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3.15 AVERAGE
3.15 AVERAGE
lol i finished this so fast...sO i loved it because scorpius is officially my favorite forever and i thought the plot was really interesting. BUT i have to admit, the play format really took away from the writing and the feel of it being a harry potter book...and i can not even BEGIN to explain how bitter i am that scorpius and albus did not kiss
edit: looking back on it, out of my post-read filters, this wasn't that good. entertaining but full of holes and disgustingly bad characterization (cough harryandhermione cough) still love scorpius and he is a 5/5 but the weird rose thing, and all these problems are a real downside.
edit: looking back on it, out of my post-read filters, this wasn't that good. entertaining but full of holes and disgustingly bad characterization (cough harryandhermione cough) still love scorpius and he is a 5/5 but the weird rose thing, and all these problems are a real downside.
I haven't read the HP books in years, and I'm not finished watching all of the movies, so I'm a little hazy on the series' conclusion. That said, we took the kids to Universal Studios this summer and I totally geeked out on HP. Therefore, this play hit the spot completely. No, it's not the same tone as the original seven, and there's much less magic and more prominence on relationships, but it made perfect sense given that Harry is now forty years old and the parent of three of his own Hogwarts students. It felt right; Harry, Ron, and Hermione were still Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but as adults, and the other characters from the original novels were more mature versions of themselves, as well.
I would love to see this on stage or on screen.
I would love to see this on stage or on screen.
Justo lo que necesitaba después de terminar el septimo, un poquito más de estos personajes que se robaron mi corazón y que no estaba lista para dejar ir. Entré con 0 expectativas pero me re sorprendió. Creo que si hubiera dejado pasar más tiempo entre este y el anterior tal vez no lo hubiera amado tanto pero la verdad es que me encantó.
Loved this! I know it's not technically canon but it's still a great story and it was great to be back in the Harry Potter world.
I've been re-reading the Harry Potter series over the last seven months. Or, if you want to be pedantic like some people I know, I have been listening to the books on Audible. I finished listening to [b:Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows|136251|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7)|J.K. Rowling|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1370023538s/136251.jpg|2963218] in July, so was very excited that this script landed only a few days later.
I am a lifelong, diehard fan of the Harry Potter series. Because of that, I can't say that I didn't enjoy this script. I did. I loved revisiting my old friends and learning about their recent foibles. I did not, however, feel like the script was as good of friends with them as I'd hoped.
Let me unpack this: I felt throughout this reading that the author did not have a very tight grasp of the characters, and so there were frequent moments when Ron, Hermione, Harry, or Draco acted in a way that made me exit from the experience and look around my empty living room to try and find someone who empathized with my confusion. I'm not sure my cat counted because she was just sorted into Slytherin by a Buzzfeed quiz (which was both unsurprising and validating), and so I'm not sure she cared.
I did, though. I cared that this follow up to Harry Potter didn't seem to know who the characters were. I cared that the newly introduced characters didn't seem as fleshed out as those written by J.K. Rowling. I cared that the play couldn't seem to decide if there was homosexual angst between the two male leads or if they were pining over female characters. I cared that the complexity of the plot meant that characters often had to leap over logical gaps through awkward and painful dialogue. I cared that the laws of magic seemed to be set aside for convenience's sake. I cared.
A friend who also loved the series asked me, "But why is this the story J.K. Rowling chose?" What was it about this story that made it important enough to become canon, to be added to Pottermore, to be added to our collective experience of the Harry Potter Universe? I didn't have an answer.
Actually, no. I did. I wondered if it was because this story is an allegorical reference to the difficulty that J.K. Rowling herself has felt with her children. As possibly the most famous author on the planet, it seems likely that her children have had similar experiences as Albus Potter. Perhaps this is why this story resonated with Ms. Rowling.
I understand why that would be, I only wish that it were not presented in script form - which by the temporal limits of a stage production meant that this complex issue was explored at a sprint instead of a walk. I felt like I saw the characters go flying by my window, already fading into the distance before I had a chance to get to know them and care about their issues. With the new characters, it meant that I didn't get invested into their journey. With the old characters, it felt like having an old friend call me up and say, "Hey! I'm in your city and want to see you, but I've only got five minutes between meetings." It was wonderful to see them for those five minutes, but you leave feeling hollow and missing them more than you had before - almost wishing they hadn't called at all.
Perhaps this experience would be different in the stage form. I will certainly try to see the play when it comes to the Pacific Northwest. Until then, though, I'll check in with my old friends by rereading the first seven. Again.
I am a lifelong, diehard fan of the Harry Potter series. Because of that, I can't say that I didn't enjoy this script. I did. I loved revisiting my old friends and learning about their recent foibles. I did not, however, feel like the script was as good of friends with them as I'd hoped.
Let me unpack this: I felt throughout this reading that the author did not have a very tight grasp of the characters, and so there were frequent moments when Ron, Hermione, Harry, or Draco acted in a way that made me exit from the experience and look around my empty living room to try and find someone who empathized with my confusion. I'm not sure my cat counted because she was just sorted into Slytherin by a Buzzfeed quiz (which was both unsurprising and validating), and so I'm not sure she cared.
I did, though. I cared that this follow up to Harry Potter didn't seem to know who the characters were. I cared that the newly introduced characters didn't seem as fleshed out as those written by J.K. Rowling. I cared that the play couldn't seem to decide if there was homosexual angst between the two male leads or if they were pining over female characters. I cared that the complexity of the plot meant that characters often had to leap over logical gaps through awkward and painful dialogue. I cared that the laws of magic seemed to be set aside for convenience's sake. I cared.
A friend who also loved the series asked me, "But why is this the story J.K. Rowling chose?" What was it about this story that made it important enough to become canon, to be added to Pottermore, to be added to our collective experience of the Harry Potter Universe? I didn't have an answer.
Actually, no. I did. I wondered if it was because this story is an allegorical reference to the difficulty that J.K. Rowling herself has felt with her children. As possibly the most famous author on the planet, it seems likely that her children have had similar experiences as Albus Potter. Perhaps this is why this story resonated with Ms. Rowling.
I understand why that would be, I only wish that it were not presented in script form - which by the temporal limits of a stage production meant that this complex issue was explored at a sprint instead of a walk. I felt like I saw the characters go flying by my window, already fading into the distance before I had a chance to get to know them and care about their issues. With the new characters, it meant that I didn't get invested into their journey. With the old characters, it felt like having an old friend call me up and say, "Hey! I'm in your city and want to see you, but I've only got five minutes between meetings." It was wonderful to see them for those five minutes, but you leave feeling hollow and missing them more than you had before - almost wishing they hadn't called at all.
Perhaps this experience would be different in the stage form. I will certainly try to see the play when it comes to the Pacific Northwest. Until then, though, I'll check in with my old friends by rereading the first seven. Again.
You know what? People are complaining left and right about how it's written like a fanfiction and how it's not worth the buy.
First of all, I like that it's written like a fanfiction. I'll have you know that JK Rowling did NOT actually write this play, someone else did. And it's also a play - and since when was READING a play exactly the same as reading a novel? The fanfiction-y aspect was wonderful because it brought back silly Harry Potter jokes, and the nostalgia was so strong and wonderful. I have no idea why you all were complaining - you asked for more, and she gave you more.
Second, yeah, I wouldn't have actually bought it myself. It's far too fast of a read and not life changing at all. It's fun the first time - but not every time.
First of all, I like that it's written like a fanfiction. I'll have you know that JK Rowling did NOT actually write this play, someone else did. And it's also a play - and since when was READING a play exactly the same as reading a novel? The fanfiction-y aspect was wonderful because it brought back silly Harry Potter jokes, and the nostalgia was so strong and wonderful. I have no idea why you all were complaining - you asked for more, and she gave you more.
Second, yeah, I wouldn't have actually bought it myself. It's far too fast of a read and not life changing at all. It's fun the first time - but not every time.
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A mostly fun read, with sufficient peril, lots of scenes/events from the original books revisited from a different perspective, and interesting new characters—a good choice for anyone who's feeling nostalgic for the series. Not a masterpiece, but enjoyable enough.
(4 stars is for the enjoyment I got, not the quality. I go back and forth like that.)
(4 stars is for the enjoyment I got, not the quality. I go back and forth like that.)
Before I started this book, I explored numerous reviews from die hard Harry fans who purchased the book the moment it was released and spent the night feverishly reading the latest installment of Potter world. Reviews ranged from 5 stars to 1 star with a plethora of comments and opinions. I have to admit, after reading the posted reviews, I was skeptic as to what I would find.
What I did find, was a nice addition to a story that I never wanted to end. Do I think there could have been improvements? Absolutely. For example, I think the adult characters weren't well developed. The readers were told who and what they became, but we never got a true in depth understanding of their character.
Occasionally, I would catch myself thinking, "that's not what *name* would say," and
after reading the tomes given to us by Rowling I was expecting more to the story.
However, I understand that this is written for a play, so volume and details, however much wanted are not practical. I liked this story. Honesty, I couldn't put it down. But now I'm again feeling like..."what's next?" Guess I'll read it again.
What I did find, was a nice addition to a story that I never wanted to end. Do I think there could have been improvements? Absolutely. For example, I think the adult characters weren't well developed. The readers were told who and what they became, but we never got a true in depth understanding of their character.
Occasionally, I would catch myself thinking, "that's not what *name* would say," and
after reading the tomes given to us by Rowling I was expecting more to the story.
However, I understand that this is written for a play, so volume and details, however much wanted are not practical. I liked this story. Honesty, I couldn't put it down. But now I'm again feeling like..."what's next?" Guess I'll read it again.