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Product Description
The eighth story. Nineteen years later.
Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a new play by Jack Thorne, is the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. It will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on 30th July 2016.
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes darkness comes from unexpected places.
About the Authors
Jack Thorne writes for theatre, film, television and radio. His theatre credits include Hope and Let The Right One In, both directed by John Tiffany, The Solid Life of Sugarwater for the Graeae Theatre Company, Bunny for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Stacy for the Trafalgar Studios, 2nd May 1997 and When You Cure Me for the Bush. His adaptations include The Physicists for the Donmar Warehouse and Stuart: A Life Backwards for Hightide. On film his credits include War Book, A Long Way Down and The Scouting Book for Boys. For television his credits include The Last Panthers, Don’t Take My Baby, This Is England, The Fades, Glue and Cast-Offs and the upcoming National Treasure. In 2012 he won BAFTAs for best series (The Fades) and best serial (This Is England 88).
John Tiffany directed Once for which he was the recipient of multiple awards both in the West End and on Broadway. As Associate Director of the Royal Court, his work includes The Twits, Hope and The Pass. He was the director of Let The Right One In for the National Theatre of Scotland, which transferred to the Royal Court, West End and St. Ann’s Warehouse. His other work for the National Theatre of Scotland includes Macbeth (also Broadway), Enquirer, The Missing, Peter Pan, The House of Bernarda Alba, Transform Caithness: Hunter, Be Near Me, Nobody Will Ever Forgive Us, The Bacchae, Black Watch, for which he won the Olivier and Critics’ Circle Best Director Awards, Elizabeth Gordon Quinn and Home: Glasgow. Other recent credits include The Glass Menagerie at A.R.T. and on Broadway and The Ambassador at BAM. Tiffany was Associate Director of the National Theatre of Scotland from 2005 to 2012, and was a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University in the 2010-2011 academic year.
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 71 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
82%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
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Most Liked Positive Review
THE MAGIC'S BACK, AND ITS GREAT!!!!!
HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD, PARTS ONE AND TWO
This much publicised story of the sons and daughters of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and the one and only Hermione Grainger, is...Read complete review
HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD, PARTS ONE AND TWO
This much publicised story of the sons and daughters of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and the one and only Hermione Grainger, is certainly an enigma. Some readers will love it, some will hate it. Some (or most) will probably fall approximately into the middle. Personally I take it for what it is – the script for a play which has huge entertainment value, a surprisingly strongly emotional ending, as well as a plethora of plot twists and turns along the way. It is certainly well structured, avoiding the tediousity (is that a word?) of unnecessary lessons and introductions and steep learning curves and exams that we all have fond memories of, and instead, focusing on the relationship (or in some cases, the lack thereof) which make up life in the world of witches and wizards.
Oh, and there's an adventure to be had, too, and its a doosie. As i mentioned above, once the story gets going, the plot twists and turns more frequently than the mighty Amazon River. Naturally it is not as deep or as moving as the full length novels which created this extraordinary and world changing legend. The star of the show is undoubtedly SCORPIUS, the lone son of Draco Malfoy. And what a sad story *that* is. He (SPOILERS) befriends Albus Potter (son of Harry and Ginny) in chapter one and the reader doesn't look back. Some of the lines he comes out with will make all readers, especially adults, burst out laughing over and over again. Once you get used to the writing and publishing style of the book, it becomes a joy to read. There is no great depth here, so adjust your mind set from the great times and adventures of books 1 through 7 before commencing. New characters are a bonus, especially one in particular (SPOILERS) whom the reader will meet and be suitably impressed with on the Hogwarts Express.
Having said that, it *is* hard at times, thinking of the world saving trio of Ron, Harry and Hermione as grown up adults, each with adult and muggle based responsibilities of their own to manage and deal with. What is not difficult to accept is the rambunctious goings-on of the two main characters studying magic (as a part time hobby) but also managing to saving the world, and coincidentally preventing the dreaded the return of You Know Who in the process. Scorpius is a gorgeous character, full of life and live, and wisdom, and enthusiasm to make things right, even if he hates the Greatest Wizard The World Has ever Known Who Happens to Be His Father.
The utlimate solution to the puzzle of preventing the return of You Know Who is brilliant. In typical JK fashion, hints are scattered throughout the book for the eagle eyed observer to pick up and analyse. I am thefirst to confess I did not see it all coming, but i much prefer to sit back and enjoy the show instead of wasting precious amounts of mental concentration trying to predict what is about to happen.
So the book is finished. I loved it. As i have said above, it is not as long, deep or complex as the classics from the past but its a great way for veterans to extend the most unique fantasy universe ever created. If nothing else, once read, it gives the reader strong encouragement to revisit the wonder, excitement, pure innocence and absolute genius of the original books sooner than you normally would have. And that can't be a bad thing, can it?
Four stars for this fantastic but slighty short read.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Proceed with Caution
Having already read each of the Harry Potter books multiple times and all the movies, I knew in the lead up to the release that it was a script of the play and not...Read complete review
Having already read each of the Harry Potter books multiple times and all the movies, I knew in the lead up to the release that it was a script of the play and not a book (which judging by previous reviews written, it seems not everyone had been made aware of this). I wasn't surprised, however I agree with the other reviews that it is a hard book to read in the script format.
Without being a plot spoiler, I found some of the content disappointing especially surrounding Cedric Diggory (who in book 4 was one of my fav characters). I wonder if the memory of these characters should have been preserved. It was good to read that Harry, Hermione and Ron are fallible adult characters however I don't think this content will be universal to most of the avid younger readers of the books.
Like prequels and sequels of really good original movies, I think this series should have been left as it ended in the book 7. It might be interesting to see this play performed and I may change my view.
Reviewed by 71 customers
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Comments about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts I and II:
Wasn't sure about getting this instalment of Harry Potter as it was written in script form.
Turned out to be an easy and compelling read. Don't think of it as Shakespeare play.
You'll glide through it. It compliments the series well, and it's
interesting to see where the characters ended up 20 years on. Their children in teenage years
take up the main story, on an adventure that will tie everything together.
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Comments about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts I and II:
I absolutely loved every chapter! Even though it is written like a play its very good. The only thing is that I believe only a true blue harry potter fan could read it and get into it, if you are not a harry potter fan i feel you may find it hard to get into it or grasp it. But over all absolutely amazing!
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Comments about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts I and II:
Love the book... Takes me to another world from this boring world.....
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Comments about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts I and II:
Great...couldn't wait to read it. 'Love that it is on the shelf with the rest of the Harry Potters'.
Great to teach children to read plays and not just novels.
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Comments about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts I and II:
For all Harry Potter fans who have read the 7 books beforehand.
Please note that this is a script for a play and it is not written by J.K Rowling.
The writing style is very different to Rowling and not as good.
I found the first half of the book to be slow but the 2nd half picks ups.
It's an OK read, nothing brilliant but definitely not a bad read
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Comments about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts I and II:
Highly addictive
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Comments about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts I and II:
Pure brilliance that this was written as a play.
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Comments about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts I and II:
I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter series and although the format of this was not what we are used to from HP, it was still a great read.
I read this in a 24 hour period but then once I find something I like I tend to read, read, read!
Really only for Harry Potter fans though
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Comments about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts I and II:
Since it is a screenplay, you don't get the whole picture and lack of details.. It might have been worth the wait.. But obviously wish it was a novel
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Comments about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts I and II:
I wasn't drawn to this story. It lacked the vigour of the other books and maybe it was because they were constrained by the limitations of the stage play, or Rowling didn't have as big a hand in the crafting of the story. But I felt this book leaned towards carefully edited fan fiction.
I'm hoping the stage play with inject the story with some excitement, but I just couldn't connect with the script.
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J K (Joanne Kathleen) Rowling was born in July 1965 at Yate General Hospital in England and grew up in Chepstow, Gwent where she went to Wyedean Comprehensive.
Jo left Chepstow for Exeter University, where she earned a French and Classics degree, her course including one year in Paris. As a postgraduate she moved to London and worked as a researcher at Amnesty International among other jobs. She started writing the Harry Potter series during a delayed Manchester to London King's Cross train journey, and during the next five years, outlined the plots for each book and began writing the first novel.
Jo then moved to northern Portugal, where she taught English as a foreign language. She married in October 1992 and gave birth to a daughter Jessica in 1993. When the marriage ended, she and Jessica returned to the UK to live in Edinburgh, where Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone was eventually completed.
Jo married Dr. Neil Murray in 2001, and a brother for Jessica, David, was born in 2003. A sister, Mackenzie, followed in 2005.
ISBN: 9780751565355
ISBN-10: 0751565350
Audience:
General
For Ages: 8+ years old
Format:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Number Of Pages: 352
Published: 31st July 2016
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Country of Publication: GB
Dimensions (cm): 24.1 x 16.0
x 3.4
Weight (kg): 0.64
Edition Number: 1
