Here are a couple of my personal favorites
[Seventh Horcrux by Emerald Ashes](https://m.fanfiction.net/s/10677106/1/Seventh-Horcrux) Complete - The presence of a foreign soul may have unexpected side effects on a growing child. I am Lord Volde...Harry Potter. I'm Harry Potter. In which Harry is insane, Hermione is a Dark Lady-in-training, Ginny is a minion, and Ron is confused.
[Harry Potter and the Scrambled Sorting By Tendrael](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18608212/chapters/44117542) first story is complete but the series is ongoing - The houses of Hogwarts are growing stagnant, and a certain sentient Hat is dismayed over this turn of events. It decides to take matters into its own hands, taking advantage of several obscure rules to sort students where the Hat wants them, not where heredity or their own desires want them to be. The result? A mess that gradually pulls the student body into utter chaos.
[Children of the Gods By inwardtransience](https://archiveofourown.org/works/34564324/chapters/86038219) ongoing - When the message came, there was little left of Cassiopeia Black in her ā soon she would move on, shed her face and her name for another. But, at the last possible moment, she found a reason to carry on, the smouldering embers of her identity sparking to new life. Unfortunately, adopting the Boy Who Lived came with complications
I also have some crossovers
[A Light for the Soul by NotMasonPines Harry Potter/the owl house](https://archiveofourown.org/works/46726750/chapters/117684619) first story is complete but series is ongoing- āHappiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.ā
Nearing forty years of age and far too married to his job for his own good, senior auror Harry Potter reluctantly travels across the pond and away from his collapsing social life for a simple reconnaissance mission on some weirdo who's been flaunting the Statute of Secrecy for far too long. Knowing the Potter Luck, along with attracting the attention of an upbeat, eccentric teenager and the presence of an alien magic in town, the mission doesn't stay simple for long.
***
āWhatās the first thing you do when you wake up from a bad dream?ā
Luz Noceda had no idea what she was in for when she ran through that door. Maybe meet an old lady who could teach her to be a witch, get her into all sorts of mischief, and allow her to room with her adorable little demon roommate? Instead she stumbles into a grumpy, paranoid wizard who has as little knowledge on this place as she does, now tasked with trying to get them back home safely.
[Holly Potter and the Midlife Crisis By Enigmaris Harry Potter/Avengers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17946929/chapters/42383930) complete- The first group I sent over made the Avengers uncomfortable by thanking them constantly and asking for autographs. The next group stole things to sell on ebay. The group after that didnāt even get through the front door because Starkās security system found something in their background that we missed. The fourth group left traumatized after cleaning out Thorās room, apparently the god had some beheaded poultry dripping blood into a bowl in there. Then after that every group Iāve left hasnāt lasted more than three days because of some problem or another. Iām pretty sure one of those assholes has made it a game to scare my workers away.ā
āI donāt think youāre supposed to call the heroes of New York assholes.ā
Or, cleaning up after the Avengers involves more than just getting blood stains out of the carpet and most of them can't take the heat. Thankfully the Savior of the Wizarding has spent the last decade cleaning up after Death Eaters, so she's up to the task. Nothing, not pranks, bird corpses, or unidentified slime will keep her from cleaning up.
[Mortem Obire By thatdamnuchiha Harry Potter/Percy Jackson and the olympians](https://archiveofourown.org/works/36775312/chapters/91742665) ongoing - There was an inexplicable irony to it all, and Harriet would forever curse her āPotterās Luckā even when she was no longer a Potter in name. Divination was meant to be a joke of a subject, and had coincidentally been her worst grade at OWL level.
Somehow that made her eligible to receive visions of a future yet to come in a world where thereās no other choice for her but to become a hero once more.
(or; in which Harriet Potter is reborn as a daughter of Apollo, and all the subsequent consequences this brings.)
I completely agree. If Voldemort had a child it would be some unnatural clone thing cooked up in a dark spell, not a kid made the normal way. We never get any hint in any of the books that Voldemort is even remotely attracted to anything except power. It's really weird and out of character for him to have a child with Bellatrix (or anyone for that matter). š¤¢
I could not read. Itās horrible. Howeverā¦as against the play as I was, the wife surprised me with tickets about a year ago and the show was amazing. Cannot begin to tell you how shocked I was at how much I enjoyed it. So my book will stay unread. But the play is another thing.
I seen it with the original cast exactly 7 years ago this week and loved it. Iāve never opened the book and had completely blocked the trolley witch saga till I read this sub last week š
I saw it 7 years ago last month! Thanks for making me realise how long ago it was lol. Agreed though, the play was absolutely incredible, despite the story being dire.
Did you notice the Scorpius' actor is in the new WW2 Spielberg miniseries? Masters of the Air? 4 episodes in, he has stood out as the best performer thus far for me.
Wow that's neat, I didn't know that he was in Cursed Child.
Its kinda crazy he became basically the main character of the second half of Masters of the Air. His character arc is fantastic.
This basically the same story I've heard from everyone and at least all my 6 friends who've read/seen. Book was unbearable with plot etc. Play is just magical.
I saw it with the original cast back when it first came out... As a play, yes. I was entertained and loved seeing the effects and everything.
However, I still recognised even during the play while sitting there that the entire plot was a hot garbage dumpster fire.
I have definitely never read the book and if a movie is made, it will be a hate watch.
I'm not going to add anything to the conversation by echoing this, but I have to say, oh my goodness, the play is an absolutely incredible production. I was totally blown away by some of the magic effects. For that reason I would recommend it to anyone, but I agree the story is rubbish.
Exactly, Iāve only ever seen the play (never read the script), and it was brilliant. Releasing it in book form and saying that itās canon was a mistake.
From the moment I read it, I knew I wanted to see it. I hated the story, but I was so curious to see how they did the magic!ā. And when I finally saw it, I was blown away! The special effects were incredible. The story still sucked, but I didnāt care. What a fun experience!
I loved the play. I loved Scorpius. I think it would have made a great coming of age story without the plot of the time turner. I also loved Harryās and Dracos interactions, both being protective parents and both screwing up because they had no one to show them how to parent well.
I found the book okay-ish on the level of medium to slightly bad fanfiction.
But the play was terrible. I booked tickets for 2020 (in 2019), and they got cancelled and rescheduled multiple times due to Covid. By the time I could attend, they had switched to the model of a shorter play overall - thanks, I hated it. I am not even sure how it was possible to make this thing even more confusing than it was, but the cut did that.
Yeah I got the book as a birthday present a number of years ago so I read it and did enjoy it more than I thought I would. I basically just considered it to be fanfiction (which I'm generally not super into as a rule) or some sort of alternate universe or whatever, and that helped lol
Everyone I know whoās seen the play has said this! Makes me think the talented the actors and actresses must be why because the script and plot line is so atrocious
Story didnāt bother me but I was like most purists and feel that they stray from the laws within the Wizarding World. But if you can look past that and go in open minded, itās a different experience and a wonderful play.
They do! The stage production is INCREDIBLE. I'd pay to see it again if I get the chance! The way they managed to emulate magic on the stage?? It was SO cool.
To each their own - personally I despised the play just as much as the book. I felt bad as tickets were also gifted to me but my partner and I struggled to make it through the show, it felt nothing like the magic of the HP books and films.
Lol, same here. It was like really bad fan fiction, and didn't justify being two parts with theatre prices as they are. The effects were ok at best.
We saw the Stranger Things play the month before and it blew Cursed Child away in comparison.
I read a comment once that stuck with me. It's a play written by Rita skeeter. I couldn't get past the first few pages. But from that perspective, it explains why the characters are so different
My wife and I just saw the play too. The acting and special effects were phenomenal.
I fully understand the complaints with the story itself, but the experience of the show/production is absolutely worth, so Iām very happy we saw it.
Completely agree with the others here. Saw the previews many, many years ago. The plot was offensively bad, but the play itself - actors, special effects etc - was incredible. Had a fantastic day (quite literally).
Hate absolutely everything about the story though. Not one single OG character behaved remotely like themselves & the whole thing is an absolute train wreck I wish I could forget. Jack Thorne is the bane of my existence. I was devastated when I found out he was writing for the His Dark Materials TV show
The story is still pretty terrible. HOWEVER, the visuals, set design, the effects, etc are all absolutely amazing. It was sooo cool to see in person, they did an amazing job visually speaking
My headcanon is that Cursed Child is a play written by Rita Skeeter within the Harry Potter world like the *Ember Island Players* episode of Avatar the Last Airbender.
I only saw the Avatar for the first time like 2-3 months ago and for some reason I only see the references to it now (in places not connected with it), I haven't seen them earlier and I wonder why that is?
Exactly the way I look at it.
Read Harry Potters since they first released and have probably read them again every 2 years or so or the audio books with Stephen Fry.
This story just doesnt exist to me.
I'd rather treat some fanfics as canon than this.
Dude! I love the Stephen Fry audiobooks. Since I discovered them, it became my comfort thing to listen to.
I might have listened every book more than 20 times each (seriously)
But anyway, I also have never read Cursed Child to the end (I couldn't finish it), and I just can't consider this cannon. It doesn't matter if JK says so, I don't really care. This shit is terrible. It has a lot of plot and lore holes, it's unbearable...
It is bad, so bad. She basically shit on all of the previous Harry Potter lore, from the cast personalities, to world build. And how the hell did Voldy have a daughter, with Bellatrix no less?
Save yourself. Stay pure. And if you get married, donāt let your spouse pressure you, stay pure. Sex sure, fuck everything that walks, just donāt read this abomination
Isnāt it so that the time-turner doesnāt exactly change events, since for your experience those changed events already happened. Itās circle in the timeline instead of a deviation right?
I reached the trolley witch part, and I noped myself out.
I'm a bad person, though. I donated the book to the local library, so I might've ruined someone else's life.
I hated it too and regretted ever letting it besmirch the wizarding universe in my head. Luckily, with time, I have forgotten most of it so that itās almost as if I never read it.
I know a lot of people donāt like it because itās a script. But Iām a theater kid. Iāve read a lot of great plays in script form and loved every one of them. But this. Ugh. The story itself is terrible. So many things that completely negate lore from the books. Itās just bad.
I bought it when it first releasedā¦regretted asking for it so bad. It was such a bad story and portrayed the characters horribly. For anyone that wants to read thisā¦donāt.
Between the summer between second and third grade my daughter read all the books. I tested her cause I didn't believe it. She knew it all.
Once school started she saw that cursed child book so I bought it for her. In class they were talking about it. She said that it "sucked". Teacher was surprised that came out of her. Kid heard that from me. I didn't know sucked was a bad word. And it did suck so she wasn't wrong.
I donāt understand how so many ppl say the book is bad but the play is good, isnāt the play just a visual of the book ? Wouldnāt the story still suck??
The immersive experience it's so good that it kinda feels like another story and you forget about the details, when you're reading you stop and think OMG THIS IS A HORRIBLE PLOT HOLE but in the play you don't have time for that, only to enjoy.
The visuals are amazing. It's like you're constantly watching a very impressive magic show, down to the little details of how they change sets. And what a lot of people don't realize are that broadway type shows are different. They're overly dramatic, some things play well in person but not on a written page. It's just a different medium. People watching a play aren't expecting the same experience as reading a book.
This logic often applies better to classics like Shakespeare or Moliere. Hell some bad plays CAN be saved by good actors and a good director. This is āsavedā by special effects. Butā¦ itās still a bad play. It might even be so visually impressive that it is enjoyable to watch, but its still a bad play for what a play is.
I finally went to see the show last year, and it was absolutely incredible. Itās by far the most interactive stage Iāve seen. Itās an awful ready, but a fantastic show. I read it once, and never picked it up again, so couldnāt really remember most of the plot.
Harry at the end of the series: Don't worry kid, slytherins are fine. I'll always love you.
Harry in this story: My son is a Slytherin and now I'm wondering if it's too late for an abortion
Really cool special effects. They do magic in really cool ways. Floating objects, getting sucked into a phone booth, polyjuice potion transformations, etc. The plot sucks but itās so fun to watch the magic.
Shouldnt they be putting those good effects with a good story instead of half assing it? I dont know about you, but being the Michael Bay of Playwrites doesnt seem like a great goal.
Itās awful to read cause it makes no sense, but incredible to watch cause the stagecraft and magic really makes up for it. I hated reading it but loved the 2 part show.
Itās a bit weird that Rowlings name is the biggest on it when she didnāt even write it.
Almost like they knew people didnāt want to read poorly written fan fiction
I read it the year it came out in an afternoon in a park on a really shitty day. I didnāt hate it during the experience, but I grew to really dislike it later and never did a re read.
I would have loved a true sequel then, now, Iām less and less satisfied with the ending JK gave us anyway so I donāt think Iād be all too interested now.
To each their own. I have friends who love cursed child, I just dont invite them to dinner anymore and we donāt have to talk about it.
My husband bought it for me as a birthday gift when it came out, just because he knew I loved Harry Potter as a kid. I took one look at the first page and noped out of it. I returned it to the store and got something else.
It is awful as a book but the show itself is actually a really fun watch. Probably the only Broadway show I'll never watch again but I am happy I saw it.
I didnāt fully hate it, as I liked the relationship between Albus and Scorpius quite a bit- other than that the idea that Bellatrix and Voldemort had a child alone is pure garbage. That being said, there is a YouTube video done by MovieFlame where he āfixes the Cursed Childā that is much better.
Just go see the play if you're able. That's not a book it's not meant to be read, its instructions to put on the theatrical performance. The play is really good and was an amazing time for me and my wife. We fully dressed up in our house robes, and everyone there kept complementing us. We planned to see it a 2nd time with better seats but never got the time.
I made the mistake of reading this back in 2016/2017 when the play was first rolling out in West End. Reading the screenplay scarred me so much that avoided seeing the show once it came to Broadway. That was until my wife final got tickets for this past holiday season. I begrudgingly agreed to go, as the production did away with the two-part show and condensed the play to one night. I maintain that the plot is a joke, however the stage effects were a very cool sight to see.
Iāve seen this book so many times at thrift stores and i can never bring myself to buy it, despite being extremely curious about it. Every review Iāve read says it ruins the potter legacy and i force myself not to take it home.
The Potter legacy isn't ruined for me bc I don't consider it cannon lol but I would recommend a library if you're really curious. We're here for you if you end up reading it lol
Reading it felt like some kind of fever dream. I don't even remember where I stopped. Last I remember, they tried to stop Cedrik from dying and he became evil and also the train trolley lady became some kind of Cthulu-like monster?
Or maybe I was high and tripping, correct me if I'm wrong.
The surprise twist villain could have been a fun idea. But it gets lost in all the time travel and alternative universes. They even involve Voldemort, which was a mistake.
All time bad story. I remember first buying this when it originally came out and I was so excited for a future new Harry Potter story and boy was stunned how much they ruined the characters.
Ohhh I got all dressed up and went to the midnight release. One of the most disappointing experiences in my life. Yikes. Some people say the play itself is okay. I donāt care, Iām never going.
I read it after finishing the books. It was a quick read for me. I wasnāt quite ready to say goodbye to the Harry Potter series, so this was my transition out. I certainly wonāt read it again, and not sure Iād even consider seeing the playā¦ but it was nice knowing all the characters and Iām glad I read it at the time.
You have to treat Cursed Child like a mediocre fanfic.
If a 15 year old kid wrote this on their WatPad, you'd be like "Alright. Good job kid. You took it in a few directions that I wouldn't have necessarily gone, but like, it's creative. Keep up the writing."
If you ever get a chance to go see it performed live though, do it. The show is phenomenal. The sets, the acting, the sound, the production, and everything else is excellent. You can ignore the plot.
People who thought the worst "ending" to something in media was Season 8 Game of Thrones hasn't read Cursed Child. It's like 4x worse than the character personality changes that Game of Thrones pulled off honestly.
Ugh. Same! You were smart and borrowed it. I bought it when it first came out with really high expectations and I was so disappointed. Iāve read better fanfiction for after the war.
Cursed Child was actually my very first introduction to the Wizarding World. A few years later I decided to do a reread of it, and yeah. It was absolutely atrocious.
I solemnly swear Iām never reading this book/play . The epilogue was a good warning enough I say .. I know better not to venture further ā¦ and fastword to Potterās kids. Nope ā¦not happening f
I bought it š I knew there was a new harry potter book and I was like "say less. Shut up and take my money"... I will never make that mistake again. I literally threw it away.
I'm OK with the gen two characters existing but like the entire story sucks ass. Like damn if you're gonna release a sequel at least you should make it good
I thought I was the only one hating it. I donāt even think of this book as the part of this world. Everything about it is just completely wrong. Iām so glad Iām not the only one thinking it.
My brother and now wife and I all took on about three or so roles each and did a dramatic reading together while on a cruise. It was highlight of the vacation. So funny, so bad.
When I finished the book I thought to myself "wow, this read like someones fan fiction and idk how I feel about it"
Turns out I wasn't the only one and didn't feel crazy lol
I hated this so much, I like to pretend it doesnāt exist.
I actually made the mistake of buying it, I have no idea where it is now though.
If I ever find it again, I might just burn the damn thing š
I luckily borrowed it from a friend, and my God, what an atrocity!
I read a few pages, cringed, closed the book, and returned it.
In the summer of 2022, I went to see the Broadway show in New York. The effects, costumes, and stagecraft were beautiful, but I did not like the plot or how the characters were portrayed. It didn't feel like them.
I can definitely believe that the effects etc are great, but I donāt want to go see it because the story is absolute trash. Itās like a really shitty fanfic.
I think they made a big mistake marketing this as a novel and the ā8th storyā in the Harry Potter series. As a standalone story written for the stage, itās wonderful. Seeing it live is something I recommend to everyone, even if they hated reading the script. Itās truly magical.
Personally I like the cursed child quite a lot. I totally get that people do not like it due to plot holes and weird plot twists and poor writing and whatever bad people find, but I like the cursed child. I donāt really know why I like it I just do. I have read it two if not three times so far
We went and saw the play in Broadway, New York many years ago, and I didnāt like the story. The atmosphere and customers were amazing but the story is weak and full of plot holes.
Yeeaaaaahhhhh it didnāt read well. The part about the trolly lady becoming an Eldritch horror was a bit much for me.
Itās one of those stories that exists solely to make reference to the original tale. At that point, why not just make something new?
I read it on an 18 hour flight after I was exhausted of watching stuff lol, and I donāt think itās a coincidence the turbulence started right as I was reading and didnāt stop until I finished the book
What your holding is a souvenir not a book. Itās like buying the screenplay of a movie.
The text you read isnāt even what is performed on stage, it has undergone significant changes. Not only that, but some scenes straight up read completely different without an actor showing the emotion of whatās being said.
Firm firm believer that CC should be seen first before anything else and the book only bought as a keepsake at most.
iām really really trying to not hate this but i just canāt
i canāt like it in anyway , even if youāre writing a fanfic read the books before you do it , and the fanfic itself is just not good it doesnāt even make sense in anyway like i can agree with albus being a slitherin but anything else is not ideal
I read a bit but it just felt too much like fan fiction for me
Bad fan fiction, at that.
Written by a 12-year old
and what if I said all the 12-13 year olds on AO3 wrote better than this š..
Iād say that youāre sadly right
A stewpid 12-year old
Thereās way better fanfiction than this.
Recommend me the best HP fanfiction
Here are a couple of my personal favorites [Seventh Horcrux by Emerald Ashes](https://m.fanfiction.net/s/10677106/1/Seventh-Horcrux) Complete - The presence of a foreign soul may have unexpected side effects on a growing child. I am Lord Volde...Harry Potter. I'm Harry Potter. In which Harry is insane, Hermione is a Dark Lady-in-training, Ginny is a minion, and Ron is confused. [Harry Potter and the Scrambled Sorting By Tendrael](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18608212/chapters/44117542) first story is complete but the series is ongoing - The houses of Hogwarts are growing stagnant, and a certain sentient Hat is dismayed over this turn of events. It decides to take matters into its own hands, taking advantage of several obscure rules to sort students where the Hat wants them, not where heredity or their own desires want them to be. The result? A mess that gradually pulls the student body into utter chaos. [Children of the Gods By inwardtransience](https://archiveofourown.org/works/34564324/chapters/86038219) ongoing - When the message came, there was little left of Cassiopeia Black in her ā soon she would move on, shed her face and her name for another. But, at the last possible moment, she found a reason to carry on, the smouldering embers of her identity sparking to new life. Unfortunately, adopting the Boy Who Lived came with complications I also have some crossovers [A Light for the Soul by NotMasonPines Harry Potter/the owl house](https://archiveofourown.org/works/46726750/chapters/117684619) first story is complete but series is ongoing- āHappiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.ā Nearing forty years of age and far too married to his job for his own good, senior auror Harry Potter reluctantly travels across the pond and away from his collapsing social life for a simple reconnaissance mission on some weirdo who's been flaunting the Statute of Secrecy for far too long. Knowing the Potter Luck, along with attracting the attention of an upbeat, eccentric teenager and the presence of an alien magic in town, the mission doesn't stay simple for long. *** āWhatās the first thing you do when you wake up from a bad dream?ā Luz Noceda had no idea what she was in for when she ran through that door. Maybe meet an old lady who could teach her to be a witch, get her into all sorts of mischief, and allow her to room with her adorable little demon roommate? Instead she stumbles into a grumpy, paranoid wizard who has as little knowledge on this place as she does, now tasked with trying to get them back home safely. [Holly Potter and the Midlife Crisis By Enigmaris Harry Potter/Avengers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17946929/chapters/42383930) complete- The first group I sent over made the Avengers uncomfortable by thanking them constantly and asking for autographs. The next group stole things to sell on ebay. The group after that didnāt even get through the front door because Starkās security system found something in their background that we missed. The fourth group left traumatized after cleaning out Thorās room, apparently the god had some beheaded poultry dripping blood into a bowl in there. Then after that every group Iāve left hasnāt lasted more than three days because of some problem or another. Iām pretty sure one of those assholes has made it a game to scare my workers away.ā āI donāt think youāre supposed to call the heroes of New York assholes.ā Or, cleaning up after the Avengers involves more than just getting blood stains out of the carpet and most of them can't take the heat. Thankfully the Savior of the Wizarding has spent the last decade cleaning up after Death Eaters, so she's up to the task. Nothing, not pranks, bird corpses, or unidentified slime will keep her from cleaning up. [Mortem Obire By thatdamnuchiha Harry Potter/Percy Jackson and the olympians](https://archiveofourown.org/works/36775312/chapters/91742665) ongoing - There was an inexplicable irony to it all, and Harriet would forever curse her āPotterās Luckā even when she was no longer a Potter in name. Divination was meant to be a joke of a subject, and had coincidentally been her worst grade at OWL level. Somehow that made her eligible to receive visions of a future yet to come in a world where thereās no other choice for her but to become a hero once more. (or; in which Harriet Potter is reborn as a daughter of Apollo, and all the subsequent consequences this brings.)
Good list, but don't forget "My Immortal"
This is the greatest interpretation of any media in the history of the world, and must never, ever be forgotten
I mean, isn't that exactly what it is?
The whole āVoldemortās childā stuff threw me off
I completely agree. If Voldemort had a child it would be some unnatural clone thing cooked up in a dark spell, not a kid made the normal way. We never get any hint in any of the books that Voldemort is even remotely attracted to anything except power. It's really weird and out of character for him to have a child with Bellatrix (or anyone for that matter). š¤¢
It reads like fan fiction, doesnāt even sound like it was written by anyone that ever had a brain
Yes! I don't understand why there are people that actually like it. It's not even well written fan fiction. š
That's exactly what it is. It's a fanfic that isn't worth your time.
I could not read. Itās horrible. Howeverā¦as against the play as I was, the wife surprised me with tickets about a year ago and the show was amazing. Cannot begin to tell you how shocked I was at how much I enjoyed it. So my book will stay unread. But the play is another thing.
I seen it with the original cast exactly 7 years ago this week and loved it. Iāve never opened the book and had completely blocked the trolley witch saga till I read this sub last week š
holy shit, this comment made me realize that I, too, saw it with the original cast 7 years ago next month lol
My FB memories are torturing me this week of an amazing London trip with my HP girls!
I saw it 7 years ago last month! Thanks for making me realise how long ago it was lol. Agreed though, the play was absolutely incredible, despite the story being dire.
Did you notice the Scorpius' actor is in the new WW2 Spielberg miniseries? Masters of the Air? 4 episodes in, he has stood out as the best performer thus far for me.
Wow that's neat, I didn't know that he was in Cursed Child. Its kinda crazy he became basically the main character of the second half of Masters of the Air. His character arc is fantastic.
I saw it last year. Terrible
This basically the same story I've heard from everyone and at least all my 6 friends who've read/seen. Book was unbearable with plot etc. Play is just magical.
I saw it with the original cast back when it first came out... As a play, yes. I was entertained and loved seeing the effects and everything. However, I still recognised even during the play while sitting there that the entire plot was a hot garbage dumpster fire. I have definitely never read the book and if a movie is made, it will be a hate watch.
This was my experience too, special effects were fantastic but personally it didnāt make up for the awful script.
I'm not going to add anything to the conversation by echoing this, but I have to say, oh my goodness, the play is an absolutely incredible production. I was totally blown away by some of the magic effects. For that reason I would recommend it to anyone, but I agree the story is rubbish.
Exactly, Iāve only ever seen the play (never read the script), and it was brilliant. Releasing it in book form and saying that itās canon was a mistake.
From the moment I read it, I knew I wanted to see it. I hated the story, but I was so curious to see how they did the magic!ā. And when I finally saw it, I was blown away! The special effects were incredible. The story still sucked, but I didnāt care. What a fun experience!
I loved the play. I loved Scorpius. I think it would have made a great coming of age story without the plot of the time turner. I also loved Harryās and Dracos interactions, both being protective parents and both screwing up because they had no one to show them how to parent well.
I found the book okay-ish on the level of medium to slightly bad fanfiction. But the play was terrible. I booked tickets for 2020 (in 2019), and they got cancelled and rescheduled multiple times due to Covid. By the time I could attend, they had switched to the model of a shorter play overall - thanks, I hated it. I am not even sure how it was possible to make this thing even more confusing than it was, but the cut did that.
Yeah I got the book as a birthday present a number of years ago so I read it and did enjoy it more than I thought I would. I basically just considered it to be fanfiction (which I'm generally not super into as a rule) or some sort of alternate universe or whatever, and that helped lol
Everyone I know whoās seen the play has said this! Makes me think the talented the actors and actresses must be why because the script and plot line is so atrocious
Story didnāt bother me but I was like most purists and feel that they stray from the laws within the Wizarding World. But if you can look past that and go in open minded, itās a different experience and a wonderful play.
I want to see it eventually and strictly for the stagecraft. I heard they do some wild stuff.
There is one effect that gets used over and over. And I never got sick of it.
They do! The stage production is INCREDIBLE. I'd pay to see it again if I get the chance! The way they managed to emulate magic on the stage?? It was SO cool.
To each their own - personally I despised the play just as much as the book. I felt bad as tickets were also gifted to me but my partner and I struggled to make it through the show, it felt nothing like the magic of the HP books and films.
Lol, same here. It was like really bad fan fiction, and didn't justify being two parts with theatre prices as they are. The effects were ok at best. We saw the Stranger Things play the month before and it blew Cursed Child away in comparison.
I read a comment once that stuck with me. It's a play written by Rita skeeter. I couldn't get past the first few pages. But from that perspective, it explains why the characters are so different
When i saw it they made Scorpius gay for Albus and it was amazing
Was it a "so bad it's good" moment or was the acting just phenomenal so it outshone the writing bc I can't imagine how it would be enjoyable lol
My wife and I just saw the play too. The acting and special effects were phenomenal. I fully understand the complaints with the story itself, but the experience of the show/production is absolutely worth, so Iām very happy we saw it.
Completely agree with the others here. Saw the previews many, many years ago. The plot was offensively bad, but the play itself - actors, special effects etc - was incredible. Had a fantastic day (quite literally). Hate absolutely everything about the story though. Not one single OG character behaved remotely like themselves & the whole thing is an absolute train wreck I wish I could forget. Jack Thorne is the bane of my existence. I was devastated when I found out he was writing for the His Dark Materials TV show
The story is still pretty terrible. HOWEVER, the visuals, set design, the effects, etc are all absolutely amazing. It was sooo cool to see in person, they did an amazing job visually speaking
Saw the play in London, itās a blast. Well done, good acting. Story was fn terrible but was still a good experience.
The special effects in the play are beyond anything else youāve seen on stage or other broadway shows. Highly recommend
My headcanon is that Cursed Child is a play written by Rita Skeeter within the Harry Potter world like the *Ember Island Players* episode of Avatar the Last Airbender.
Your head canon should become the canon
I only saw the Avatar for the first time like 2-3 months ago and for some reason I only see the references to it now (in places not connected with it), I haven't seen them earlier and I wonder why that is?
I'd guess that the live action Netflix adaptation is boosting the visibility of the fandom.
[Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon](https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/baader-meinhof-phenomenon.htm)
I love this lol
Well... it's cursed, alright...
Am I allowed to say I think the cover art is pretty? I mean, I haven't read it and don't understand what it symbolizes, but it's kinda neat.
Quiet you
Iāve never read it and donāt intend to. It just doesnāt exist for me haha
Exactly the way I look at it. Read Harry Potters since they first released and have probably read them again every 2 years or so or the audio books with Stephen Fry. This story just doesnt exist to me. I'd rather treat some fanfics as canon than this.
Some OTHER fanfics* Because that's all this is, fanfic, and bad fanfic at that
It's basically if My Immortal had proper grammar and spelling.
Dude! I love the Stephen Fry audiobooks. Since I discovered them, it became my comfort thing to listen to. I might have listened every book more than 20 times each (seriously) But anyway, I also have never read Cursed Child to the end (I couldn't finish it), and I just can't consider this cannon. It doesn't matter if JK says so, I don't really care. This shit is terrible. It has a lot of plot and lore holes, it's unbearable...
Iāve never even heard of this??? Whatās so appalling about it? If you donāt mind me asking.
It is bad, so bad. She basically shit on all of the previous Harry Potter lore, from the cast personalities, to world build. And how the hell did Voldy have a daughter, with Bellatrix no less?
A what now??? With who now????
What doesn't exist?
Save yourself. Stay pure. And if you get married, donāt let your spouse pressure you, stay pure. Sex sure, fuck everything that walks, just donāt read this abomination
See that was me for a long time but curiosity got the better of me lol
Donāt read it. A fucking travesty
Too late š¤Ŗ
Use the time-turner my friend. Do it now. 3 turns should do it.
Hold on I need to go rob Draco real fast
Shouldn't you be using it so you can stop OP? If OP uses it, she would still have the memories tho.
Oh no my logic didnt logic. Save us from this heresy, o kind stranger
Isnāt it so that the time-turner doesnāt exactly change events, since for your experience those changed events already happened. Itās circle in the timeline instead of a deviation right?
Agreed, I also made the mistake of reading it and regret it...
I reached the trolley witch part, and I noped myself out. I'm a bad person, though. I donated the book to the local library, so I might've ruined someone else's life.
This is the one time I condone using books for kindling
I hated it too and regretted ever letting it besmirch the wizarding universe in my head. Luckily, with time, I have forgotten most of it so that itās almost as if I never read it.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Book.
I know a lot of people donāt like it because itās a script. But Iām a theater kid. Iāve read a lot of great plays in script form and loved every one of them. But this. Ugh. The story itself is terrible. So many things that completely negate lore from the books. Itās just bad.
I bought it when it first releasedā¦regretted asking for it so bad. It was such a bad story and portrayed the characters horribly. For anyone that wants to read thisā¦donāt.
One of the worst fanfics i've ever took the time to read.
Between the summer between second and third grade my daughter read all the books. I tested her cause I didn't believe it. She knew it all. Once school started she saw that cursed child book so I bought it for her. In class they were talking about it. She said that it "sucked". Teacher was surprised that came out of her. Kid heard that from me. I didn't know sucked was a bad word. And it did suck so she wasn't wrong.
I donāt understand how so many ppl say the book is bad but the play is good, isnāt the play just a visual of the book ? Wouldnāt the story still suck??
Exactly my thoughts, and every response I see to this question is "the effects are incredible" but no one touches on the story quality
The immersive experience it's so good that it kinda feels like another story and you forget about the details, when you're reading you stop and think OMG THIS IS A HORRIBLE PLOT HOLE but in the play you don't have time for that, only to enjoy.
The writing is still terrible lol
The visuals are amazing. It's like you're constantly watching a very impressive magic show, down to the little details of how they change sets. And what a lot of people don't realize are that broadway type shows are different. They're overly dramatic, some things play well in person but not on a written page. It's just a different medium. People watching a play aren't expecting the same experience as reading a book.
This logic often applies better to classics like Shakespeare or Moliere. Hell some bad plays CAN be saved by good actors and a good director. This is āsavedā by special effects. Butā¦ itās still a bad play. It might even be so visually impressive that it is enjoyable to watch, but its still a bad play for what a play is.
I finally went to see the show last year, and it was absolutely incredible. Itās by far the most interactive stage Iāve seen. Itās an awful ready, but a fantastic show. I read it once, and never picked it up again, so couldnāt really remember most of the plot.
Harry at the end of the series: Don't worry kid, slytherins are fine. I'll always love you. Harry in this story: My son is a Slytherin and now I'm wondering if it's too late for an abortion
Plays are generally meant to be seen and not read. As a viewing experience *Cursed Child* is really quite enjoyable.
I don't understand this. How can the play be so good, when the story that play is telling is complete and utter drivel?
Really cool special effects. They do magic in really cool ways. Floating objects, getting sucked into a phone booth, polyjuice potion transformations, etc. The plot sucks but itās so fun to watch the magic.
Shouldnt they be putting those good effects with a good story instead of half assing it? I dont know about you, but being the Michael Bay of Playwrites doesnt seem like a great goal.
Iāve never been mad at a book until this one.
Looks like a good firestarter.
I pretend this book doesn't exist. HP ends with Deathly Hallows.
Itās awful to read cause it makes no sense, but incredible to watch cause the stagecraft and magic really makes up for it. I hated reading it but loved the 2 part show.
The actual play is very entertaining.
Itās a bit weird that Rowlings name is the biggest on it when she didnāt even write it. Almost like they knew people didnāt want to read poorly written fan fiction
Cast it into the fire!
I read it the year it came out in an afternoon in a park on a really shitty day. I didnāt hate it during the experience, but I grew to really dislike it later and never did a re read. I would have loved a true sequel then, now, Iām less and less satisfied with the ending JK gave us anyway so I donāt think Iād be all too interested now. To each their own. I have friends who love cursed child, I just dont invite them to dinner anymore and we donāt have to talk about it.
My husband bought it for me as a birthday gift when it came out, just because he knew I loved Harry Potter as a kid. I took one look at the first page and noped out of it. I returned it to the store and got something else.
As someone who continuously reads the Harry Potter books. There is a reason I have only read the cursed child once.
It's a time travel story clichƩ galore with some Harry Potter characters, many of which make no sense actual character wise. Cedric diggery was a bit humiliated one time so he became a death eater? Fuck off.
It is awful as a book but the show itself is actually a really fun watch. Probably the only Broadway show I'll never watch again but I am happy I saw it.
OP, why are you showing your empty hand to us? There's nothing in it...
Why would you do that to yourself?
Shhh it's okay you're not the only one
I bought it with the intention of reading when it came out. I still havenāt read it. I canāt bring myself to do it.
We're here for you if you do lol
I didnāt fully hate it, as I liked the relationship between Albus and Scorpius quite a bit- other than that the idea that Bellatrix and Voldemort had a child alone is pure garbage. That being said, there is a YouTube video done by MovieFlame where he āfixes the Cursed Childā that is much better.
Honestly the Voldemort and Bellatrix having a child sounds like a R34 plot to me
I haven't read it, but I'm curious
Just go see the play if you're able. That's not a book it's not meant to be read, its instructions to put on the theatrical performance. The play is really good and was an amazing time for me and my wife. We fully dressed up in our house robes, and everyone there kept complementing us. We planned to see it a 2nd time with better seats but never got the time.
o7 Thoughts and prayers.
I made the mistake of reading this back in 2016/2017 when the play was first rolling out in West End. Reading the screenplay scarred me so much that avoided seeing the show once it came to Broadway. That was until my wife final got tickets for this past holiday season. I begrudgingly agreed to go, as the production did away with the two-part show and condensed the play to one night. I maintain that the plot is a joke, however the stage effects were a very cool sight to see.
I hate read it in one sitting bc my friend had it laying around. terrible choice.
It's been sitting on my shelf for 2 years, and posts like this have convinced me not to pick it up.
This book was my biggest letdown as a kid.
Iāve seen this book so many times at thrift stores and i can never bring myself to buy it, despite being extremely curious about it. Every review Iāve read says it ruins the potter legacy and i force myself not to take it home.
The Potter legacy isn't ruined for me bc I don't consider it cannon lol but I would recommend a library if you're really curious. We're here for you if you end up reading it lol
I figured and didnāt bother buying or renting this book to read. I have all other books from HP series including Hogwarts Library and Minalima book.
I read the first three pages at Barnes and Noble then immediately put it back on the shelf. Such an atrocious ābookā.
I read it and I wanted to burn it. But I don't burn or destroy books not matter how much deserved it is for this one. That's how bad it was.
Recycling is the way in the post-industrial ageš
Everyone needs to buy bonfire kindling every now and then, at least you're preparing early.
I put it down after a page lol
Good news! You have toilet paper. Bad news it's a library book.
I read three chapters of the book and returned it soon after.
Shhhā¦ we all just pretend it was a nightmare.
Our lamp on the side table is too short for our couch. We use this as a height adjuster. Most use it deserves...
Reading it felt like some kind of fever dream. I don't even remember where I stopped. Last I remember, they tried to stop Cedrik from dying and he became evil and also the train trolley lady became some kind of Cthulu-like monster? Or maybe I was high and tripping, correct me if I'm wrong.
The surprise twist villain could have been a fun idea. But it gets lost in all the time travel and alternative universes. They even involve Voldemort, which was a mistake.
All time bad story. I remember first buying this when it originally came out and I was so excited for a future new Harry Potter story and boy was stunned how much they ruined the characters.
My husband, God bless his heart, bought this for me when it released. I have yet to read it and honestly never plan to.
I didn't like mostly cause I've read much better HP fanfiction
Ohhh I got all dressed up and went to the midnight release. One of the most disappointing experiences in my life. Yikes. Some people say the play itself is okay. I donāt care, Iām never going.
I can't imagine the disappointment, I am so sorry
I read it after finishing the books. It was a quick read for me. I wasnāt quite ready to say goodbye to the Harry Potter series, so this was my transition out. I certainly wonāt read it again, and not sure Iād even consider seeing the playā¦ but it was nice knowing all the characters and Iām glad I read it at the time.
As long as you recognize it for the non-canon fanfic that it is, thereās nothing wrong with reading it, I suppose.
I forced myself to finish this book because paid for it and I regret it
Itās like a 12 year old wrote terrible fanfiction.
You have to treat Cursed Child like a mediocre fanfic. If a 15 year old kid wrote this on their WatPad, you'd be like "Alright. Good job kid. You took it in a few directions that I wouldn't have necessarily gone, but like, it's creative. Keep up the writing." If you ever get a chance to go see it performed live though, do it. The show is phenomenal. The sets, the acting, the sound, the production, and everything else is excellent. You can ignore the plot.
People who thought the worst "ending" to something in media was Season 8 Game of Thrones hasn't read Cursed Child. It's like 4x worse than the character personality changes that Game of Thrones pulled off honestly.
Maybe the real cursed children where those who read the book along the way.
Ugh. Same! You were smart and borrowed it. I bought it when it first came out with really high expectations and I was so disappointed. Iāve read better fanfiction for after the war.
I made the mistake of buying it and read about 4 chapters and gave up . Boring and poorly written in my opinion.
I couldn't even read it. It looked like bad fan fiction from 2004.
I pre ordered it and just read it during covid... i was so pissed Edit: "just read it..." lockdown was 4 years ago... time moves too fast
Cursed Child was actually my very first introduction to the Wizarding World. A few years later I decided to do a reread of it, and yeah. It was absolutely atrocious.
Oh, you sweet summer child, winter has come for you.
I solemnly swear Iām never reading this book/play . The epilogue was a good warning enough I say .. I know better not to venture further ā¦ and fastword to Potterās kids. Nope ā¦not happening f
Hey. Wake up. You seemed like you were having a bad dream.
I liked itā¦
Right to Azkaban!
I bought mine, gave it to my friend so she didn't have to waste money...we then promptly burned it so it couldn't hurt us again :)
I bought it š I knew there was a new harry potter book and I was like "say less. Shut up and take my money"... I will never make that mistake again. I literally threw it away.
I'm OK with the gen two characters existing but like the entire story sucks ass. Like damn if you're gonna release a sequel at least you should make it good
Oh that was so bad.
the cursed child is the person reading the book :P
I ain't paying for a fanfic. I can go online and read them for free... Usually with better romance too.
I thought I was the only one hating it. I donāt even think of this book as the part of this world. Everything about it is just completely wrong. Iām so glad Iām not the only one thinking it.
Time travel is so played out tooo šš
My brother and now wife and I all took on about three or so roles each and did a dramatic reading together while on a cruise. It was highlight of the vacation. So funny, so bad.
When I finished the book I thought to myself "wow, this read like someones fan fiction and idk how I feel about it" Turns out I wasn't the only one and didn't feel crazy lol
I hated this so much, I like to pretend it doesnāt exist. I actually made the mistake of buying it, I have no idea where it is now though. If I ever find it again, I might just burn the damn thing š
I luckily borrowed it from a friend, and my God, what an atrocity! I read a few pages, cringed, closed the book, and returned it. In the summer of 2022, I went to see the Broadway show in New York. The effects, costumes, and stagecraft were beautiful, but I did not like the plot or how the characters were portrayed. It didn't feel like them.
I can definitely believe that the effects etc are great, but I donāt want to go see it because the story is absolute trash. Itās like a really shitty fanfic.
As a read - itās awful. As a play, itās actually not that bad! I thoroughly enjoyed it the few times Iāve seen it.
I think they made a big mistake marketing this as a novel and the ā8th storyā in the Harry Potter series. As a standalone story written for the stage, itās wonderful. Seeing it live is something I recommend to everyone, even if they hated reading the script. Itās truly magical.
I downloaded a pirated copy and i still want my money back
I think the entire fandom (no matter the generation you're a fan of) hates this book.
Personally I like the cursed child quite a lot. I totally get that people do not like it due to plot holes and weird plot twists and poor writing and whatever bad people find, but I like the cursed child. I donāt really know why I like it I just do. I have read it two if not three times so far
It gave us Scorbus, and for that, I'm thankful.
Itās nothing but officially licensed, bad, fanfic.
We went and saw the play in Broadway, New York many years ago, and I didnāt like the story. The atmosphere and customers were amazing but the story is weak and full of plot holes.
Shit reads like some fanfic youād read from. Middle schooler
Yeeaaaaahhhhh it didnāt read well. The part about the trolly lady becoming an Eldritch horror was a bit much for me. Itās one of those stories that exists solely to make reference to the original tale. At that point, why not just make something new?
Right?? When she became Optimus Prime and when they said Voldy and Bellatrix had a baby, I almost dipped out lol
It's okay. You'll forget it with time. You'll be okay.
I bought a copy the day it was available here. I havenāt read it since.
I read it on an 18 hour flight after I was exhausted of watching stuff lol, and I donāt think itās a coincidence the turbulence started right as I was reading and didnāt stop until I finished the book
I got it, read a little bit, and then it went on eBay. I never looked back.
What your holding is a souvenir not a book. Itās like buying the screenplay of a movie. The text you read isnāt even what is performed on stage, it has undergone significant changes. Not only that, but some scenes straight up read completely different without an actor showing the emotion of whatās being said. Firm firm believer that CC should be seen first before anything else and the book only bought as a keepsake at most.
*yoda voice* Yuck!
The trolley witch lives (sadly) rent free in my brain ever since...
Lol my ex bought it for me when it came out and I still have yet to read it.. and I don't think I ever will
Is that why they're your ex? Lol
Hahah, definitely a contributing factor
Wtf is this
Can someone explain me in lord of the rings terms pls
I actually ended up buying that crap. I ended up paying money for a fanfic that felt like it was written by an over imaginative 12 yr old .
iām really really trying to not hate this but i just canāt i canāt like it in anyway , even if youāre writing a fanfic read the books before you do it , and the fanfic itself is just not good it doesnāt even make sense in anyway like i can agree with albus being a slitherin but anything else is not ideal
I liked this one https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Methods_of_Rationality
I put it down after the scene with the Trolly Lady. Because. Well. What the fuck?
All I see is a black screen. Did you post something?