Harry Potter and the Cursed Child spoiler review

So, this is a very spoiler full review of this, so if you have not read the book stop. You HAVE been warned.

I went into this, not really knowing what to expect. Yes, J.K. Rowling did write it, but as a screen play. Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that as I am someone that loves the theater, but I just didn't know.

Wow, what a story. I was stunned as to how emotional this story was as there were so many connections with the prior books and I was just floored.

So, let's get this out of the way. It is a script for a play and it does take a bit to get used the simple nature of that. Not a lot of description, and it really puts a lot weight in the dialogue. Luckily, the dialogue (for the most part), is just great.

You are introduced to two new characters. Albus Potter, and Scorpius Malfoy. First of all, having them be friends is something that was an interesting choice. We all know the history between Harry and Draco, and having their children be best friends was something I really liked. Combine that with that fact that Albus and Harry have such a bad relationship, and Harry just not really knowing how to connect with his son just made for amazing dialogue. Albus despises being Harry’s son and it makes him surly and angry all the time. Ginny is frustrated with Harry as he cannot just accept Albus and that he cannot just show Albus that he loves him. Ginny is not a HUGE part of this story, but she has a few great moments.

The kids idea to go back in time to save Cedric in the Tri-Wizard tournament was both amazing and such a kid thing to do. It set the book in a pace that I loved and Scorpius being in a world where Voldemort killed Harry at the battle of Hogwarts was just phenomenal.

Things I liked:
Mean Hermione. She is the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher and is bitter and angry. Just so bizarre seeing that.

Snape. I have to admit, seeing Snape again hit me kind of hard. As Scorpius convinces Snape, Hermione and Ron he is from the future. In this world Voldemort killed harry and they are the only ones left that try to fight him. Hell, Umbridge is a professor at the school! The fact that the three sacrifice their lives so Scorpius can escape was amazing. This is a scene that will stay with me for a long damn time.

Umbridge. Just her being in the book at all made me so happy. I hate her so much as she is just such a great character.

Harry is also interesting throughout as he struggled being a father, and especially connecting with Albus. He doesn’t understand his son, and falls into the trap of doing what he thinks is best for his son, instead of talking to him. He and Draco are cordial to each other, but Harry falls into old prejudices and tries to keep Albus from being friends with Scorpius. This is fascinating as it is obvious that he doesn’t know how to handle his son and it even causes friction between Harry and Ginny.

The last bit where you find out the girl that was manipulating Albus and Scorpius was actually Voldemort’s daughter was interesting. I knew from the start that she was not who she claimed to be, but I never made the connection to her being Voldemort’s daughter. So when they are trying to stop her in the past, it is just a surreal and amazing scene. Harry having to watch Voldemort killing her parents, and having to allow it to happen? Wow.

What I did not like.
Ron is not utilized at all. He runs the joke shop and raises the children. I have no issue with that, but considering how important he was in the other books. There was a cool scene her or there, but overall not really important. Also, overly goofy.


Overall
Wow, did I love this book. Took some getting used to at first, but once the kids ran off and tried to save Cedric, things really took off. I did not expect to see Snape again and that broke me a bit. I mean that was just so great and sad and everything I could have wanted. Such a fun read.

Rating 9 out of 10

Why Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is so important

Everything amazing has to have a beginning. 

I remember when these books first came out and how quickly they were dismissed by a lot of people (including myself), as "children's books". As if there is anything wrong with that. But back then, there was not A LOT of these type of stories that were mainstream. Yes, you could read The LotR or Chronicles of Narnia, but I don’t remember there being a lot of new stories that people were reading. This was before the Hunger Games, and even before that pile of garbage Twilight. This book is almost 20 years old. It can almost vote at this point. Crazy. 

I went on a date with someone and she wanted to see this movie. I was like, why? But as I said above, I was convinced it was just a kid’s book. The movie opened my eyes to something that I was not expecting. I was hooked and I went out and immediately bought the first four books (which were what had been written at the time). 

This started the resurgence of fantasy novels for young readers, which is something that cannot be understated in its importance. Yes, there were other stories, but the Potter phenomenon was insane.

But to the story itself. We are introduced to Harry Potter, a young child that somehow survived the attack by the most notorious wizard in the world, Voldemort. Years later he his living with his only surviving relatives the Dursley's. They treat him pretty poorly as they hate anything that comes from that "world". Everything changes when he receives a letter a school called Hogwarts. 

So, in the first book we are introduced to this world. So, there is a lot of setup for the reader as you get acclimated with the setting and everything that comes with that is something to remember as the series goes on, cuz I love this book, but it is one of the weakest in the series. That isn't meant as an insult as this book was clearly written for children and is the most safe. I have no issue with that as I said above, there was a lot of setup in this book. Which is handled brilliantly by J. K. Rowling. 

The Four Houses, the different types of classes each kid had to take due to the different types of magic, Quidditch, and Hogwarts itself are just a few of the things she did such an amazing job introducing you to. These things are improved upon by later books, but she did an amazing job in this book of setting up the world. That isn't an easy thing to do and she nailed it. 

Theme is another important part of this book. You have a child that has his parents murdered when he was a baby, and grew up in a household where they treat him poorly. He lives under the cupboard for heaven's sake. Now to defend the Dursley's they did take him in, fed him, and gave him a home. But they were not friendly, and although Harry did not have a pleasant childhood leading up to his 11th birthday, he made the best of it. Somehow he was a normal kid, and that in itself is amazing. 

One of the reasons both children and adults connected with this book is that we all remember what it was like to be that age. Trying to fit in and figure out who you are. These are things that we all understand and were able to relate to. I find that an amazing thing as making books that both a 5 year old kid could love, and a 45 year old man (like myself) can love, is a very hard thing to go. But people of all ages, sex, race, etc...love this book. 

But the biggest importance (in my opinion), is that it turned whole new generations into readers. That isn’t to say that there may not have been other books that could have done this in a smaller way, but this book (and the rest of the series) grabbed children’s heart and just would not let go. You hear so many stories about how so many people grew up with this series. Not to mention all of the young adult books that came out after it. Some of them being great, and others just trying to capitalize on the new craze. I am looking at YOU Eragon. Must be nice to have parents that are publishers. 

But the love and passion children had for this book was crazy. You could not go ANYWHERE without seeing children reading it. That also goes for adults, as they were also reading this book quite often. This became even more evident when I moved to NYC in 2003 and started taking the train. At that point Order of the Phoenix had just come out and that book was EVERYWHERE on the subway. It was kind of surreal to see all of these people reading something so…nerdy. 

But as the opening of a series, this was a great book. Not my favorite by far in the series, but that is ok as well. The twist ending? The relationship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione? Snape? Malfoy? So much awesome in this book and it sent me and others on a path to something we will forever love. 

I would rate the book 7 out of 10
I would rate the movie also 7 out of 10

My thoughts as I finish the Wheel of Time

So, after so many years of reading, I am finally finishing the Wheel of Time started by Robert Jordan and finished by Brandon Sanderson. As I sit here right now, I have just started reading A Memory of Light. The 14^th and final book in the series. Other series have ended like this…series that I love.

Harry Potter and the Dark Tower…to name a couple

Now, not everyone loves this series as much as I do. I get that. I even get why. Hell, there are more than a few things I don’t love about the series as well. But overall?

I started reading this series about twenty years ago when I stumbled across the Eye of the World in Barnes and Noble. As someone that lives for epic fantasy, I immediately was drawn into the world and the characters. Rand, Mat, Perrin, Egwene, Morraine, Lan, and even Nynaeve (sometimes). From the beginning I loved their journey.

The good points

The world itself is handled very well. The different countries and cultures that are displayed were always done very well. From Tar Valon, the waste, to the small village of the Two Rivers.

I also loved the Aes Sedai. Morraine started it with how great she was. But once the Black Ajah became more apparent. Once the fight with them started, it was always one of the more interesting aspects of the books. Sprinkle in some forsaken and it was usually golden. Egwene become much more interesting and Nynaeve eventually got to the point where I stopped hating her as a character.

The threads in the pattern. Mat, Perrin, and Rand. They were Ta’veren. Able to have influence the weave of the pattern. I always loved these three and they got better later in the books. Love how different they were. Mat had his luck and his mouth. Perrin had the wolves and his determination. Rand was the Dragon Reborn and had the fate of the world on his shoulders. Especially loved the moment where things changed for him. They are tied together and since I have not finished the book, I am wondering which of them will live?

Brandon Sanderson. Yes, I appreciate what Jordan started with this, but Sanderson has done an amazing job in the two books that I have read that he wrote. Yes, he had all of Jordan’s notes and such, but I like how he condensed the chapters and got more people involved. Jordan did not do this often and some of his chapters for each character were HUGE. But it felt like the world that Jordan started and that is all you can ask for someone to come finish someone else’s epic story.

The Forsaken. Thirteen of the most powerful in the world. They bicker, they fight, the try to kill all of my favorite characters. But they were a lot of fun and each had its own way of trying to gain power.

Emotion. There were a few moments in the last few books that made me cry. I have been with these characters for years and there were just moments of pure joy. Now I am on the last book and I am both excited and sad that is ending.

The bad points

Women.  It drove me nuts how he wrote women in this series.  On one hand, women were powerful rulers and mighty masters of the one source…on the other hand they were scatterbrained and almost always ridiculously irritable. Just so damn inconsistent and it drove me insane.

If I read Nynaeve pulling her damn braid one more time due to her being stubborn, I was gonna stab someone. Yes, she was stubborn and was the wisdom, but god she argued with EVERYONE, and always thought she was right. Her character has annoyed me more than any other character in a series I have loved this much. UGH. Now, she got better toward the end, to only be replaced in annoyance by Elaine.

Elaine. How many times does one character have to blindly go into a situation a situation and get themselves in trouble? Jesus. Also, we get it; you are the daughter-heir of Andor. You don’t have to say it every 13 seconds. It was just annoying sometimes. Did love Birgette though.

Why did every woman in this world think men were useless? Was an odd bit of sexism, especially since it was written by a man.  Also, I found the Aes Sedai method of switching as penance to be really creepy.

Avienda was just boring. I hate the dragon reborn. I love the dragon reborn. Ugh.

Luckily, Sanderson did not do nearly as much with these characters this way.

Overall

Despite the way women are written for a good portion of the book, I still loved this series. Luckily, the women were strong enough and did amazing things to counter some of the confusing ways they were written. The story is what I love. A story about how you have to stand against the darkness. I feel like enough people don’t do this in real life. Is why I love fantasy so much. Yes, it can be dark, but it also is about hope and overcoming.

I cannot wait to get back to reading. Which I will do now.