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Sean Barrs 's Reviews > Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter, #8)
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Now this was a real shame. It read like some juvenile fan fiction. The characters were utterly lifeless. Perhaps seeing this would be better. The stage actor’s performances would carry the emotion and drama the dialogue completely failed to convey.
The stage directions were also minimalistic. I mean we have a basic location set for us, but that’s about all. There’s no real expression or sense of urgency. All in all, it’s just a little flat. The plot is feasible, even if it felt a little forced, but the characters were just poor. The new ones aren’t so bad, but the old characters, Harry, Ron and Hermione, were barely themselves. They just had no depth to them; they’re like reflections of their surface level. Ron felt like a piece of furniture that seemed to enjoy inserting several badly times jokes. Hermione seemed cold. And Harry, Harry simply isn’t Harry.
How can he identify himself as a bad farther? How can he believe that he had no farther figure in his own life? He had many. He had inspiration from many great men. They taught him a great deal about life and himself in the process. So why would a man who has defeated the face of evil be so daunted by giving his son some simple advice? It doesn’t add up. Harry Potter would make an excellent farther.
This didn’t even feel like the same world.
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The stage directions were also minimalistic. I mean we have a basic location set for us, but that’s about all. There’s no real expression or sense of urgency. All in all, it’s just a little flat. The plot is feasible, even if it felt a little forced, but the characters were just poor. The new ones aren’t so bad, but the old characters, Harry, Ron and Hermione, were barely themselves. They just had no depth to them; they’re like reflections of their surface level. Ron felt like a piece of furniture that seemed to enjoy inserting several badly times jokes. Hermione seemed cold. And Harry, Harry simply isn’t Harry.
How can he identify himself as a bad farther? How can he believe that he had no farther figure in his own life? He had many. He had inspiration from many great men. They taught him a great deal about life and himself in the process. So why would a man who has defeated the face of evil be so daunted by giving his son some simple advice? It doesn’t add up. Harry Potter would make an excellent farther.
This didn’t even feel like the same world.
___________________________________
You can connect with me on social media via My Linktree.
__________________________________
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Reading Progress
February 12, 2016
– Shelved
February 12, 2016
– Shelved as:
to-read
February 12, 2016
– Shelved as:
children-of-all-ages
February 12, 2016
– Shelved as:
fantasy
Started Reading
August 6, 2016
– Shelved as:
1-star-reads
August 6, 2016
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 67 (67 new)
message 1:
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Waffles -
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rated it 4 stars
Feb 12, 2016 07:22AM
I am so with you!!!! I can't wait to read it :) :)
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I'm bloody excited about it too!!!! But a bit skeptical since J.K isn't the one doing the writing. When I first heard about the play a while back(it was featured on pottermore!), I really didn't think it would be a big deal. I thought it was just a small enterprise like some of her short works featured on the site. I'm glad it's a big deal! And disappointment is very probable, but oh well... We'll just have to see!!! Do you think the book will be written in like a screenplay format? Like Shakespeare. Gahhh that sounds stupid. **facepalm** I don't know, I'm honestly curious about how they intend to do it :)I'm so looking forward to reading about the Potter and Weasely kids!!!! They better not make this solely about Albus Severus Potter :[
Anne (Anneshka) wrote: "I'm bloody excited about it too!!!! But a bit skeptical since J.K isn't the one doing the writing. When I first heard about the play a while back(it was featured on pottermore!), I really didn't th..."I only found out about it yeasterday. I don't check that website. Perhaps I should from time to time. It just sounds like an ordinary play, so like Shakespeare and unlike Shakespeare. The art of Shakespeare is in the language, the spoken word, there are very few stage directions because it was meant to be seen not read. This, however, I should image, will be full of them to make it clear what's going on. And hopefully it will have a nice introduction to lay down some of the events that has led tot he action within the play.
I'm quite excited! :)
Also- I need to check out some of those short works on her website!
yessssssss accio book!!!!!!!
I'm soooooooooooo excited. I wish I had the Tardis so I could go in the future.
I'm glad you're reading this because I trust in your reviews. I hope you enjoy this.
I ordered it in the mail 4 days ago, and I am SOOO impatient! (I think I checked the mail 3 times today, all though I KNOW it only arrives once... :3)
I read it and was awfully disappointed. The thrill wasn't there at all, maybe I was subconsciously aware, and as a result too wary of the fact that J.K didn't write the script or maybe it was the script and dialogue and - what I felt was a bit of a lackluster - plot. I really do hope you have a better experience than I did! Happy reading.
Anne wrote: "I read it and was awfully disappointed. The thrill wasn't there at all, maybe I was subconsciously aware, and as a result too wary of the fact that J.K didn't write the script or maybe it was the s..."Me too. It really isn't here at all. Where did the magic go? :(
Bookworm Sean wrote: "Anne wrote: "I read it and was awfully disappointed. The thrill wasn't there at all, maybe I was subconsciously aware, and as a result too wary of the fact that J.K didn't write the script or maybe..."I just had to unlike your review so I could like it again. Everything I felt is right there in your review. The characters! Harry and Ron were a joke. Like complete shadows of what I knew their characters to be. It's not even disappointment I feel, what I feel has no name. Maybe the writer felt like he was giving Harry's background more depth and closure but it completely ruined the harmony of the previous HP stories. I don't even want to talk about Delphi's character. There's nothing there for me. I like to think it would've worked out better if J.K had written the script herself, but who knows maybe the world has been wrung out enough and is dry of stories - or at rather anymore books that pursue the Voldemort the interminable villain narrative.
I hate that it is CANON. It should not be canon and stay fanfic and I would be okay.
Totally agree with everything you said! It was such a disappointment
I was looking forward to your review on this one! I'm sorry that it was such a let down, but I'm still relieved that I can agree with you on everything that you mentioned. To me the characters were all "wannabes" of the REAL characters (especially Snape's) and that just broke my heart really. As I said in my own review, I refuse to associate this book with the HP series, it's not even close to what Harry Potter is all about.
You all are of the opinion that just because someone has defeated evil when he was a teen he would do everything perfectly. What's wrong in imagining if he couldn't be a perfect father? You want Harry to be Harry even after 40 years? I doubt you'll be the same when you're 40 they way you were in your 20s. People grow up, they change.
I started reading this book last night, only 80 pages in and I'm dreading the rest :/
on page 251 and liking it so far... not loving it but I'm enjoying it
he always talked back to his friends and had falling outs of course he'd do the same with family...
I suspect this was an effort to cash in, and from what I can tell by checking out Amazon bestsellers lists, it worked. Sorry.
I've just started reading it as an interlude to the Silmarillion (which is sapping a lot of my brain power), and feel exactly the same so far. I'm reserving judgement until I've finished, but it feels like something which almost anybody could have written without having to put much time or effort in.
Margaret wrote: "I suspect this was an effort to cash in, and from what I can tell by checking out Amazon bestsellers lists, it worked. Sorry."You're definitely right!
Charlotte wrote: "I've just started reading it as an interlude to the Silmarillion (which is sapping a lot of my brain power), and feel exactly the same so far. I'm reserving judgement until I've finished, but it fe..."Agreed. It seems so basic. And the Silmarillion is one big glorious headache. See if you can remember what happened at the start by the time you reach the end ;)
Zineb wrote: "I was looking forward to your review on this one! I'm sorry that it was such a let down, but I'm still relieved that I can agree with you on everything that you mentioned. To me the characters were..."Harry potter doesn't. This isn't some realist drag of a story. This is the home of Hogwarts. More is expected.
Zineb wrote: "I was looking forward to your review on this one! I'm sorry that it was such a let down, but I'm still relieved that I can agree with you on everything that you mentioned. To me the characters were..."Such a shame isn't it?
Djamel wrote: "you said things that I totally skipped because of my love for the series. I think that a more objective rereading imposes itself. Great review, Sean"Thanks :)
Anne wrote: "Bookworm Sean wrote: "Anne wrote: "I read it and was awfully disappointed. The thrill wasn't there at all, maybe I was subconsciously aware, and as a result too wary of the fact that J.K didn't wri..."It's just so, so, basic. It feels like it has been written by a creative writing student. I can't even look at this as part of the story. It's best forgotten about.
Well, it currently feels as though I've spent more time on the "One Wiki to Rule Them All" trying to keep up with who all of the characters are and who they're related to than I have reading the book itself. I'm torn between loving it and also finding it quite inaccessible. It's definitely one I'll have to reread in order to fully appreciate it I think. On the Cursed Child front, it's possibly unfair to compare the two given that they're different mediums, but there's a marked difference between how long The Silmarillion would have taken to write and how long The Cursed Child would have taken. I also agree with your view that it never really delves beneath the surface - there's no complexity at all, and even in its simplicity it doesn't seem to be a particularly faithful representation of the characters. Also, I'm confused by whether or not the stage directions are actually intended to be stage directions - a lot of them seemed vague or unnecessary and used quite juvenile language.
Glad someone else saw it was an abysmal story.
The worst characterisation's probably Hermione's
Hermione is not the worst characterisation and if you get used to how its written its okayI gave 5 stars because I could not stop reading the book and I really really loved it
I gave it three stars- I think the first half is pretty good and felt like an extension of the Potterverse, I felt ACT 2 is where everything fell to pieces. Especially with a certain character who is the child of others who would never have got together.....you know who I mean.That being said, Harry Potter will always have a place in my heart and just to be back into the wizarding world, even for a play, made me feel things.
I can understand why people dislike it, I just can't rate it any lower. It's Potter. ish.
Katie wrote: "I gave it three stars- I think the first half is pretty good and felt like an extension of the Potterverse, I felt ACT 2 is where everything fell to pieces. Especially with a certain character who ...""It's Potter. ish" - says it all really! ;)
Katie wrote: "I gave it three stars- I think the first half is pretty good and felt like an extension of the Potterverse, I felt ACT 2 is where everything fell to pieces. Especially with a certain character who ..."Haha. yes.
I have a full review here: https://sherlockianbooklover.wordpres...
Well exposed. I'm not even half way through the book and you summed up all my impressions in general.
Lucía wrote: "Well exposed. I'm not even half way through the book and you summed up all my impressions in general."It was such a shame! :'(
The last line of the review sums up the book.
Ella wrote: "Hermione is not the worst characterisation and if you get used to how its written its okayI gave 5 stars because I could not stop reading the book and I really really loved it"
of yeah? Who's the worst then?
Just don't get why ppl got excited about it. It's not even written BY Rowling. And come on, this is probably the worst HP spin-off we ever had. It's not because a franchise releases a new product that it's going to be good
Reading plays always falls some what flat. It's impossible to add that life you get in a good novel. It's dependant on you imaging actors and their acting.
This says everything I felt while reading this! It was so cheesy! Not to mention that NONE of the characters would ever talk like that. The dialogue was garbage, it read like fan fiction. I'm being harsh I know but, damn! I was really disappointed.
Totally agree. Like totaly. I'm not going to ever read this. I refuse to let this badly written fanficton ruin my prospective of the harry potter series. Might I add that I DO NOT LIKE THE PLOT OF THIS BOOK AT ALL. As I said, this.is not an eighth hp book at all, but badly written fanfiction. Might I add that I do NOT like the play format WHATSOEVER!!Written by Fred Weasly
Yea. Another ridiculous plot point here... because Cedric is humiliated in the second task, he becomes a death eater. So stupid. The whole darn story strained believability. A second time turner? He has his baby blanket?? And he never touched it after the argument? This whole story was a pile of rubbish
What do you mean? It IS fanfiction.
Couldn't agree more. That Rowling signed off on this gave me a long moment's pause, and has contributed to my growing dislike for her these days. These characters were NOT the people I grew up with in these books, and I'm dead certain I've actually read a similar plot in fanfiction. Voldemort would have never had children as he was incapable of love. Rowling once said as much. And that the child's mother was Bellatrix makes it even stranger somehow. My hopes weren't high when I heard about this "book" but I'm mad that I paid more than $20 for this trash. I keep it now only for collectibility.
I agree. But there was an excellent plot.
Well, it is a book (series) for younger folks.Igor
Yeah. I agree completely. Let’s just reread the original series a thousand more times and forget this crap ever happened.
Your review just confirms what everybody said before... this book is awfully bad. Stay way, don't bother, don't read it..
Part of the issue is that originally, the plan was to wait until after the play was out and release it as a full, filled-out play. But there was a ton of hype, and many fans were upset that for the first time, a new chapter would be released only to a select few in London, and so they decided to release the play earlier in its purest form. That's the minimalism.That said, that hardly makes up for the issues with this one. Harry as a bad father just isn't believable. All of his development of understanding how all of us have good and bad inside of us seems to be erased the moment his son is different from him? I don't buy it. I also did not buy the interpretations of Cedric Diggory's alternative storylines, which I felt was another example of ignoring who her characters were.
Not to mention how Cedric's character was so unrealistic.
I see where you coming from, but I saw the play and yes it plays out way better on stage. Before when I was planning on going I thought that it was going to be nothing but boy was I wrong! Don't judge this book on its writing because it is written to be a play, and the actors put a lot of their own emotional value that is expressed in a mystifying way. It is magical!! You don't have to agree with me just listen. Yes it isn't like the other books which where flawless but personally I like it. My thoughts are my own and some may not like it but I think that this is something to consider. Thank you.
I don't understand how people are saying the book isn't good because you're meant to see it on stage. The plot is completely inaccurate to the cannon HP world. Seeing it on stage isn't going to remove that point.
