Big things happened this week and one of those things was the release of an eighth Harry Potter story, "Harry Potter and The Cursed Child." For fans of Harry Potter, this was a nice gift that somewhat makes up for the fact that we have not received our letter to Hogwarts yet (I’m 21, but maybe my letter got lost in the mail for 10 years…stuff happens). Anyway, people stayed up all night to read this wonderful story, and there are definitely mixed reviews. I have seen numerous people write that it is straight fan fiction, they are upset about the lack of background knowledge, they are freaking out about the relationship that has been named Scorpus and bloody hell Voldemort procreated—which I wasn’t surprised about. Some of the longtime fans are upset and feel as if the story was a failure for the franchise
Well ,for all of you out there that think the story was a bust, I have some news for you. I thought it was marvelous and I am so thankful it came out. First of all, if you have noticed my word choice thus far, you may have picked up on the fact that I have been using the word “story” to describe the tale. I did this intentionally, because it was a release of a story in the form of a script instead of a novel. People are upset that there is not enough background knowledge included in the story, and I hate to break it to ya, but when something is written in script form, there is not much background story included. The beauty of the theater is that the director, stage managers, actors and crew get to work together and perform a play or musical the way they interpret it. I’ve seen numerous productions of the “same” musical, and never is one interpretation the same. In a script, you have the power to imagine things how you’d like and then give stories your creative spin. Maybe this was J.K. Rowling, John Tifanny and Jack Thorne’s idea, so we as readers could use our creativity that the world of Harry Potter has given us to imagine our own background stories.
Secondly, the story can in no way be fan fiction because it was not written by a fan…it was written by the original author, with help from John Tiffany and Jack Thorne to adapt it to the stage. So stop calling it that.
Now onto Scorpus. The friendship or potential relationship between Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy (aka Scorpus) is causing some uproar. The boys are still young and are probably exploring who they really are, so don’t be mad they aren’t in a committed relationship yet. Also, JK Rowling has stated that Dumbledore was gay, so are we really that surprised that there is a potential budding homosexual relationship?
And finally people, look at the big picture. "Cursed Child" may have not been what you wanted to read, it may have not been everything you asked for and more, but look at what it did. Reading the story took me back to the wizarding world that I found comfort in and made me think that maybe it will inspire a new generation to love reading. Since it is in play form, it might bring people to the theater, and we may have a new generation of theater goers! That is pretty exciting!
So for everyone who says "Harry Potter and The Cursed Child" was not their cup of tea (yes, I know, British culture reference), I hope you look at the bigger picture and encourage people to read it because of the potential of what it can do. Keep the Boy that Lived alive and allow his story to be read for generations to come. Always.
