Each generation has had its own set of book heroes and favorite characters. Time dictates the type of characters that will hook the younger generation with their strengths. In early childhood, we are surrounded by funny talking mice, chipmunks, bees, ducks and dogs. In teenage years, when the sense of adventure and the idea of saving the world from the universal evil comes to the forefront, our favorite characters change their appearance and purpose. I bet, right now there is the image in your mind of the adventurous Tom Sawyer, inventor Pippi, resentful stepdaughter Cinderella, flying ninja turtles or Peter Pan. The beauty of these characters is in their relevance to each specific age.
Children's and teen literature, in my opinion, is one of the most difficult genres of literature. The writer must possess sufficient mastery of words to make his book understandable to children and at the same time to lay the second plane with deeper meaning which could be grasped by adults only.
Despite the fact the youth quietly takes us into adulthood, sometimes people need to find miracles in the everyday routine. And we discover our favorite characters again.
In July 31, 2016 the eighth book of J.K. Rowling's series was published. It is "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child". This was a very welcome development for millions of readers and fans of Joanne Rowling. The bookstores was transformed beyond recognition. Stepping in to Barnes and Noble you could meet not only the muggles, but witches and wizards. They carried the golden covered book in hands like a treasure. I also could not resist the temptation to dive again into my favorite world of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Fortunately I grown up with those heroes. Harry Potter's word filled my whole teenage mind. Time changed the format, and I calculated years from the last chapter of the previous reading till the release of the new book. I was only a couple years older than Harry, Ron and Hermione. This fact made the Rowling's books more interesting for me.
At the time when Albus Dumbledore died, it seemed that there was some great personal tragedy. I was twenty when Harry won the battle against Lord Voldemort. Then there was a nagging sadness, because by the law of the genre when the main villain is defeated, the story came to the logical conclusion. I absolutely did not want to say goodbye to Harry Potter, his friends and teachers; even about his enemies I wanted to know more. It should be noted that all seven books and eight movies, I read and watched in Russian. Can you imagine my surprise when I opened the book "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" for the first time in English. As it turned out, the difference between the translation and the original was significant. I read and re-read, listened to and watched all the original saga about the boy who lived. It was like opening the door to the magic world once again.
Finally it happened! The continuation of my favorite stories, when Harry had grown up. To be honest, it was scary to open a new book. The risk was too huge to be disappointed of my favorite heroes. Another complicating circumstance seemed to format the new book. All seven previous parts were written in a narrative genre like novels. The eighth part came in a play format. But no matter how great was my fear, curiosity still prevailed. For four days, I plunged headlong into my favorite element.
In my opinion, J.K. Rowling has managed to withstand the style and logic of each of the characters. One of the protagonists of the book becomes a middle son of Harry and Ginny Potter - Albus Severus Potter. He was named in honor of the greatest wizards and courageous fighters against the Dark Lord - Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. Obviously, to be the son of such parents is a huge responsibility. In consequence of that, the conflict is growing inside the teenage boy. The difficult relationship with his father is heating problems. The situation is exacerbated that Albus Potter's best friend at Hogwarts becomes none other than Scorpius Malfoy. Malfoy Jr. does not like his father. Moreover, he bears the brunt of the legend that he is the son of Lord Voldemort. Two friends pass through the challenging adventures, and as usual for current Rowling's tradition, all the characters represent a life lesson. This time no one was hurt. In parallel with the development of the plot, which involved the younger wizard's generation, we are seeing the development of the personalities of our "old" characters. The author gives us the key to understanding the factors that influenced the internal changes in Draco, Harry, Hermione, Ron and the other wizard friends. The finale of the play seems very happy, at the first glance. However, readers will get caught on the hook for a meaningful author's silence about the end of the new villain. This fact, in turn, leaves hope for the subsequent continuation of the adventures of young Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy. The latter is trying hard to intermarry with half blood family Granger-Weasley. Could the king of Scorpions carry out his plans to the dismay of his pure-blood father?
This play has justified many of my readers' expectations, but compared with the previous novels, it does not have a narrative component. I prefer audiobooks to all of other platforms. I have a very vivid imagination, and J.K. Rowling is an excellent "landscape painter". I infinitely love to sink into the description of the Hogwarts castle and Hogsmeade village. Even the Weasley's family house has been described by the author so "delicious", that my imagination was happy to paint a picture in the wake of the deferral of books.
The genre of the play does not involve the narrative part, except some action remarks. So I really believe that what will soon be released is the eighth novel, which will be based on this play, but Rowling will complement those lines with some details and descriptions, which Potter's readers hungrily wait for.
Fortunately, 2016 is full of events from the wizarding world. In late November, comes the movie "Fantastic Beasts and Where to find Them," based on the book by the same author. Despite the fact that the heroes of this movie live long before the birth of Harry Potter and his friends, they share a world of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I look forward to go to the movies for this promising film. I'm sure it would be no less of a success than all the previous works of the great author J.K. Rowling.
As the experience of my life I notice, we have favorite cartoon and fairy tale characters that live in our childhood, and there are those that accompany us throughout our lives. I look forward to a New Year trip to the Universal Studios Park to ride on the Hogwarts Express, to drink butterbeer, and to have a dinner in the cafe "Three Broomsticks". The following year, I already asked Santa for the next Christmas gift. I wish it would be a dinner in the main hall of Hogwarts castle (in the London suburb of Watford). And then, I hope, will be released the next book about the adventures of my favorite characters. Thanks to the author of books about Harry Potter for dreams and inspiration which last my entire life.
