It’s officially Christmas in July!
" Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" released on July 31 (both Harry’s and Queen Rowling’s birthday), and if you haven’t gotten the chance to read it, or, if like many readers, you are confused about exactly what this eighth book is, here’s everything you need to know about the next installment of Harry’s story. Don’t worry, no spoilers about the actual story here!
First of all, it’s not technically written by J.K. Rowling.
While for a moment it might be misleading, considering the fact we see J.K. Rowling in huge letters across the front of the book, it's because of the form of the book is in. The book is actually a script for the play of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" (currently being performed in England) based on a story J.K. Rowling wrote (though she did help create the script). The story is comprised of both acts of the stage play.
That’s right. If you weren’t aware, grown up Harry, Ron and Hermione actually exist on stage. And so does Harry’s son, Albus, and Draco’s son, Scorpius. (If Scorpius refers to Albus as "Potter," I might cry. And if you didn’t hear a very specific pronunciation of our favorite character’s last name in your head, you need to go re-watch the movies.)
For more about the stage cast, check out this article.
Even though it’s a play, it does continue where we left off. (Accio Hallelujah chorus.)
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" is a continuation of Harry’s story. We will get to see most (hopefully all?) of our favorite characters from the original series (...maybe Dumbledore will come back as a ghost?). However, we will be getting to meet some new friends, as the story not only focuses on Harry, but also his son.
Here’s the summary given on Pottermore:
“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.”
*Internal screaming.*
So… why is it a play?
Most of us nearly fell out of our seats watching the clip of the premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," when J.K. Rowling joked about writing another Harry Potter book. However, when asked about why the story is continuing on in the form of a play, she said:
“The story only exists because the right group of people came together with a brilliant idea about how to present Harry Potter on stage. I’m confident that when audiences see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child they will understand why we chose to tell this story in this way.”
So, I guess we’ll see when we read the script. (Or fly to England to watch it, whichever is easier).
*External screaming.*
