:::: One Part FANDOM RETROSPECTIVE, One Part ANALYSIS ::::
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a play that premiered in London, 2016. It was met with praise by theatergoers and disdain, even hatred, by those who read the script. Today, there is a...
Here I was, in a Post-Cursed Child world. Where some things cannot be unread. Bleary-eyed, I attempted to avoid the book, and any discussions of its contents.
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Then the script occasionally popped into my peripheral vision. I could've removed it from my bookshelf, but I didn't want to get too close. And then came the flashbacks and the post-traumatic stress.
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I bitterly clutched on to everything I had once loved about the original series.
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And I wished that Time-Turners did exist, so I could return to those better days... when HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD did not.
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But even thinking about Time-Turners reminded me of everything that had gone awry with the script. And the book's chokehold on my fan-heart returned.
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Because no matter how much I wanted all discussions to cease, and for the book burnings to commence, the reviews were coming in, fans were engaging with one another, and some people actually thought it was good.
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It was time to face facts and close the book on my critical views. I would give in to the reality that the play was extremely popular and that
I.
Was.
Alone.
I dared not venture into the realms of Tumblr or Reddit. I couldn't handle the pseudo-positivity.
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But I soon succumbed to temptation, and I'm glad I did. Because during this excursion I discovered that I wasn't alone. Most Potterheads were experiencing similar heartaches, but none of us were brave enough to have our voices heard or to risk being rebuffed by fellow fans.
Because how could anyone dislike a Harry Potter book? It didn't make any sense.
After reading some of the complaints, I realized just how connected we all were to the original seven books and that my interpretation of the script was consistent with their own. The unequivocal opinion was that the story was a mess, despite the positive reviews of the production.
I began to wonder if Jack Thorne was aware of our opinions and realized the damage he'd done.
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And then, some brave Potterheads called on JKR to explain herself on Twitter. And the response was disorienting.
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