The first Harry Potter came out in 1997. Yes, that’s right, almost decades ago. Unbelievable right? And the first movie from the beyond successful franchise came out 2001. It wasn’t until I was in the third or fourth grade that the wizarding world of Harry Potter became an integral part of my life and continues to be until this day. Harry Potter has been unlike any book I’ve read or movie I’ve seen. So when I found the play adaptation of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” was being released in book form to retailers around the world, I felt like my childhood had been reawakened. After the last book and movie which had come out in 2011, I thought I had closed that chapter of my life for the last time. After J.K Rowling released the website, this the first time in five years I feel as if that chapter of my life hadn’t closed just yet. Because in the early hours of July 31st, 2016, J.K Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne formally released “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”, the two-part West End stage play in book format.
In a play set 19 years later, we get to see how this legendary hero has settled into middle age as a civil servant in London, working at the Ministry of Magic. But what’s more important than that is we get to see Harry as a father and his teenage son Albus’s efforts to cope with the suffocating expectations that come with having a famous father. “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is about the journey Albus takes while growing up, and the roles he and his best friend, Scorpius (Draco Malfoy’s son), play when dark forces once again threaten the fate of the the magical and muggle world. As excited as I am for diving back into the magical world, I do share the same concerns as some of the fans who have been there from the beginning. Will this live up to the seven books which consisted of the core Harry Potter universe? Or will just end up being kind of like an extra add on to the franchise that you don’t really need to read but it’s just there? That’s the main concern I have. By now you can probably tell that I’m a huge fan, and J.K has never disappointed me with her work. But having already peeked at some reviews that fans have had about the story, I do truly hope “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” lives up to the expectations. I personally haven’t had the opportunity to get my hands on it but once I do you can sure bet that I won’t be coming out my room until I’ve finished it.
Regardless of the concerns though, I am curious to see the differences and similarities between the two different types of literature and if I love grown up Harry as much as I have loved the Harry I have grown up with. One thing is for sure, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is definitely worth reading fan or non-fan alike and I’m sure fans around the world appreciate this chance at getting to relive our childhoods with Harry Potter and his magical world once more.
