphi? Cedric? Harry? Tom? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. So the title should have been The Cursed Children. Aha! The sociological/philosophical/theological point of the story! We are all cursed... we're all human...

So what is the response to the curse? Harry finally got it... humility, confession and service. Okay, but Albus needed to seriously acknowledge that even if Harry made mistakes, Albus was not absolved of his need to accept responsibility for his own life. But since, I did not like the characters, the desire for me to empathize with the story and apply this specific cure to my own curse will never happen.

Someone thought that this particular theme was not adequately covered by the continual comparisons and contrasts of the relationships of Harry-Vernon, Harry-Petunia, Harry-Dudley, Harry-Ron, Harry-Hagrid, Harry-Dumbledore, Harry-Voldemort, Ron-Percy, Percy-Arthur, James-Sirius, Harry-Sirius, Sirius-Regulus, Harry-The Ministry, Luna-Friends, Neville-Frank&Alice, Voldmort-Riddle, Lilly-Petunia, et al, ad nauseum. Parents-children-friends. The family we are given versus the family we make. The "need to forgive your parents 'cause they're only human and you'll make your own mistakes as a child, adult, and parent" theme was constant and thorough in the HP series, but someone thought we needed another one. In my opinion, this is to HP what The Force Awakens The Last Jedi is to Star Wars.

If I ever see the play, I guess I'll probably be comparing it to Oedipus Rex, Ordinary People, The Death of a Salesman (The Cursed Child might fare well), Warrior (Hardy, Edgerton, Nolte), Stand By Me....