Harry Potter And The Cursed Child Script May Be More Curse Than Magic

The latest creation in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, arrived late last month, much to the joy of witches and wizards everywhere. This new “book” is actually the script from the play currently running on London’s West End. The new installment focuses on Harry and Ginny’s middle child, Albus as he struggles to find his place in a world where he is constantly being compared to his famous father. Things aren’t exactly easy for Harry either as he begins to realize that sometimes the past doesn’t always stay in the past.

To be completely honest, the script left me feeling torn. There were many things I loved but there were other things I wish I hadn’t read.

Reuniting with Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Draco was such a thrill. The script had some wonderful moments between Ron and Hermione and did a superb job of showing how much a rock Ginny has been for Harry throughout the years. I also loved the direction they went with Draco’s son Scorpius. It was the complete opposite of what I expected and paid off in the end.

Conversely, the characterization of some of the characters was too far-fetched. Ron was underused throughout the script which reminded me of how he was underused in the films. Instead of the smart and strategical Ron we came to love in the first seven books, he was more useless and inept in this version. And don’t even get me started on how Ron and Hermione’s daughter Rose was written.

I also found the story predictable. While it does work for the play, it doesn’t fit in the world of Harry Potter. The timeline for the original series has always been pretty solid, but new information revealed in the script left pretty big cracks. Also, without revealing spoilers, big moments in the script kind of destroyed big moments from the original seven books.

Overall, some people will absolutely love this book, while others, like me, will be left a little deflated. It doesn’t live up to its predecessors, but without seeing the play I can’t fully judge how it competes. To those of you who have read the script book, let me know your thoughts!