Feature: Book review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

(Spoiler-Free)

If you’re looking for the perfect sequel to the seven books of Harry Potter, you are in for a disappointment, but that was probably never the intention of this book. The Cursed Child, presented in the form of a script is meant entirely for theater use, and dissecting it as you would do for a novel is an unfair treatment to the writers.

That said, the plot of the book itself is weak, and raises scepticism regarding the various events and details changed from what was set in the first seven books. There is a lot of cheesy romance, some unnecessary melodrama and jokes that fall flat in the book. That is, if you’re looking at it as a novel.

As a script, it is on point with regards to building the suspicion, mind-blowing in using the limited resources on stage to transport the viewer/reader into the magical world and in all, a perfect setting for the stage. The romance, melodrama and jokes fit impeccably in my imagination of the play.

If not for the story line or the character development, why is the book a great read?
For the full experience of it: right from hurriedly settling down to dig into the book, getting your priorities fixed for the reading hours, and drinking in every word of the book  without rest or motion is what makes this book a true Potter world experience.

Cursed Child is, first and foremost- Hogwarts. And Hogwarts will always be open to all those who are loyal to it.

– Swathi Chandrasekaran