The Cursed Child Poll: Part II

[author_by_night]

Okay, this entry is cursed. Every single time I try and post anything, my internet cuts out, and it keeps not saving.

So, keeping it REALLY simple this time. This is a survey now, and because a million questions could be asked, I'll keep it to a few. Feel free to add your own thoughts! I've also made this public so others can jump in.




1. If you read The Cursed Child, did you like it?

2. If you saw The Cursed Child, did you like it? Do you think it works better if you see it on stage?

3. Do you consider the play canon?

4. Harry: Understandably frustrated and concerned, or a horrible father? Just generally over the top? What about Albus?

5. Delphi: Mary Sue? A fine character with a poorly constructed and very cliche twist? A good character with a good twist?

6. Which of the original characters did you like seeing portrayed? Who, if anyone, did you wish had been portrayed differently?

Again, feel free to add anything you'd like.

Comments

I'll respond to get things started...

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

1. If you read The Cursed Child, did you like it?

I hated the first part. But I liked the second. However, that was also when I accepted that the play raided someone's medicine cabinet, took every single pill it found, and thus ended up tripping very heavily. As a weird, off-the-wall play, it works. It's just very different from the books.

On the other hand, that also ties in with one one of my criticisms- I never felt like I was really "back." A few months ago I read a post-DH fanfic where, in one chapter, the trio and Ginny go back to Hogwarts. I instantly felt like I'd jumped back into a Harry Potter book. And yet, despite this play being outlined and maybe partially written by JKR, I never once felt like I was really back home the way I did while reading that particular fanfic.

2. If you saw The Cursed Child, did you like it?

I didn't see it, but I do imagine it works better.

3. Do you consider the play canon?

No. I know JKR wants us to, but I'm not really sure how, considering how off-the-wall it was. Besides, to me, the series ended in Deathly Hallows. I've actually been in the minority in that I've liked a lot of her backstories and twitter tidbits, but at the same time, the series itself is finished. Maybe I'd consider it canon if it had been a book, or if it had felt more like the Harry Potter I fell in love with.

4. Harry: Understandably frustrated and concerned, or a horrible father? Just generally over the top? What about Albus?

I'm not really sure, which was why I wanted to know what other people had to say. :) I guess I think Harry was as flawed as usual, if a little over the top, and Albus... I think The Cursed Child being a play actually did his arc a disadvantage, because we never really spent enough time with him to get a clear view of his side.

5. Delphi: Mary Sue? A fine character with a poorly constructed and very cliche twist? A good character with a good twist?

I'll go with "fine character with a poorly constructed and very cliche twist." I'd actually thought (or rather, wishful thinking) that she might have been Bellatrix (having somehow survived? I don't know) since Bellatrix was rather unhinged. But no, she was indeed Voldie's daughter.

6. Which of the original characters did you like seeing portrayed? Who, if anyone, did you wish had been portrayed differently?

I loved that Ron and Hermione were so in love (yeah, guess what I ship?), but I wish Ron hadn't seemed so... Klove'd. (Movie!Ron, basically.) However, Ron wasn't so different from movie Ron in the last two books, either. It's a shame really, he was actually the voice of reason in many ways before.

Ginny seemed oddly passive for Ginny, but I think some of that was poor translation. Other people have mentioned that she was her usual snarky self, so I imagine I might have just missed it?

One thing to add: I wanted a mention of Sirius, at least.

Also, Lucius and Narcissa are dead. I don't care that much, but what's with wizards and witches dying so young when canon otherwise states they have longer life spans?

[hildigunnur.livejournal.com]

1. If you read The Cursed Child, did you like it?

Interestingly enough, I haven't read the play yet. I haven't had the time!!

2. If you saw The Cursed Child, did you like it? Do you think it works better if you see it on stage?

But I did see the play last Sunday. I'm a regular theater goer (I have an season pass here in Iceland and I have seen plays, musicals and operas in two other countries besides Iceland) and I thought Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is one of the better and memorable productions I've ever seen. It's a very ambitious production and I feel that the magic of the Potterverse worked better on that stage than it did in the films. It felt way more real. Also the performances were really, really good.

3. Do you consider the play canon?

Yeah, I think I do.

4. Harry: Understandably frustrated and concerned, or a horrible father? Just generally over the top? What about Albus?

You see, with having seen the play, I'm definitely in the frustrated and concerned department. Besides Arthur and Molly Weasley, Harry doesn't have any normal and healthy parental figures in his life and I think it comes across in the play, that he has a bit of a trouble relating to a son who is so much alike him but doesn't (thankfully) have the same background as he. That was what I read into the struggle between Harry and Albus in the play. And I understand Albus as well. He's not being unreasonable towards his father - it feels more like they haven't figured out the frequency to communicate probably on which happens often in real life, and often with a parent and a child who are a lot alike.

5. Delphi: Mary Sue? A fine character with a poorly constructed and very cliche twist? A good character with a good twist?

It was only at the beginning that I felt Delphi was really a character. She turned into a plot device somewhere in the middle of the play. The clunkiest bit of writing was clearly with parts of her plot and origin. And she doesn't seem as threatening in the play she could have been. That might be because I was sitting on the balcony and they didn't hoist her very high into the air when she took on her Augury form. I don't know really what I think abut her. I like her as the catalyst for the time travelling and I like the alternative realities. But the why wasn't as convincing.

6. Which of the original characters did you like seeing portrayed? Who, if anyone, did you wish had been portrayed differently?

All of them!!! The actors were so good and I really liked their characterizations. I think I like grown-up Draco a bit better than his child and teenage-self. And the actor (Alex Price) portrayed him with great nuance.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

Besides Arthur and Molly Weasley, Harry doesn't have any normal and healthy parental figures in his life

That's true, and even then... even by the time he found Sirius, he was thirteen, and his time with Sirius, Arthur, and Molly was limited with Sirius being on the run (and very unhinged during OoTP) and Arthur and Molly only really having him a short time each summer. So yes, he had parental figures, but not in the same way Albus did.

I liked Draco too, albeit only having seen the play. I could buy him as an adult Draco - he still had a bit of teenage Draco in him, but he was also a matured, redemptive man.

[rhoda-rants.livejournal.com]

1. If you read The Cursed Child, did you like it?

Just finished it this morning! Definitely liked it.

2. If you saw The Cursed Child, did you like it? Do you think it works better if you see it on stage?

NA, but I am curious to see how they did some of the practical effects, like the Polyjuice Potion. Also, I heard some negative chatter about that potion being changed, like their voices also change, and that's not how it used to be, blah blah blah--but I didn't mind it. I mean, this is a stage play, y'all, they'll be played by the same actors and there's no ADR--just go with it. But I would LOVE to see how it was done live.

3. Do you consider the play canon?

Yes. If JK says so, I'm fine accepting that. With the caveat that "canon" means different things to different people. Is it Book!Canon? Movie!Canon? Fanon? Conjecture? Word of God? I'm happy to accept it in my personal Head!Canon, which I imagine is what this question is getting at.

4. Harry: Understandably frustrated and concerned, or a horrible father? Just generally over the top? What about Albus?

Relapsing into bad habits based on his damn scar. Understandably to a degree, and it's in character since he's basically acting how he did in Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince here, way too deep in his own head to see clearly and also too ready to leap to conclusions and blame a Malfoy for all this problems. I feel ambivalent towards Albus. He seems like a good kid, but kinda boring. SCORPIUS THOUGH! ♥ ♥ ♥ I loved that perky goth nerd from start to finish. And halfway through, started shipping him and Albus. SO in that way I guess it was like being back in the fandom again. Send me all of the Scorpius/Albus fanart. I know it's out there.

5. Delphi: Mary Sue? A fine character with a poorly constructed and very cliche twist? A good character with a good twist?

Cool hair, boring character. Obvious twist played better than it could have. Definitely a Villain Sue. The reveal that she'd been Confunding not just Amos Diggory but the ENTIRE staff at the hospital felt a bit "Because Magic!" to me. And I have trouble believing Voldy took time out of his destroy-all-humans day to successfully fuck anyone. I was glad it didn't turn out to be Scorpius though.

6. Which of the original characters did you like seeing portrayed? Who, if anyone, did you wish had been portrayed differently?

McGonagall was pretty great; I had fun picturing Dame Maggie Smith saying all her lines again. And I liked Hermione as Minister for Magic. Draco was the BEST though. I remember reading Half-Blood Prince for the first time and finally getting what all the fangirls saw in him. Still never quite went nuts over him to that extent, but I felt sorry for him, and was hoping he'd get better as time went on. Was very pleased to see that made canon. (Again, with caveats for how we define "canon.") Generally, I was pleased to see the Slytherins treated sympathetically. I know they have a bad rap for a reason, but what was it really like to experience Hogwarts from that perspective? It was a good call doing it this way.

Ginny was wasted. Rather, her lines just weren't that interesting. I reckon her character would be more compelling onstage. And I did not like seeing Ron reduced to a bumbling doofus. He seemed to be channeling his father more than himself. Not that I dislike Arthur, but Ron is not Arthur. I remember him having a temper and being kind of judgmental. Again, not that I dislike seeing him nicer, but it's not Ron.

Overall: this read like a really solid "20 Years Later..." self-insert fanfiction. Some of the characters felt weird, some felt more or less like themselves, and the new ones were shades of rad and merely competent. Fast read, very entertaining, not as twisty or intricate as the previous books, but since this is all happening in a compressed amount of time I can't really hold that against it.

I called dibs on the official library blog review, so that's going up this weekend. Rather, I'm submitting it this weekend, and I'll post a link somewhere once it goes live.

[arctic-comet.livejournal.com]

1. If you read The Cursed Child, did you like it?

It was all right, had its good bits amongst all the stuff that didn't make much sense.

2. If you saw The Cursed Child, did you like it? Do you think it works better if you see it on stage?

Haven't seen it!

3. Do you consider the play canon?

I'm on the fence with this one. I wouldn't mind considering the characterizations of Albus and Scorpius canon (and I totally ship them now!), but there were some parts I think should be ignored.

4. Harry: Understandably frustrated and concerned, or a horrible father? Just generally over the top? What about Albus?

Over the top and OOC at first, but he seemed more like himself late in the story. Albus isn't a bad character but I think having the book be an actual novel instead of a script would've served him better and added more depth.

5. Delphi: Mary Sue? A fine character with a poorly constructed and very cliche twist? A good character with a good twist?

A pretty bad character with a twist that still makes my head hurt.

6. Which of the original characters did you like seeing portrayed? Who, if anyone, did you wish had been portrayed differently?

I enjoyed McGonagall and Draco. I know some people had issues with Draco's portrayal in the script, but I thought his change and behavior made sense. I didn't find him OOC at all. Unfortunately I can't say the same about the trio.

[nucleosides.livejournal.com]

I'm so going to watch the answers to this entry since I'm still a bit "eh" on buying it for the kids.

[belleweather.livejournal.com]

1. If you read The Cursed Child, did you like it?

I thought it was less than thrilling as a play, but lovely as an aide memoire.

2. If you saw The Cursed Child, did you like it? Do you think it works better if you see it on stage?

We've been over this, but YES YES YES. I think it's a whole different universe on Stage.

3. Do you consider the play canon?

I do. But I'm also a Slytherin.

4. Harry: Understandably frustrated and concerned, or a horrible father? Just generally over the top? What about Albus?

Harry: Coping with a whole shitton of PTSD triggered by the son he more identifies with going to Hogwarts. I have this theory that the play redeemed Slytherin house and Draco, and now Draco is going to redeem Harry right back. In fanfiction. In my head.

5. Delphi: Mary Sue? A fine character with a poorly constructed and very cliche twist? A good character with a good twist?

Def. not a Mary Sue, because she doesn't fit that. I do think the character lost cohesion and would have loved to have another explanation for who/what she was. (I was thinking along the lines of an Augery being some sort of dark creature that happens when time has been played with too much, but the play went in a different direction.)

6. Which of the original characters did you like seeing portrayed? Who, if anyone, did you wish had been portrayed differently?

Draaaaaaaaco. And Hermione. My head-Hermione has totally changed, for the better.

Again, feel free to add anything you'd like.

[ragdoll.livejournal.com]

1. If you read The Cursed Child, did you like it?
I'm on the fence about it. I liked some of it, thought other parts were ridiculous.

2. If you saw The Cursed Child, did you like it? Do you think it works better if you see it on stage?

N/A

3. Do you consider the play canon?
Not in a million years.

4. Harry: Understandably frustrated and concerned, or a horrible father? Just generally over the top? What about Albus?
Frustrated and concerned. I don't buy it for a minute though in terms of being in character.

Albus is an inexplicably whiny little bitch.

5. Delphi: Mary Sue? A fine character with a poorly constructed and very cliche twist? A good character with a good twist?
Mary Sue? Poorly constructed in every way. Her actual existence makes no sense. Do you really think her mother wouldn't have been screaming her very existence from the rooftops? That no one would have known? Stupid stupid twist (plus I personally don't think her father would have been capable of procreating due to mutuations). I want to name a band Sekrit [Father Name] Baby.

6. Which of the original characters did you like seeing portrayed? Who, if anyone, did you wish had been portrayed differently?
I really liked Ginny and Hermione. I liked Harry except for the constant angst about being a bad father (he has seen positive male role models, mainly his father-in-law). I hated the portrayal of Ron. He suddenly turned into Village!Idiot Ron from the movies rather than smart!Ron from the books. I'm also sorry we never saw Neville.

[flyingharmony.livejournal.com]

1. If you read The Cursed Child, did you like it?
I did! I mean, obviously it has lots of issues (that we already discussed about), but yes, I did. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would, because I did have my doubts at first...

2. If you saw The Cursed Child, did you like it? Do you think it works better if you see it on stage?
Answering that in a year then xD.

3. Do you consider the play canon?
Umm... Can I say selectively yes? I know it's either everything or nothing, but I consider i.e. Bellamort canon (not only because I ship them to death but because there were just SO many subtle hints all over), when it comes to Delphi, however... I can see it, but if it's really canon to me? IDK, honestly. Same with the Cedric-thing. CAN I SAY IT'S SEM-CANON? XD

4. Harry: Understandably frustrated and concerned, or a horrible father? Just generally over the top? What about Albus?
Half/half. I, for the most part, liked him a lot more than I liked book!Harry, not even gonna start with movie!Harry. He's trying super hard, and Albus is being difficult, so yes, understandably frustrated and concerned, but then also WAY over the top and pretty horrible at some points. Just going to mention his attempt to cut off contact with his son's only and best friend because he's a Malfoy. Yeah, no. But you said it, he's flawed, he's always been flawed, so...

5. Delphi: Mary Sue? A fine character with a poorly constructed and very cliche twist? A good character with a good twist?
Ugh. Yes. She does feel way too Mary Sue-y to me. Can I say a poor character with a super interesting and slightly wasted plot-line? I LOVE the idea of it - I really, really do. But the execution... Meh. There are a lot of issues with her - not only because I believe that she'd have black hair (unless she dyed it obviously... But seriously? Silver-blue? GO SIT ON THE MARY SUE CHAIR), but simply because someone raised by Death Eaters and actually BELIEVING in their cause cannot possibly be so sweet at first - not even when pretending. Seriously, not even Andromeda who very successfully broke away from her family is sweet. Charming and incredibly kind, yes - but we don't see much sweetness there. Then, all of a sudden, she disappears for half the play, shows up again and is suddenly evil? There needed to be SO much more build up, there needs to be so much more backstory... It could have been SO GOOD, so very very very good... But NOPE. They really gave away a potentially amazing plotline there, ugh...

6. Which of the original characters did you like seeing portrayed? Who, if anyone, did you wish had been portrayed differently?
DRACO! ♥ McGonagall! ♥ Those two were my favourites - Snape I would have liked to just have more of his own voice, because ugh. And otherwise... Otherwise I think I'm good? xD Obviously I would have liked to see Narcissa (even though I still stick to my point that she's probably dead by that point :( ) and Andromeda, but that is my biased Black sister adoration! xD

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

I'm curious - you mention that Andromeda is charming and kind, yet I wouldn't describe her that way (based on the brief scene she gets). So what makes you see her that way? Not sarcastic, curious. (Or are you thinking of Tonks?) I DO see her as someone who is probably nicer than she seems, but is very guarded because of her family. And to be fair, Harry had just mistaken her for Bellatrix, so...


The Cedric thing really bothered me.

[flyingharmony.livejournal.com]

Nope, I'm actually referring to Andromeda - idk, I've always read kindness between the lines. She would have reacted differently to Harry yelling at her if there weren't any kindness - of course she was bewildered and maybe a tad offended, but... IDK, I always saw her as kind xD. It's also in the way Harry describes her - softer features, etc. Maybe I'm headcanoning too much there xD.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

I had my own headcanon of her too that I'm sure influences things! Honestly, I see her as being a little damaged and withdrawn, but also very loving and fiercefully protective when it comes to those she loves. She's kinda sort of the opposite of how I see Tonks, who actually has just as many "getting close to people" issues, but she's the other extreme where she overcompensates with the happy happy/bounce bounce, which is why she crashed and burned so much in the sixth book.

[flyingharmony.livejournal.com]

That's how I see Druella, her mother - I have a whole massive headcanon about her and it's pretty much exactly the image I have of her. I can also see Andromeda similar to this, a bit less extreme maybe, but definitely going into the direction of it. Even though I still stick to my kindness (and charm... That she knows how to use for sure lol) theory, but it actually fits very well together - a detached kindness, very withdrawn into herself... And certainly damaged. Poor Andy :(

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I see Druella as being like that too. She's also in the awkward position of being sandwiched between two sides - she actually does care about all of her daughters, and ultimately just wishes there were no war in the first place. (Although she is more on the side of the Malfoys re: purity and stuff, but she didn't think Ted deserved to be killed.)

[flyingharmony.livejournal.com]

Ugh, yes, AGREED - I have different versions of my headcanon for Druella actually, one just for myself and the RP I have/had with my bestie revolving around her, Cygnus and Narcissa and Andromeda where she is not that much of a Pureblood supremacist at all, and then another slightly different one where she is a bit more invested in the whole Pureblood thing... Still in no way an extremist, but definitely leaning more towards it... I do kind of believe that she only disowned Andromeda a) because she was hurt so deeply and b) in some way to keep them all safe... With Voldemort around it would be too dangerous to just do nothing about a Black marrying a Muggleborn, probably for the one who committed the betrayal as well. I do believe that she still always loved her, though - maybe in secret, maybe just for herself and not wanting to admit it, but despite her insane disappointment she still always loved her a lot...

[inkvoices]

You've already read my review, but I'll jump in :)

1. If you read The Cursed Child, did you like it?
Yes. I wouldn't say I loved it, but I enjoyed it.

2. If you saw The Cursed Child, did you like it? Do you think it works better if you see it on stage?
I haven't seen it. I imagine it works much better on the stage because we'd get the atmosphere, visually spectacular stage effects, and emotions from the characters, filler. From the people I've spoken to apparently it's much better on the stage.

3. Do you consider the play canon?
No. I think if it had been released much closer to the end of the last book I would have, but it's been so long - I've read so much fanfiction about the aftermath since then, had so many conversations with other people, seen it explored so many other ways, that this is just...one more way, perhaps set more highly in my estimation because of its source, but still not another book. Also because it isn't another book; it's a different medium with multiple authors.

4. Harry: Understandably frustrated and concerned, or a horrible father? Just generally over the top? What about Albus?
I think just because you're an adult and have kids doesn't miraculously mean you know what you're doing, especially when you had the kind of upbringing and childhood that Harry did. And that teenagers are teenagers, and surely always have conflicts with their parents, but that again, Albus is in a very particular situation considering his parents and the prejudice against the House he ends up in. So it sat okay with me, but again I think the stage play woud give a more nuanced interpretation than just the dialogue.

5. Delphi: Mary Sue? A fine character with a poorly constructed and very cliche twist? A good character with a good twist? Uh-oh, there's that word: Mary Sue. I don't like that, because really, what is a Mary Sue? Do we mean a self-insert in fanfic? Or do we mean a super female character who's just too pratically perfect in everyway? Because Harry Potter himself had the tragic backstory, the impressive magic, the adventures...and if he'd been a girl how many people would have labelled him a Mary Sue? For example.

I think Delphi is a good enough character, almost Tonks-like in some ways. It's the 'Voldemort's daughter' part that comes across as problematic. Perhaps cliche, but perhaps that's only for people active in online fandoms or who've read fanfiction? As in my review, I think having her be the daughter of, say, a Death Eater who died in the Battle of Hogwarts, or something other than having her and Voldemort as a direct contrast to Albus and Harry would have worked better.

6. Which of the original characters did you like seeing portrayed? Who, if anyone, did you wish had been portrayed differently?
It was nice revisiting them all. Again, I think their characteristion probably works better as the play where we'd get to see their facial expressions, body language, emotions; details we don't get in the script. I think they all had some good lines though :)

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

I think having her be the daughter of, say, a Death Eater who died in the Battle of Hogwarts, or something other than having her and Voldemort as a direct contrast to Albus and Harry would have worked better.

I totally agree with that!

[vaysh]

1. If you read The Cursed Child, did you like it?
I did like it. It didn't thrill me or get me like the HP books but I didn't expect that from a theatre script.

2. If you saw The Cursed Child, did you like it? Do you think it works better if you see it on stage?
I haven't seen the play yet but am convinced that it works much more on stage than as a dry script.

3. Do you consider the play canon?
Yes. It's Rowling's ideas and even if the play has been written by John Thorne, you can see Rowling's humour and world-building everywhere.

4. Harry: Understandably frustrated and concerned, or a horrible father? Just generally over the top? What about Albus?
Hm. I didn't like Harry very much. Definitely not as I imagined him as the Head Auror. I wanted to see more of his Auror work, to be honest. I am okay with him being not a great father. Why would he be a naturally great dad? There is no reason for it in the HP series, quite the opposite. He is giving his best, I think. I like Albus a whole lot. :)

5. Delphi: Mary Sue? A fine character with a poorly constructed and very cliche twist? A good character with a good twist?
A Mary Sue??? Nah. Oh, I wish she had remained the caretaker of Amos Diggory and become like a big sister kind of character to Albus and Scorpius who turns out to be a lesbian and hook up with Daphne Greengrass. I could have done without the whole Voldemort fathered a child plot. Considering the way his soul was fractured into Horcruxes, I am pretty sure he was impotent in the end.

6. Which of the original characters did you like seeing portrayed? Who, if anyone, did you wish had been portrayed differently?
I have to re-read it to really get a fuller sense of the characters. I loved Scorpius, but who doesn't? :) Umbridge was good, quite in character. I liked this version of adult Draco Malfoy. I thought it hilarious that Astoria had to die, like in so many H/D fanfics. Her death did add to Scorpius' loneliness. A hated portrait!Albus Dumbledore and that whole scene when he talks with Harry. So badly written, I was cringing reading it.