It’s been almost two decades since the Harry Potter franchise made its debut, with best-selling first instalment of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone back in 1997. In the 19 years that have elapsed, all-star author J.K. Rowling has followed up with six more chart-topping novels, each selling in excess of 50 million copies. The final chapter of the adventure, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, has just turned nine years old and, as if to celebrate this, Rowling (along with co-writers John Tiffany and Jack Thorne), has once again broken sales records with the release of the eighth Potter book, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Since the release of the last HP book almost a decade ago in 2007, we have seen the release of the final three Potter films; Rowling has also released her adult fictional story The Casual Vacancy. However, this fell far short of the Harry Potter level of popularity, and could hardly make up for the end of her wizarding adventure. Even the release of the final two-part movies, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2, was not quite enough to fill the void left in the hearts of the true book fans. But then December 2013 brought with it news of a possible continuation to the story, which would take place on the stage.
Two years later, on June 26th 2015, the eighth story was confirmed. First tickets were on sale in October 2015, with previews of the play beginning at the West End Palace Theatre in June 2016. Finally at midnight on the 31st July 2016, the ‘special rehearsal edition’ of the script was released in book form.
In just three days, The Cursed Child (TCC) sold over 680,000 copies, becoming the fastest-selling book of the decade (overtaking E. L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey on 664,478 copies, according to The Guardian). Released in the slightly controversial form of a play script, TCC is now also the fastest selling script ever written.
The story takes place as the last book ends, ‘19 years later’, then proceeds to follow the Potter and Weasley-Granger families in yet another Hogwarts-based adventure. Reading through this story brings a warm glow to avid Potter fans, as we re-live old memories of the wizarding world. However, there are seemingly large gaps in the story. As a play script, the book lacks some of the attention to detail seen in the rest of the series, although this will surely be made up for in its ultimate form on the stage. The style of the story as a whole comes across as something of a fan-fiction novel. It feels as though Thorne and Tiffany have taken the stories written by Rowling and added something new on top, which isn’t quite of the same mould. This play isn’t from the same origins as the rest of the Potter stories, which gives TCC a different feel. If you’re reading the new book after growing up with the first seven, the new style may feel alien in comparison.
Despite this, more hardcore Potter fans will be highly pleased with the chance to reignite the magic, even in a slightly more melancholic, recycled form that breaks the wizarding Number Seven. Undoubtedly, the book will be a best-seller to be remembered. How could it not be when half of our generation grew up on the stories, fell in love with the characters (and with Rowling) and will most likely read the book in the voice of Stephen Fry? But it’s a read that comes without the shiver of satisfied excitement you got from reading the last books for the first time, like tucking in to a fudge sundae and then discovering that the whipped cream is all warm, or that the meringue in your lemon meringue pie is all soft. There’s something about it that doesn’t quite hit the spot. But you still spent a long time waiting, you paid good money, and the overall result was a fairly satisfying one. Overall we must say a resounding ‘well played’ to Ms Rowling.
Words by Max Mowbray