Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Parts one and two

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Call Number: Y Fiction / Rowling, J. K., Kids Book / Worlds / Harry Potter / Fiction
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Pittsfield Branch

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"Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany & Jack Thorne."
"First produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender & Harry Potter Theatrical Productions."
"The official script of the original West End production."
As an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and a father, Harry Potter struggles with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs while his youngest son, Albus, finds the weight of the family legacy difficult to bear.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

School Library Journal Review
Booklist Review
Publishers Weekly Review
Summary / Annotation
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Awesome submitted by Junie on June 28, 2016, 10:58am The is an awesome book that tells an amazing story!

Nostalgic, Enjoyable submitted by emjane on August 2, 2016, 3:16pm Though I think it's a stretch to refer to this as the 8th Harry Potter-- and in fact, I think it should be viewed separate from the series-- it is a lovely world to dip back into.

Certainly the reading experience of a stage play is different than reading a novel, and the story itself is propelled along much faster than the books.

For Harry Potter fans, it's worth a read, though perhaps not directly after reading the book series for the first time. It is probably not one that will draw new readers.

so good submitted by 2025linicole on August 3, 2016, 8:57pm it is a so good book that you want to read it a milion times

Great! submitted by dicencal on August 6, 2016, 10:39am I liked the new spells.

Awesome Book submitted by Alex Hannah on August 8, 2016, 9:31am Albus & Scorpious rewrite time...

Well worth the wait! submitted by mickplu on August 8, 2016, 5:55pm Although is very different from the previous books, as it is written as a play, it still does justice to the Harry Potter series. I loved the middle aged characters and their ability to forgive past grudges and inability to deal with their teen-aged offspring.

disappointment submitted by lawrencekl57 on August 9, 2016, 4:20pm While it was nice to catch up with the characters from Harry Potter and their offspring, I found this book very disappointing. If it is possible to change EVERYTHING from the original books by one small action, that cheapens everything for me. I have not been a fan of any of J.K. Rowling's post-(original)Potter books.

Let's be honest submitted by brady.emmett on August 11, 2016, 9:14am Scorpius Malfoy runs away with this one.

Never have I ever been so disappointed submitted by Isabella Giviyan on August 14, 2016, 7:22pm This book is unimaginative, sloppy, and cliche

Hmmmmmmharry again! submitted by manz on August 16, 2016, 6:46pm This was interesting. A quick read. It was fun being in the wizarding world again... But yes, it was also odd to be there again, and with Harry, Ron and the gang all grown up with their kids having the adventures. I could have done without it. But I was also kind of sad to finish it, because now the characters are gone again.

Being in script format, the dialog was kind of bizarre at times. And a little too mushy, with characters hugging and such.
I wouldn't call this the 8th book.
For one, it's not a novel.
I enjoyed Draco and Scorpius far too much!

Best Play I've read since high school submitted by jmb.mlis on August 21, 2016, 11:15pm Very quick read - play format makes it fly by.

Adventure submitted by jduffy12 on August 27, 2016, 10:54am I couldn't put it down. I won't spoil it for fans who haven't read it yet. But if they make it into a movie they will have to replace some actors who passed on in real life.

Great submitted by kelleyc on August 29, 2016, 6:43am I don't love reading plays, and I wasn't sure how I'd feel about an extension to Harry Potter, but I think this really did it justice.

True to Series submitted by andrea on August 30, 2016, 9:15am I was impressed with how true this story felt to the Harry Potter series, and I loved going back into that world. As a theater director, I have a lot of experience reading scripts, so the format was familiar to me. However, I found that I very much missed Rowling's descriptive language. I would love to read this book as a full novel with her narrative added in.

Now I want to see it! submitted by Xris on August 31, 2016, 2:36pm The play was so beautifully written, I could imagine being in the audience. Wonderful to read more about Harry's world. :)

Too long submitted by elliot4321 on September 16, 2016, 7:19am I've had it on hold for a month and there are 200 people ahead of me!!!
But I think it'll be a good book when I read it.

Good submitted by c_.115 on June 16, 2017, 12:20pm Not as good as the original ones

Cursed Child submitted by mrondo on June 17, 2017, 10:26pm Overall, I really enjoyed this. I liked the new characters, and I liked getting to revisit some of my favorite characters/places/events from the original series.
This wasn't like the other books, but it wasn't supposed to be. I never expected it to be the same. I went in with the expectation that it would be its own, different thing and I think that helped me enjoy it.
Honestly, I wish J.K. Rowling would write 7 more books following Albus and Scorpius. I don't think she will, but a girl can dream.
I hope I can see this performed some day!

Cursed Child submitted by cmegane on June 30, 2017, 2:44pm I found this to be a bit underwhelming but it was still enjoyable. A loved getting to Albus and Scorpius and their funny personalities. It's a quick read especially being a play and I would really be interested in being in an audience for a performance. The plot is a bit cliche and I agree with a previous reviewer that it does cheapen it that one small action can change the whole Harry Potter saga. Worth a read but don't have the expectations you would for an 8th book of the same series.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child submitted by SBNB on July 2, 2017, 9:54pm It’s a good story, but it didn’t feel like Harry Potter. It was harder to get into than the regular books, probably because it’s written as a play and not as a novel. And something else about it felt off. I don’t know. But in the end, it was a good story that I didn’t want to put down.

It's okay I guess submitted by chioma on July 4, 2017, 4:19pm I just finished reading the book in about a 2 hour sitting. I've got to say, I don't like the fact that it's written like a play. I wish that it was in the same Harry Potter book format that usually takes me 3-4 hours to read. It had a good-ish plot, but there were many holes to it. At the end of the book, there isn't a clear reason why Albus Dumbledore (spoiler alert) and Scorpius Malfoy jumped off the train to save Cedric. It didn'thave anything to do with him at all, he seemed to just want to do it for no reason at all. And why did (another spoiler alert) Delphi want to bring Voldemort back, birning back much riot and discource even though he is her father. And the fact that Voldemort had a child seemed to come out of nowhere. Nowhere in the actual Harry Potter books does it even hint that there is any peice of him left. Everything in the book seems to move by really fast and doesn't allow you to fall in love with the charachters and their traits like Ron, Hermoine and Harry. If this is a "separate series" then I think it should focus less on Harry Potter and more on the life of Albus and Scorpius, because this is their adventure now, However, three years have already passed by at the speed of light in this book. I hope that another book is written but I really hope it's not in the form of a play. The thing I love about Harry Potter books is the fact that I'm able to sit down for five hours straight indulging in a book and getting to know a character more, while in this "play' we seem to completely brush over who the charachter is. By the end of the book, all we know about Albus is that he was sorted into Slytherin, his best friend is Scorpius, and he was problems with his dad, Harry Potter. I wish there was something more. It all seems to fast, and doesn't really seem like a real Harry Potter Book to me, which it kind of isn't because it wasn't even written by J.K Rowling. I/ still hopw for another book and I definetely hope that it's better than this one.

Ok, I guess... submitted by Theyearling on July 6, 2017, 7:57pm As a huge fan of Harry Potter, this was honestly quite disappointing. The story barely included Harry and the original gang, following mostly his kid(s). There were plot holes and inaccuracies. Sometimes it felt as if the writer's hadn't read all the books but had instead watched the movies or read a sparknotes version. It didn't capture J.K.'s wit and thought process.

Then again it was another Harry Potter book so I can't be too disappointed. Still would prefer this more as fan fiction than cannon.

Amazing! submitted by lianayz on July 7, 2017, 3:33pm This book is Amazing, but if it were to be in a normal book form it would be better.(Normal book form = not script form..)

Loved It submitted by khamidi on July 12, 2017, 1:01pm This book was so good but I do not like that it was written in the form of a play.

would love to see this on the stage! submitted by camelsamba on July 14, 2017, 10:34pm I would love to see this on the stage!

Ron is too much of a buffoon, but otherwise the characters seem to live up to expectations. Even Draco, somewhat out of keeping with his bravado of the first 5 or 6 years of Hogwarts, seems to be true to an inner self that we got glimpses of.

It was hard to read as a script since I'm not familiar with that format. And it was hard to keep the voices (of film actors more than Jim Dale's :-) out of my head. But I liked it.

Fun, but no growth from when they were children submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on July 15, 2017, 9:50am Of course every one wants more of the Harry Potter story. It was a lovely thing to find out more, and fun to have it be a play rather than the novels of the first round.

There were a couple of things, though, that I simply couldn't get over. The first was the way that the adults thoroughly and completely stopped growing and maturing from who they were when they were 15. They didn't even seem as well developed as the characters they were at the end of the 7th book (17 years old, right?). Hermione was obsessive, Ron was a bumbling fool, and Harry never wants the attention. But it's 19 years later. Don't you think they would have learned SOME life skills?

The second thing is that much of the second half of the play revolves around Harry proclaiming that he's finally figured out how to be a father, or he's no good at being a father, or other various reflections on fatherhood. (This really isn't a spoiler, as I'm staying very generic here. We start the story knowing he's a father!) But all of it is in relation to Albus, and he completely ignores the fact that he has been a father to two other children as well! Doesn't he feel like he's learned anything he can apply? It just feels... limited, and it detracted from what real parenthood is like, in my experience.

So... fun romp in a well-known universe, but not my highest rating.

I'm glad I read it, but.... submitted by betsywil on August 13, 2017, 9:18pm I am glad I read this book, but it is not as enjoyable as the original series.
Why not? In large part because it's a script, not a novel. It would be fun to see it on stage (or on screen) but the reading experience is very, very different.
The plot is clever, with some really cool twists which I will not detail here, and (If you are like me) you will be surprised by which character is your favorite.

I would like to read the short story this script is based on.

Plot-Changing Script submitted by Jessica Primus on June 15, 2018, 5:46pm I liked this script immensely. I think that it was not as some say, "true to the series" in the sense that it is as good, but nothing really is. :) I believe that the script is good for ages 7-Adult. This book is full of plot changes and action. I hope you read the script!

Read it! submitted by charbutcool on June 19, 2018, 12:47am A lot of authors and movie producers fail to make good or audiences satisfying sequels. This is one of the very few that don't disappoint. All I can say is: r e a d i t!

I liked it, but... submitted by priscilladu on June 27, 2018, 9:25am I enjoyed reading it, but I still like the original Harry Potter series better. I get that its a script, but it was kind of difficult to keep up with all the plot changes and action. Overall I recommend reading it, but it was sort of a disappoint after reading the original series.

Take it with a grain of salt submitted by ajstemp on June 28, 2018, 11:06am If you enjoyed the Harry Potter series, many events in Cursed Child might feel strange and out of character — in some ways, to the point of being distracting. It's an interesting addition to the franchise, but the canon that existed previously also stands fine on its own. If you choose not to read this, you won't be missing anything critical.

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child. Parts One And Two submitted by lstorc on August 6, 2018, 12:10am Reads more like fan fiction

Argh submitted by Claireywang on August 29, 2018, 7:56pm Not impressive. I had trouble figuring out who was related to whom and what was going on. Disappointing. Don’t have high expectations of this book.

fun submitted by SadieRose on June 14, 2019, 1:50pm Albus is heroic

Nice addition to the series! submitted by wookeny on July 3, 2019, 11:01am This book was kind of similar on the regular Harry Potter books, 1 and 2. It was really fun though. IN this book, Harry Is very adventurous, and his skill Is really good. I recommend kids 10 and up to read this book, because it is pretty scary, and I don't think little kids can read this book. Nice book though!!!

Love seeing how characters continue to live submitted by AmeliaLU on July 20, 2019, 12:46pm I heard people complain that it is in script form, but being someone who enjoys reading plays this was awesome. I also enjoyed reading about how Harry's child dealt with the fame of his parents and dealing with living up to his name.

Not Complaining submitted by Sinister_CottonCandy on July 22, 2019, 6:15pm I think this was overall pretty good. A bit confusing though.

Epilogue submitted by shanbao on July 29, 2019, 1:46pm This is the 8th story 19 years later..... With kids dundundun!!

Good book submitted by jasonc1177 on July 31, 2019, 7:52pm vthis book is great

Awesome!!! submitted by SavethePlanet on June 17, 2020, 2:48pm I love how different Draco Malfoy is, and also how there are so many things where you think they're one way, but they actually aren't and how there are different timelines that come into the story.

sadfsfdaf submitted by yongmeiqin on August 8, 2020, 10:30pm good

Great submitted by kjshaffer on July 11, 2021, 5:38pm It was good, though I still prefer the books from the original series. Some of it was too confusing for me

Ignore the Average Rating This Book Is Terrible submitted by no_ur_onions on August 22, 2021, 5:02pm Seriously one of the worst books I have ever read. Maybe as a play the actors can breathe enough life into the characters to make it watchable (though it'd be more like CPR), but as just a screenplay it feels like reading a really quite bad fanfiction; possibly because Rowling doesn't have much experience with writing plays rather than books? Either way, definitely not worth the time it took you to read this review, much less the time it'd take to finish the book.

Hard to read submitted by Jen Chapin-Smith on June 15, 2022, 1:16pm After reading the Harry Potter novels, I found it difficult to read--rather than watch--this play. I was glad to see how Harry, Ron and Hermione had grown up and started their own families. I was especially pleased that, as I predicted, Hermione became Minister of Magic.

Ugh. submitted by amandasaurus on June 15, 2022, 11:08pm Fan fiction at best-and you can find better fan fiction online. It was great imagining the crew older and as parents, but it’s far from fitting in and making sense as “canon”.

wasn't the best submitted by blue77rose on June 19, 2022, 3:11pm yes i like harry potter, but a play!? i would much prefer this as a book. the book it's self is confusing and some parts don't make sense. So is Ron dead or not? they could have done better the actual books where better. but some parts were good i liked it when Draco an dHarry became friends. But daughter of Voldemort really??? so i give this book 3.5 stars but if you were really into plays and harry potter you will like it

Love it!!! submitted by elclifford on July 19, 2022, 5:41pm I loved it, more Harry Potter! When I was about 1/2 way through I was reading it as a play but in my head it felt like 8th harry potter novel.

Mixed feelings submitted by maggotnico on August 3, 2022, 1:12pm If you're a Harry Potter superfan, and will take anything related to the series just to get more, this is for you. It definitely doesn't seem like something J.K. herself would write, but if you keep in mind it's a Broadway script, it's not bad! I definitely want to see the Broadway production now. The plot seems a bit far-fetched, even for a book about magic.

Ugh these characters submitted by courtneyhooper on August 12, 2022, 11:31pm I don’t know what Harry and Jenny did wrong in their parenting but their kid is such a whiny baby

not sure where this fits submitted by emaelshaikh on August 20, 2022, 7:53pm ???

Yes! submitted by leah karr on August 22, 2022, 9:40am I enjoyed the challenging switch from novel to screen play. Honestly, it could have been trash and I still would have liked it, but it wasn’t! It was wonderful!

Does not carry the same magic of the books submitted by lecktor on June 11, 2023, 8:52am Treating this like an 8th Harry Potter book will lead to disappointment. One could treat it like a 'Reunion special' episode, built mostly upon nostalgia and a relatively bland storyline. Now that the big bad is gone, what is left of one's regular adult life?

... submitted by sumisood on July 9, 2023, 9:39pm It's confusing as is, because it's a script. It's definitely not as good as the original harry potter books.

Review submitted by polce on July 12, 2023, 4:22pm It was a good book and they went back in time a lot