The release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child book must be the highlight of 2016 for all Harry Potter fans, including me. When it was announced that there would be the eighth book of Harry Potter, I was so excited; but not excited enough to pre-order as the price was quite high for me. Fortunately, the book was short enough for a friend of mine to finish it in just one sitting and that friend of mine was kind enough to lend it to me!
Cursed Child starts at the exact same scene as the epilog from Deathly Hallows. Set 19 years after the Battle Of Hogwarts, the original trio is at Platform 3/4 to watch their children board the Hogwarts Express. Albus Severus is worried that he will be sorted into Slytherin but Harry assures him that it won’t make any difference. This turns out to be a big part of the story of Cursed Child. Albus is sorted into Slytherin and befriends Scorpius Malfoy, Draco’s only child. Him being a Potter in Slytherin becomes a burden for Albus since he feels like he is overshadowed by his father’s greatness (or rather, fame, since Harry Potter grew up to be a troubled man with problems at work who doesn’t get along with his son). To overcome this problem and to prove that he is as great as his father, Albus (accompanied by Scorpius) sets off a journey to the past to correct Harry’s mistake, that is getting Cedric killed by Voldemort. However, every little change in the past makes the alternate present even weirder and weirder. Albus and Scorpius have to make everything right again.
Honestly, I’m not satisfied with this book. It was written by two more people other than J.K. Rowling herself, I don’t know how much of it that she wrote, but the whole book doesn’t have her sound at all. The original trio is written like completely different people. I get it; people change. But the change of the trio is too far away. Ron was quite funny back then, but in this book he was written more like a comic relief. He sounds shallow. We all know that Hermione is the greatest witch of her age, but I’m also sure that the original Ron was bound to be great as well. This new Ron looks like he is overshadowed by his wife who happens to become the Minister of Magic while he manages a joke shop (probably the twin’s shop). I’m very disappointed.
Also, the friendship between Albus and Scorpius screams gay to me. While I think it’s okay if they are actually in love with each other, but the story insists that they are not gays by forcing the subplot that Scorpius has a crush on Rose (Granger-Weasley) and tries to ask her out. It’s as if the writers actually wanted them to be gays but decided to write it off in last minute. It really bugs me. Reading the Cursed Child feels like reading a fanfiction written by a teenage girl who is obsessed with both the Harry Potter series and Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On. I’m sorry, but it is.
That being said, if I get the chance to see the play, I’ll still watch it. Maybe the real reason why I hate Cursed Child so much is because it’s actually a play script. It doesn’t give as much detail as a narrative story. Maybe I’ll like it more if I see it on stage. Now, if only I could take myself to London…
