Book Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne,   This is a new work from J.K. Rowling.  It is presented as a script for a play.  I would really like to see it performed.  Reading this scene to scene is very exciting.  It is one of those books you are compelled to keep going.  It is written in two parts with two acts in each part for a total of four acts.  Harry and Ginny’s youngest son, Albus Severus and Draco’s only son, Scorpius become fast friends at Hogwarts.  They are both in Slytherin House.  There is a rumor that Scorpius is the son of Voldemort.  He consequently has difficulty making friends.  But this story gets really interesting when the two boys decide to steal a time turner and go back in time to prevent the death of Cedric Diggory “the Spare.”  The are encouraged in this by Delphi, the nurse of Cedric's father who misses Cedric in his old age.  They find it is difficult to change the past, but more easy to screw things up.  They come back from two attempts to find the world entirely different.  In one universe Harry Potter died and Voldemort won.  This is a dark world.  In turning this seen right, they discover their accomplice is not who she says she is.  Turns out Delphi is in fact the daughter of Voldemort, whose goal is to change the past to make the present different.  Albus and Scorpius get sucked back in time with Delphi, to the time with Voldemort killed Harry's parents.  And she could have succeeded.  This book is about parenting, and being true to you friends.  It is family and friends that can help change the tide in the end.  In one of the alternate universes Harry Potter was a very bad father, driving his son away.  This story is terrific.  My only regret is that it had to come to an end.  I love these characters that Rowling created.

Play Review: The Crucible

A play in four Acts by Arthur Miller, Bantam Books, New York, 1959.
This is the classic play about the Salem witch trials.  It was a really bad time, as after the local officials gave the investigation over to the courts, they lost all control over what was going on.  You add to that a teenage girl who has lots of power based on what she says, and she has girls mimicking anything she does, adding strength to her testimony.  Those who want to correct the situation, are only accused themselves, as the teen, Abigail, is able to fake attacks by the spirit of others in an uncanny fashion.  She is able to convince the court authorities and that is what counts.  then those accused are in a precarious situation.  Admit your guilt, and you are not hung.  Refuse to confess and the devil still has you and you are hung.  Over 100 people confess.  Something like 12 were hung.  What a bind.    I was hanging on every word there at the end.  This is a classic.  I actually saw this with my dad at Utah State when I was high school age.