Well.. first things first - Ignore the tags! Whatever they may say, this is NOT a book review. I will never be big enough to write a review for any Harry Potter book. The entire series is a huge part of my life and indeed, it is something so huge that I can conveniently interchange 'life' and 'Harry Potter world'.
There is a friend in London and all I have spoken to him in weeks is about the play in the Palace Theatre and how I just need to see it. There was a puja (ritual) that we hold at our place every year; my dad wanted to have it today and I made him shift to the next week. I could barely sleep the last night - with so much excitement for the new book. Indeed, at a point, my mother actually shouted on me for being over obsessed with the book and forgetting everything for it. I just said her one thing - A life is well lived when we have a lot of dreams and we fulfill them. Otherwise, we are just breathing. To me, Harry Potter was that dream.
Despite all the above, I had a wonderful day!
This was the first book that I have obsessed over and got the first book from the bookstore. I was a fan even when the seventh book released but I was in school then. I had my dad buy it but I only read it when I came home from school. Hence, I loved today even more.
If I have to define my day in a checklist -
- Bug your friend in London with Harry Potter trivia - ✅Check
- Insanely wait for the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - ✅Check
- Cancel everything in the world for a week when the book was releasing - ✅Check
- Not sleeping waiting for the book to release - ✅Check
- Waiting outside the bookstore even before the books or the owner arrives - ✅Check
- Get the bookstore people to start quickly for me to buy the book - ✅Check
- Fuss with the bookstore people over not handling the Harry Potter books with enough consideration - ✅Check
- Buy the first book the bookstore sold - ✅Check
- Read the entire book - ✅Check
- Reread important scenes with Snape - ✅Check
- Fall in love with the magic all over again - ✅Check
Coming to the story... I got a call in the evening from another Potterhead. He asked me one single sentence - As a reader, how did you like the book? (ofcourse, I loved it as a bigtime Potterhead :P) That is also the perspective I am going to put here.
SPOILER ALERT : I have tried to not include any spoiler but sorry if there is anything :S
The book looks really big but it is not. This is the only disappointment I have felt. The book is actually longer than any book and it looks pretty thick.. However, it is just 330 pages of text. Also, since the entire thing is a screenplay script, therefore, all dialogues! Thus, the actual story is even small. The story starts a little slow and with the scene where we left it - at the Kings Cross when Albus begins his first year at Hogwarts. Before you know it, Albus is going to start his fourth year. However, it is then, the things begin happening. And it is also when, you can not even think of putting the book down... not even for a second.
Being a screenplay, the book is divided into 2 parts and each part has 2 acts... 4 acts in total. Each act has couple of scenes. Initially, it is a little difficult to read a Harry Potter story like this but once you are in it... you are in it till the end!!
This is NOT a spin off!! The story has MOST OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES CHARACTERS. The book begins with Albus being unsure - what if he lands in Slytherin? Actually, he just feels that he is not at all like Harry - the boy who lived and now Albus is stuck with being Harry's kid. Someone, both the father and son, dont reach out to each other. Albus feels that Harry always is the Chosen One. And then, Albus takes it to himself to correct what he thinks his father does wrong.
During the journey, we see some back-stories - Draco, James-Lily, Ron-Hermione, and more. We see Professor McGonacall, Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape - Do NOT get your hopes up. Yes, he is alive when he appears. No, he is STILL actually dead. I can't reveal more. The scene with Severus is really beautiful, though. Snape's reaction and all he does is amazing. However, let me tell you, dont get attached. We got some deaths that are equal in magnitude if not less, to the Prince's Tale.
The antagonist is weak. I mean, the suspense was already building and then the antagonist was revealed pretty early. Also, the antagonist did not stand up to the suspense built around it (wont reveal gender). The strong points were - we have lots of things from book 1, book 3, book 4 and book 5. Also, I love Scorpius. Albus and Scorpius are ultimate examples of - it is our choices that show us who we truly are, not our abilities ;)
I have not stopped beaming since I read the book. Indeed, I read Severus's part twice. My friend, also asked me that should this be made to a movie - this was something I was thinking about while reading. There is floo network, walking the wall at Kings Cross, apparation, transformation... I am not sure how all of this would fit in a Broadway... So, my first answer was YES! Most Certainly! And then... I realized.. We dont have Alan with us anymore and no way I am having anyone else play Snape. So, no, this can not be made into a movie.
If you check facebook or other social networking sites, there are so many people all over the planet reading this book and going crazy with joy. I have always been amazed at how some ink and paper has stirred the heart of millions and united them all. There have been pre-launch events and fans coming all together to celebrate a book. Jo, Happy Birthday.. and look, how words are so powerful to change everything!! Thank You for the eighth book. I strongly recommend all to read it.
If you still have not bought it... then buy it HERE.
Happy Birthday Jo!
If you still have not bought it... then buy it HERE.
Happy Birthday Jo!
Happy Birthday Harry.
This one is truly for you Alan... We have lost Snape thrice now.
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