Very soon, on July 28, 2016, the premiere of the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (original title Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) at London's Palace Theatre. It would seem that a huge community of Potter fans should have made an information noise worse than Kim Kardashian. An-no! Information about the eighth part is only on fansites. And even there, she doesn't seem to be very popular. But it can only be cooler A new book The game of thrones.

I could not get around such an interesting event. Moreover, there is something to see there: the characters grew up, got children, and some even changed their race.

Translations of the book into Russian can be found in

The action of the play takes place 19 years after the victory over the Dark Lord (this was in book 7 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). The children of the main characters are either just going to school, or they are already going to school. Clearly, they are students.

Snobs who managed to buy tickets will surely see the emotional experiences of students and parents from parting. Not surprising. After the game that was going on in the previous seven books, it's time to seriously think about home education. And why doesn't the prospect of being killed by a huge and bloodthirsty willow bother anyone? The rest I just keep quiet.

By the way, about tickets. The play consists of two parts. Each part goes on a separate day. Ticket prices are not amazing: from 15 to 65 pounds per person day. Don't be too quick to rejoice. All tickets have already been bought out. Although the production runs until May 2017.

Draco and Scorpius Malfoy

Original Draco & Scorpius Malfoy

It is immediately clear: the Malfoys have a rich imagination. They choose the names of the offspring with a twist, unlike the rest of the characters.

From the epilogue of the seventh part, we remember that the Malfoy Potters are already, at least, not openly despised, or even respected at all. It seems that, according to the law of the genre, everything will end with family friendship and Thanksgiving dinners together. Although you know that modern tolerant art can represent a strong male friendship slightly different than what you imagine. Let's just say, more robust and less masculine, if you know what I mean.

I didn't see any mention of Mama Malfoy.

Potter family

The family of the protagonist is presented in an incomplete composition. Only three out of five. Harry Potter himself, Ginny Potter (nee Weasley) and their middle son Albus Severus Potter. Where did the other two children go with strange names- the story is still silent. Let me remind you that their names are James Sirius (senior) and Lily Luna (younger).

There's a chance that if there's a train station scene, the entire Potter family can be seen... Get out there with those smarties who go to the production.

Did you also notice that Harry only had one scar left? They couldn't forget to draw it. What if Voldemort wasn't lying when he said Harry was a liar. As you know, history is written by the winners. All the important, power-holding characters played in the box. There is no one else to ask. Only Harry survived. He tells his story. Did we read the story from the perspective of the wrong character?

Harry has a shabby look. I think one of the reasons is his mother-in-law. Yes, the same woman Molly, who sent curses to her children. Potter's life is clearly not sugar. Guess what he will choose: the arrival of Mother-in-law for the holidays or to defeat Voldemort once again?

Here is some more interview with Jamie Parker (in English).

Cast: Harry Potter - Jamie Parker, Ginny Potter - Poppy Miller, Albus Severus Potter - Sam Clemmett

Granger Weasley family

Most of all, life patted Hermione. She is one of those people who are said to have changed beyond recognition. And indeed it is. Remember that cute little girl with brown hair? Well, here she is.

Ron looks happy. It seems that he does not notice the trick. For him, Hermione changed smoothly, as much as 19 years.

What do you think Hermione says when she and Ron watch the graduation album? What used to be bad photographic equipment and did it turn out badly all the time? Or is it due to frequent trips to resorts? In England, you definitely don’t get sunburned like that.

Ron same character went to the rag-father. A serious strict wife is the head of the family. He himself could not even persuade her to change her last name. On the other hand, he looks strong better than that a kid who was sick of slugs his entire sophomore year.

The Granger-Weasley family actually has two children. The second one is called Hugo, but he wasn't shown either.

Interview with Noma Dumezweni (in English)

Interview with Paul Tonley (in English)

Cast: Hermione - Noma Dumezweni, Ron - Paul Tonley, Rosa - Cherrel Skeet.

Book and movie "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child"

For now, it's all about the performance. But you know it's always about money. If the production goes on, then be sure that the book and the film will not be long in coming.

Do you want to be the first to know what the story is about, but your budget did not allow you to personally go to the play? There is an exit. An interesting printed material will be produced for you: the so-called Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Parts One & Two (Special Rehearsal Edition Script). This is a specially prepared printed version of the script. Keep in mind that no one planned to translate it into Russian yet. If you know English and don't feel sorry for $18, then you can pre-order on some foreign Amazon. And very soon you will be able to flaunt a completely new story from the world of Harry Potter in front of your friends. Let them envy.

Some more Potter

While I was writing this post, I learned a lot of interesting things about the works related to the Hogwarts universe.

Background to Harry Potter

The Harry Potter prequel is an 800-word piece written by J.K. Rowling in 2008 on a postcard specially for sale at a charity auction supported by the network bookstores Waterstone's. The postcard with the text was sold on 11 June 2008 for £25,000. On the same day, the text of the story was published on the Internet.

That's what it says on Wikipedia

English is not yours forte? It doesn't matter, under the spoiler is a summary

Sirius Black and James Potter, fleeing on a motorcycle from a police car chasing them, turn into a narrow alley between houses, at the end of which there is a dead end. The car also drives into this alley, and thus the teenagers are squeezed between the wall and police car. Sergeant Fisher and cop Anderson get out of the car and charge the "marauders" with speeding, riding a motorcycle without a helmet, and resisting arrest. Suddenly, three figures on broomsticks appear in the alley, Sirius and James utter some kind of spell that raises the car on its hind legs, and leaves the trio unconscious. The next moment, Sirius and James are flying away on a motorcycle.

Source: https://ru.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_The Cursed_Child

19 years have passed since the events described in Deathly Hallows. Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley meet Ron and Hermione at King's Cross Station while sending their children to Hogwarts. Albus Severus Potter immediately befriends Scorpius Malfoy, whose dark fame of his family makes him very unpopular. Surprisingly, Albus is placed in Slytherin, and over the next three years at Hogwarts, he suffers bullying and humiliation from other students who believe that he falls short of his father's abilities.

Meanwhile, Harry and Hermione, now the Minister for Magic, are trying to hide the existence of the last remaining Time Turner in order to secretly keep it for further research. Amos Diggory finds out about this and tries to convince Harry to use the device to save Cedric Diggory. Harry refuses as it will change the present. Albus overhears the conversation and becomes disillusioned with his father. He convinces Amos' niece Delphi Diggory to help him and Scorpius find the Time Turner and save Cedric.

The heist of the Ministry of Magic goes well and they both go to the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. Believing that Cedric's defeat in the Tournament will save him from Voldemort, they disarm him during the contest. Young Hermione suspects Durmstrang of this, which is why at the Christmas ball she dances not with Viktor Krum, but with Ron Weasley. Ron then dances with Padma Patil, with whom he becomes romantically involved.

Scorpius shows this to Albus and, returning to the present, explains why Ron is now married to Padmé and Hermione has become...a psychopath. They decide to use the Flywheel one more time for Ron and Hermione to get their former lives back, but still save Diggory.

With some help from Moaning Myrtle, Albus and Scorpius are sent back to 1995 for the second competition, where they shame Cedric. The plan fails again, Cedric's humiliation leads Diggory to become a Death Eater! Later, Cedric kills Neville Longbottom, who was supposed to be the killer of Nagini, Voldemort's last Horcrux, thus allowing the Death Eaters to win the Battle of Hogwarts and kill Harry Potter. Thus, the existence of Albus becomes impossible. Scorpius back in hogwarts present time is trapped as it is controlled by the Death Eaters. Returning to the past, Scorpius, along with Ron, Hermione and Severus Snape, who survived the victory of Voldemort, neutralizes Albus and Scorpius who are there.

Albus and Scorpius are reunited in the present. Next, they plan to destroy the illegal Time Turner, as they do not trust the Ministry after their lies. Delphi joins them in this, but openly admits that her true intention is to revive Voldemort. Friends have to go to 1981 and destroy the device. In Godric's Hollow on the night of Lily and James Potter's death, Albus and Scorpius send a message from the past by placing a letter on little Harry's blanket. From the letter, Harry's parents decide that Delphi was Voldemort's daughter. Harry, Draco, Ron, Hermione and Ginny, with the help of another secret Draco Flywheel, travel back in time, defeat Delphi and send her to Azkaban.

Back in the present, Harry and Albus visit Cedric Diggory's grave.

This event was highly anticipated. Millions of people around the world could not get used to the idea that after the end of the seventh book of Harry Potter they can never go back to Magic world, created . And the writer herself added fuel to the fire of despair with statements that the story about the boy who survived was completed and she no longer plans to return to the franchise. But everything turned out differently with the announcement, and the further premiere of the play, which is now considered canon and an official continuation. And of course, it could not do without a book adaptation of the script of the play, which will be discussed below.

Performance Harry Potter and the Cursed Child created a real sensation not only among Harry Potter fans, but among everything theater society, because the stage was going on real magic. Spells flew out magic wands, clothes were mysteriously replaced by robes when the heroes arrived at Hogwarts and some characters appeared on stage as if from thin air.

This idea was based on the plot, which was not written by Rowling herself, but Jack Thorne in collaboration with the director of the play John Tiffany, led by Joan. And, perhaps, this is what played a cruel joke with the new story. But first things first.

The plot of the book (the script of the play) Harry Potter and the Cursed Child develops 19 years after the events told in Deathly Hallows. home story line centered around Harry and Gini's youngest son - Albus Potter, who grows up far from being the same boy as his famous father was. The shadow of the Harry Potter celebrity always haunts Albus. Hogwarts doesn't seem like the most to him the best place on the ground. On the contrary, Albus constantly feels the burden of loneliness. Only scorpius, the son of Draco Malfoy, does not allow Albus to remain completely alone, because, by a whim of fate, it is these two boys who are best friends.

Albus's arrogance, defiance, and teenage self-confidence throw the two friends into a whirlpool of events that can not only radically change modern world but also wipe it clean from the face of the earth.

JOIN US ON SOCIAL NETWORKS:

It's hard to talk about the plot of the book without resorting to spoilers. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, because it (the plot) is full of various events, unexpected turns and scenery changes. But that just didn't do the book any good. The point is that the plot Harry Potter and the Cursed Child filled with logical holes, contradictions and quite often and clearly contradicts the plot of the original story. And these are not annoying little things that only a biased skeptic will notice. This is a gross and irresponsible disregard for the laws and foundations of the world of Harry Potter.

The lion's share of the plot is devoted to the Time-Turners. And although Rowling deliberately "destroyed" them in the fifth book, during the battle in the department of secrets, in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child such a flywheel reappears, which, moreover, can send to the past for many years and leads to a change in the future (which contradicts the very logic of the work of the Time-Turners, disclosed in the book Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban). But that's just a "flower" compared to the final turn of events, which is hard to take seriously for anyone familiar with the history of Harry Potter.

And it's the plot itself that really spoils the impression of the book. If J.K. Rowling had taken on the job on her own, this probably wouldn't have happened. On the other hand, the last word after all, it was reserved for her, and she consciously made such plot failures.

There, however, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child- this, whatever one may say, is a continuation of everyone's favorite story. From the first pages you instantly plunge into that same magical world, feeling the same feelings as before. The book is so captivating that it is absolutely impossible to stop. Line by line, page by page, the reader is immersed in the familiar atmosphere of the magical world. It's just that it doesn't last long. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child- this is not a novel, and you can read it in some 5-7 hours.

After reading Harry Potter and the Cursed Child there is a double impression. On the one hand - sincere delight from the return to your favorite story. On the other hand, disappointment from the number of problems with the plot and contradictions to the original canons. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will be a work that all fans will read, which will surely be made into a film and which will never settle in the hearts of Potter fans. The book will appear in Russian on December 7, 2016.

Pros:

• Return to the magical world
• It is interesting to learn about how the fate of the heroes of the original saga developed.
• Ron is still fun

Minuses:

• Logic holes and contradictions
• Rejection of the canons of the original
• small volume

Expectations met: 60%

Rating: 6 out of 10

P.S. For those who think the final score is too low, and the review is a biased opinion written by Harry Potter haters, here's some food for thought - we would rate the original books at 10 out of 10, and Prisoner of Azkaban at all 11!

THE BOOK HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSNESS CHILD is a scripted play that premiered on June 7, 2016 and premiered on July 30 in London. The play is long, so it is divided into two parts. That is, you need to spend two evenings in a row in the theater.

The book itself represents a new chapter in the history of Harry - together with the main characters, we will be transported 19 years ahead, to our time.

By the way, we owe the release of the book to activist fans who flooded Rowling with letters asking them to help those who cannot see the play in London. Initially, it was not planned to release the play in the form of a book.

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD Plot

19 years have passed since the events described in The Deathly Hallows. Harry Potter and his wife Ginny Weasley meet Ron and Hermione at King's Cross Station while sending their children to Hogwarts.

On the train younger son Harry Potter - Albus Severus Potter, who is burdened by the fact that he is the son of such a famous wizard, meets and begins to make friends with his future classmate Scorpius Malfoy. Albus and Scorpius become Slytherin students. Three years pass, during which Albus suffers unwanted attention from other students and comparisons to his famous father. Scorpius, an insecure boy, suffers bullying over rumors that he is supposedly Voldemort's son.

Meanwhile, Harry and Hermione, now employees of the Ministry of Magic, attempt to hide the existence of the last remaining Time Turner in order to secretly keep it for further research.

Amos Diggory finds out about this and tries to convince Harry to use the device to get his son Cedric Diggory back.

Harry refuses as it will change the present. Albus overhears the conversation and becomes disillusioned with his father. He convinces Amos' niece, Delphi Diggory, to help him and Scorpius find the Time Turner and save Cedric.

The robbery of the Ministry of Magic is successful, however, it turns out that the Time-Turner is broken, and you can only get into the past for 5 minutes, and then there is an automatic return back.

The friends travel back in time to the Triwizard Tournament to prevent Cedric from winning, as they believe that his defeat in the Tournament will save him from a confrontation with Voldemort. They disguise themselves as Durmstrang students and disarm Cedric during a dragon contest. Cedric is still dying: failure in the first competition only strengthens his will to win.

The actions of Albus and Scorpius are noticed by a young Hermione, who suspects that they were persuaded by Viktor Krum. As a result, at the Christmas ball, she dances not with Krum, but with Ron Weasley. Ron then dances with Padma Patil, with whom he becomes romantically involved.

Back in the present, the friends discover that Ron is now married to Padmé, Hermione has become a rather obnoxious teacher at Hogwarts, and Ron and Hermione's daughter Rose doesn't exist at all. They decide to use the Flywheel one more time to save Diggory.

Albus and Scorpius are sent to 1995 for the second competition, where they humiliate Cedric by using a bloat spell on him. Cedric Diggory survives, but out of humiliation decides to become a Death Eater.

During the Battle of Hogwarts, Cedric kills Neville Longbottom, who was supposed to destroy Nagini, Voldemort's last Horcrux. Nagini survives, Voldemort and his supporters win the Battle and kill Harry Potter. Thus, the existence of Albus becomes impossible.

Scorpius, returning alone to present-day Hogwarts, finds himself being controlled by Death Eaters. There, Scorpius finds dissidents - Ron, Hermione and Severus Snape, who survived after Voldemort's victory.

Returning with their help to the past for the third time, he neutralizes Albus and Scorpius who are there, who are trying to interfere with Cedric.

Albus and Scorpius are reunited in the present, which has returned to its original state. They decide to destroy the illegal Time Turner. They are joined by Delphi, who suddenly says that her true intention is to revive Voldemort.

Delphi takes the friends to 1981, destroys the device and flies off in an unknown direction. They understand that she wants to save Voldemort, who suffered while trying to kill little Harry Potter.

Albus and Scorpius send a message from the past by writing a secret letter on little Harry's blanket.

In the present Harry Potter, Ginny, Ron and Hermione discover that Delphi was Voldemort's daughter.

They also discover a letter on a blanket stating that their children were stranded in 1981 in Godric's Hollow. It is discovered that the Malfoy family still has another Time-Turner. Harry, Draco, Ron, Hermione and Ginny arrive in 1981, defeat Delphi and send her to Azkaban.

Back in the present, Harry and Albus visit Cedric Diggory's grave.

Hogwarts students Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy, trying to prove that they are not born with a bastard, are going to save Cedric Diggory, who fell at the hands of Voldemort during the Triwizard Tournament, with the help of a time gate. However, the decision young heroes leads to dire consequences and to prevent victory dark forces, matured Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco take up the matter ...

Artwork™ & © HPTP. Harry Potter™ WBEI

J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Play
Genre: youth fantasy, chrono-opera
Original output: 2016
Interpreter: M. Spivak
Publishers: Makhaon, Azbuka-Atticus, 2017
Series:"Harry Potter"
464 pages, 150,000 copies.
Similar to:
Cassandra Clare Draco trilogy
The Wandering Wizard anthology (optional sequel to Sprague de Camp's The Adventures of Harold Shea)

The fact that JK Rowling will not be able to leave the magical world she so successfully invented was easy to predict. True, at English writer there were options. So, one could use the experience of Terry Pratchett or Joe Abercrombie, who, having invented a multifaceted universe, were not limited to describing the adventures of the same heroes. If you want - show in detail the background of the main cycle, if you want - introduce completely new protagonists, well, or transfer the action somewhere "to distant lands." The possibilities are many, and the most obvious for a Potter game is literary incarnation Fantastic Beasts movie franchises. However, Rowling continued the main line of the cycle. True, she decided to experiment with the format: instead of a novel, she wrote (in collaboration with playwright Jack Thorne and theater director John Tiffany) a play, the subtitle of which can be safely substituted with the classic “Twenty Years Later”. More precisely, nineteen, but these are trifles.

This is especially true for the Potters. On the one hand, Albus suffers in full from the “son of famous father”, when, no matter how hard you try, you can’t reach the glory of the parent. Moreover, the boy seems to be fully consistent with the well-known formula, which says that nature rests on great children. Where Harry was cool, Albus in the eyes of people is insignificant. On the other hand, Harry himself is still a dad. The relationship of the Malfoys is also not to be envied. But the offspring of Voldemort, although he doesn’t know his father, is completely delighted with him ... However, the relationship between “fathers and children” is smoothed out in the process of adventures.

Despite all the advantages, the feeling that this is a conscientious, high-quality, thoughtful fanfic does not let go.

And there are many adventures in the play, and quite interesting ones. Heroes' journeys to alternate realities are especially good. That's when it's worth regretting that Rowling released a play, and not a full-fledged novel: each of the alternatives deserves a detailed description.

The successes of the play include glimpses of Rowling's "trademark" humor. Unfortunately, the main advantages of the book end there. Especially disappointing are the images of beloved heroes. It seems that Harry, Hermione and Ron have slept in suspended animation for all these two decades, because the years they have lived have had practically no effect on them. The only one who really changed internally is Draco Malfoy, which is why he looks like perhaps the prettiest "adult" character in the play.

Quote

SCORPIUS
Did you seriously think that she would be enrolled with us? Potters don't get into Slytherin.
ALBUS
I got here.
He tries to hide in the background, the other students laugh.
He glances over at them.
I didn't choose, you understand? I didn't choose to be his son.

In general, The Cursed Child is a rather entertaining book, which does not prevent it from looking like the "fifth spoke in the wheel." There is also an unusual format here - you get used to the style of the play quickly, but the novel would still be read better, and constant time travel driving force of the plot, and cardboard adult characters, and an excessive emphasis on fan service (“oh, who your favorite heroes have become!”) ... As a result, despite all the advantages, you never let go of the feeling that you have a conscientious, high-quality, thoughtful fan fiction - but no more. Although, perhaps, in the "visual" impressions will be somewhat different - why not Warner Bros. not make a movie based on this?

Outcome: an entertaining and in a good way instructive book, which, nevertheless, can serve classic example unnecessary continuation. After all, the Pottery ended quite worthily, and if Rowling wanted to return to her world, which prevented the writer from writing a completely new history in other settings?

Need to be more careful...

The translation of The Cursed Child, made by Maria Spivak, expectedly caused a wave of indignation. True, sometimes it seems that those who are dissatisfied (not only ordinary readers, but also some representatives of the media) are not at all familiar with the Pottery from Machaon. The fact is that Spivak's book translation differs in many respects from the network translation. And from the very first book, philosopher's stone”, published by Makhaon in 2014. There are no Longpops and Beetles there, most of the surnames and terms are tracing paper of the English original. Although some controversial names still remained - Zlotheus (but not Zlodeus!) Zlei, for example ...