A Gushing: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (2019)

I recently read The Testaments by the absolutely wonderful Margaret Atwood. Ms. Atwood…thank you. I don’t really want to review this book (so I’m just going to gush about it) as it really doesn’t need it in terms of “good” or “bad” or “a must-read” or “stick to The Handmaid’s Tale”. But for the record, I will say that is wasn’t good. It was amazing. It is a must-read; it is the 21st Century continuation of its predecessor. I was immediately enthralled by the first two lines of the book:

“Only dead people are allowed to have statues, but I have been given one while still alive. Already I am petrified.”

Written as transcripts, therefore placing all of the actions in the past and allowing the narrators the gift of retrospect, Atwood beautifully blends 3 narratives together, switching back and forth between them for the first third of the book. As you continue to read, you will see that the stories are not so separate as you might have thought. The ability to do that is astounding! And each of the characters remain distinct and individualized. The stories are told through first-person narrative, and while there are clear chapter titles (as well as small portraits or avatars) to help you differentiate them, you could take those away and know that you have switched perspectives.

And her ability to write women! As a woman myself, I of course know how I think. And I would like to think that with a sort of empathetic emotion, I know how other women think. But it would be hard for me to voice it. I forget the little habits I do each day, or I don’t look to much into the motivations behind my actions. Atwood is able to do that in such a blunt manner that the simple words become at once relatable and foreign; relatable because you understand the actions and motivations as a woman, and foreign because you never really thought about them.

I don’t even need to get into the more social implications of the novel; how we are not so far away from Gilead society itself in many aspects of our culture. But it is chilling to think about. So if you read The Handmaid’s Tale and enjoyed it, then you are required to read The Testaments. Plain and simple.

Book Review: Portrait of a Lady by Henry James (1881)

Henry James is one of my favorite American authors, so it is a wonder that it took me so long to read this novel. Portrait of a Lady is a wonderful piece about a young American girl who has inherited a vast fortune, and details her choices with her new found financial freedom. The language is beautiful, the imagery is vivid, and the dialogue is gripping.

However, the pace of the overall plot does not really pick up until you are little more than halfway done.

Photo Credit: Goodreads

James does an admirable job of illustrating how much the heroine, Isabel Archer, desires her freedom; this freedom precludes marriage since that is a bond that she does not want attached to her. Because the majority of the book is spent detailing this, including two rejected marriage proposals, the quick change in Isabel’s character is almost inexplicable, and happens so fast you might miss it if you blink.

This shift was welcome because if I spent any more time hearing how much Isabel did not want to marry I might have shed a tear. But then I did shed tears of frustration once we learned that the girl’s choice in suitor was devised by a seemingly good friend. It seemed almost devised since I spent 300 pages of reading how she was going to be the archetypal single lady, but then again, Isabel’s character allows for that. If she had been the narrator (the story is told through the eyes of an omniscient observer), I would have doubted the entire plot because she is the type of character to say one thing and completely mean another; not quite a liar, but not quite a truther either. But because of this innocent deceit that the narrator explains to the reader, I can see why Isabel would make such a decision and fall for such a plot.

To put it bluntly…she falls for the 19th-century f**k boy. The most frustrating thing about Isabel, in my opinion, is that she is a modern character, a modern woman. She has the desire for freedom, for enterprise, for self-expression without sacrifice, but not with a lot of foresight. Which is how she would be led so easily to such a disastrous marriage.

The ambiguous ending seems to have solidified itself in more current opinions. A good deal of people will say that she went back to her husband at the end of the book for whatever noble or prideful reasons she had. Initially, I am inclined to agree with that. Though, taking into account the true gem of Isabel’s nature, she does have the power and will and drive to be independent. So does her thirst for independence, especially knowing that everyone supports that choice, outweigh her pride and reverence for matrimony? This is the question that keeps me coming back to thinking about the novel even though I finished it weeks ago.

It’s a masterpiece and the beginning of an era where authors delve into the psyche of their characters beyond the basic wants and needs. It’s a long book, and the language is a bit steep, though not complicated, so I would recommend you take your time to truly appreciate it. Most of the characters are endearing, some of them disturbing, and there are plot twists towards the end that make you say, “I knew it!” but you are delighted at the outcome anyway. It’s a perfect summer read! Give it a go.

Overall Rating: 3* out of 5

*The only reason why I did not give it a higher rating was because of the pacing; I felt it slow and laborious at times, but that was because I was desperate for the plot to move on since I knew something good was coming.

Book Confession: Never Have I Ever – Atlas Shrugged

I am back again with another book that I have had on my shelf for years and have yet to pick up. Mainly because I know it is a daunting book, thick with reverence, and allegorical eye rolls. I also must admit that the only people who I have heard talk about this novel are men, and how can I be delicate…they are not the most open-minded of men either. In fact, I distinctly remember one man saying, “In all honesty, Rand is just a bit of a…” The ellipses are symbolic for things that rhyme with “itch” and “bunt”.

I was a teen back then and just smiled and did that little half-shrug that most women know how to do in situations that make them uncomfortable but they don’t want to stir the pot any more than it already is. Of course, now I would boldly express myself in favor of Rand (despite me now knowing the plot of Atlas Shrugged) for the slander more than for the dignity of her writing. But it was this incident that made me walk to the used bookstore and bought a curling paperback copy of Atlas Shrugged for 35 cents.

The time is nigh for me to crack it open! It is actually 2 books down on my current reading list so I am getting to it shortly. But before I do, I thought why not jot down what I think it will be about, and see how wrong I am:

Atlas Whatshisname was a young man living in a lonely world. He had what you would call a good life: parents were still alive, a decent paying job, no debt because back in the day one didn’t need to take out $60,000 to get a $50,000 salaried job, a house that he was slowly repairing in the burbs, and an apartment in the city because he could.

But Atlas cared not for this life. It was easily given, and therefore, easily taken for granted. He didn’t want to struggle through life, no! But he wanted to feel his heart pounding and his pulse racing with success, something he didn’t really grasp. He had the things most people would call successful, but he did not feel the joy that was supposed to come with his status.

So Atlas did not quit his job, but did decide to spend the nights wandering, searching for…something. He met Seargent Peppers, Tom Bombadil, and Andy Serkis. He danced with Helen Troye, kissed Zelda Fitzgerald, and sang with Ella Fitzgerald. And during all of these adventures, he realized something.

Necking Zelda was all well and good, and he felt a pleasant hum about him while he did so. But that hum turned into a buzz when he was thinking about the beginning of his next journey. The momentum leading up to his goal was more exquisite than the goal itself. Chasing his happiness gave him more happiness than anything else could.

And so Atlas lived on, doing things that made him happy because he enjoyed the life of being happy. As he grew to be an old man, a young boy stopped him while he was on his way to eat golden abalone (a favorite treat). The young boy looked up into the face of an old man who was so happy and so content with life that he looked to be 100 years old and 2 years old at the same time. And he questioned Atlas on how one can be so happy.

Atlas looked down at the young boy and said “Happiness.”

To which the boy replied, “How can one find happiness?”.

And in response Atlas looked off into the distance and straightened his shoulders just a fraction. Then, so small that you might have missed it because it seemed more of an exhalation of breath than a movement…Atlas shrugged…and continued on his way.

Book Review: How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship & Musical Theater by Marc Acito (2005)

I want to preface this review by saying I am a Jersey Girl, born and raised. I am not Italian or Jewish, but grew up surrounded by these communities. And though I was not a teen in the 80’s (proud 90s baby over here), I have to say that Acito gets the Jersey atmosphere. While reading it I thought either this dude really is from Jersey or is a bitter New Yorker who calls the garden state Dirty Jerz ironically. Much like the whole “I-can-pick-on-my-family-but-you-can’t”, we Jerseyans feel the same way about our state.

Photo Credit: Goodreads

Because of that, I was able to enjoy Acito’s depiction of Edward Zanni’s teenage surroundings.

I also was once a teenager, and I can relate to the awkward yet sexual growth that all of the characters go through. Was the plot believable? No. But was it hilarious? Definitely. “How I Paid for College” reads like a bad early 2000s brat-pack-rom-com in the best possible way, a tamer American-Pie if you will…if you were to discount the multiple threesomes. It is raunchy, dramatic, self-masturbatory, and oddly encouraging all at once. As a teenager, everything you feel you feel 1000 times more because you have no true knowledge of anything outside of your microcosm. Edward and his gang go about trying to reconcile the real world with real world consequences with their idyllic lifestyle, and it just does not work out. And that is funny.

And I am a sucker for anything musical theater related, being a theatre kid myself, so there’s that.

I am trying to think of who I would actually recommend this book to. It was one I picked up from the grab section of my college library. Despite the characters being 17 and 18, I really don’t think you can appreciate the humor until you are sort of separated from that age; distanced enough to think of your awkward transition into a baby adult with fondness and self-deprecating humor instead of embarrassment. It’s not a hard read, but if you aren’t keen on ridiculous slice-of-life plots involving teens who absolutely no clue, then you just won’t enjoy it.

The three-star review is mainly because of the plot and the overindulgent sexual themes. Not because I disliked them, but because it kept me from being truly connected to the characters. I could relate only on a superficial level, and parts reminded me of myself rather than kept me engaged with the characters. I kept reading because the writing and style were good, and the storyline involved theatre and the quest for Juilliard, not because I couldn’t wait to see what those crazy kids would get up to next.

So give it a read if you have the time, or need a lighter book to break up a Russian author book binge. You aren’t missing the hidden gem of the century if you don’t read this, but it is a nice lil nugget that can make you smile.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5.

Book Ramblings: Beloved by Toni Morrison (1987)

I asked my mother when I was about 11 years old if I could read Beloved. Her response to me was that I wouldn’t like it. This confused me because my mother made sure that along with my Tolkien and Rowling and Pratchett I read Baldwin and Ellison and Walker. If my mother told me to stay away from such a revered book by a revered,

Photo Credit: Literary Hub

black, female author, it must not be all that good. So for years, I had read other Morrison works but I never touched upon the one that many consider to be her magnum opus. 15 years later I picked this book that has been the first book on the second shelf of one of our several bookshelves. I read it in 4 days. And I loved it.

I can see why my mother would say that an 11-year-old would not like the story. I would not have understood it, not on the level that Morrison intended her readers to understand, and I would have disliked the book more because of my inability to understand, my inability to relate to the horror or at least sympathize with it, rather than me not liking it in general.

After finishing the novel I sat on my bed for about 30 minutes just digesting what just happened. I had so many questions and it was interesting that I found myself coming up with answers. Maybe not the answers to the questions I asked but my mind is usually a jumbled mess when I a piece of literature affects me so.

From my cursory glances into essays about the novel (I no longer have access to the lovely research databases my old college offers because my login is invalid and its a whole process to get it up and going again), I am so scattered on what I would like to focus on. I have done a lot of work and research on African American protest novels, for which there is an argument that this could be considered one. Looking through that lens, I am intrigued by Sethe and both of her reactions to when white men come to her home 18 years apart.

There are spoilers if you have not read this novel.

The first time a white man came to enter her home, Sethe ran with her children to the shed and attempted to kill her children, only succeeding with 1 (Beloved) while harming another (Denver).

The second time a white man came to enter her home, Sethe ran to attack the man and was prevented by her daughter, Denver, and another woman.

The first instance was the beginning of the haunting of 124, and the second was the end, so it is clear that the actions made the second time was what caused a resolution. But why? Sethe was not in a place to take aggressive action against anyone when she was 19, with 2 boys, an infant, and a newborn. She had just the barest lick of freedom and no sense of where she stood in the world. Fighting the other was not a part of her mentality, nor was it part of many slave’s mentalities. There are historical records of parents choosing to kill their children rather than have them live a life of slavery. To give them a loving death instead of a hateful one. That also, in a twisted way, granted the parent freedom of choice; something that is rare for the oppressed. If Sethe were to fight the first time around, she had no idea what she was fighting for.

Not only that but during the first instance, the community that Sethe had come to were harboring some ill will towards her and Baby Suggs for flaunting their excess. Stamp Paid hypothesizes perhaps that ill will was why no one notified them that strangers were coming. So Sethe was operating without the support of her community.

The second instance Sethe knew what her freedom was. She had known independence and had gained strength from it, even if it was a bit toxic in her seclusion. She now knew what she could lose if her thoughts played out, and the white man coming to her home was there to take her children away. She could now fight for what she had rather than an idea of what things could be.

This time, Sethe had the support of her community thanks to her daughter Denver, the one she began to neglect in favor of Beloved.

With this, it could be said that the novel would have been a lot shorter if Morrison had allowed Sethe to fight the first time around. In my opinion, she wouldn’t have been successful since Schoolteacher came with 2 other men and she had the disdain of her community.

In a wonderful way Morrison was able to convey a message and strategy that speaks to groups of the oppressed: band together and fight back. But she also implies that one is more willing to fight when they have an idea of what they lost. So how can a constantly subjugated group rise?

Enter the Bodwins. A white brother and sister duo who give Baby Suggs a home and help her, Sethe and Denver find employment. Two of the majority, of the privileged, using their privilege to help others. I consider them to be a foil to the masters of Sweet Home. That could also be another entry and another paper, but I want to squeeze this in: there is a stark difference between people who actively work to better a community by supporting them, and people who claim to support while staying firmly in the role of oppressor.

Anyway, so while Morrison draws racial lines firmly in the sand, she also expresses that one community cannot begin to thrive independently without the help of another.

I think I am going to stop here before I lose my train of thought entirely and begin to do more research than I wanted to in the first place. Back when I was still a student, these ramblings always served as the basis for a major paper. I enjoy them and it gives me an outlet that I haven’t had since school.

If you have any other thoughts on Beloved please share!

 

 

Book Confession: Never Have I Ever – The Grapes of Wrath

Roll call: how many of us truly enjoy (not appreciate but enjoy and look forward to with flee) John Steinbeck’s long exposition?  Anything past Of Mice and Men gets to be a bit laborious to me when it comes to his writing; he is the Eugene O’Neill of novels. I enjoy Steinbeck’s plots and themes; it’s just that his delivery sometimes makes my eyes glaze over a bit. I find myself not rereading the same pages over and over again when it comes to him, but instead, I realize that my eyes skimmed about 13 pages about the color of the leaves on the trees of Montana and suddenly we are in San Fransico.

I do agree that Steinbeck is an American literary keystone. I love his novellas but I struggle through his novels. Anyone wanting to know if they should write a novel or keep a novella needs to study Steinbeck and make their decision.

This is not to say I don’t like his novels! East of Eden and Travels with Charley: In Search of America were delightful in my opinion…I just also read them in school and being forced to read them and having a teacher guide me along the way just made it a bit easier.

There is a slight shame to admitting I haven’t read The Grapes of Wrath. It is American. It is about a working-class family. The Dust Bowl. The lower class everyman. It should be a more emotionally accessible novel because of these themes (especially to the ever cynical Millenial and Gen-Z generation). There was a movie with Henry Fonda in it. I have not seen it.

I have a more rounded idea of what The Grapes of Wrath is about mainly because the themes are ones that have been repeated in so many other mediums over the years. If it follows the basic formula that I think it does, then I might not be so off the mark with my summary:

I know it stars the Joad family but going off the name of the book, this is a family with the surname, Grapes. There are the parents, Harry and Sally Grape. There are the 4 children, Tom, Dick, Stanley and Jane. I know the cover only has two children, but I feel Tom and Dick were playing out back. They are sharecroppers and they miraculously live in the midwest, and they grow…grapes. They were able to scrape through the depression growing these fruits in the harsh climate because they were the only grape suppliers in the region. Then the Dust Bowl happened.

Dusty grapes are not good, so they decide to move west to California. Where grapes do their best. And on their way, they Oregon Trail it basically. Facing dysentery, starvation, bandits, and poor health care, they do odd jobs along the way to make it to California. But low and behold, once they get there, they realize that it has now become overpopulated. It is saturated with gold miners and other grape farmers from across the country.

But the Grapes are not to be deterred. After all, this is their literal namesake! Alas, it proves…fruitless. They are not used to this new soil. Dick succumbs to a late bout of dysentery. Jane runs off with a miner forty-niner and his daughter Clementine. Harry and Sally struggle to keep the rest of the family together, to keep their lives afloat. They want success. They want profit. They want to live out the American Dream.

As they acclimate to their new lives, they realize that maybe they are living the dream. They are nowhere near rich, but they are living. They may not be the same as when they started out, but they finished their journey. Their grapes are not sweet, but sour and vengeful, almost like the land is full of wrath for being abused and broken up so between the farmers and the miners. But they are there, and they are there to stay.

This is on my 2019 reading list so hopefully, I will get to it shortly (and before 2020). I really do enjoy Steinbeck’s work, but I just don’t always have the capacity to truly intake his colorful language. I’ll get back to you with my thoughts once I read it!

 

 

 

Book Confession: Never Have I Ever – Divine Comedy

So this book, or rather epic poem, has been on my “to read” list since high school. I was looking forward to reading it in class because even though school sometimes could be a pain, my understanding of the literature was better in class than if I were to read it alone. So fast forward to my sophomore year in highschool when our professor says, “Guess what epic poem we are going to read?”. In my head I screamed THE DIVINE CO- “Paradise Lost!” was her answer.

I didn’t know much about Milton or Paradise Lost, so my burning anger at not reading this The Divine Comedy was appeased basically because my teacher was waving a new shiny toy in front of me. And I enjoyed this new toy so much I read it twice. But I haven’t gotten back to The Divine Comedy. I believe only 2 or 3 years ago I purchased a paperback version from the bargain table at my local Barnes & Noble in hopes that seeing the 4-inch thick spine on my shelf would prompt me to read it. It has not.

The simple fact is I know it’s a long book. It will have references and allusions and sources that I may (read: will) have to parse through. Now I am a person who enjoys that type of reading, but it takes time and patience. And I have yet to seem to find the time to gather enough patience to sit through it. I think I used it all up during my Dostoevsky phase.

I know a bit more about The Divine Comedy than other classics I have never read. Half of it is because there were books that I read and courses that I took that allude to it and I  had to look something up here or there. The other half is because I took a Sporcle Quiz that had me rank the sins according to Dante and I cheated and googled it instead of guessing.

But I am fuzzy on the specifics of the story. Like the plot. I get the allegory, just not how it is conveyed. If you were to ask me, I think it goes something like this:

The protagonist, a wanderer named Dante, witnessed a mugging in the street of a town he had stumbled upon, and was awed by how little the people cared. He asked the town’s blacksmith, who was so used to robberies that he didn’t even miss a beat while pounding on hot iron, why no one cared. The blacksmith said “Aye thas jus a wee level 2 an 3 o’ Hell. Nothin’ werth batherin’ yerself ova”.

Fascinated by this town and how crime is almost accepted, Dante stayed and fell in love with a woman. A married woman (because in literature a woman is the easy scapegoat for why men do what they do). Now longing (lust) after this woman he takes to drinking (gluttony) because he can’t have her even though he wants (greed) her. He spends his days crying in a drunken haze (sloth), before he finally works up his anger (wrath) to go and confront the husband. Dante tells the husband that he deserves the wife (greed and envy – double whammy) and that he is a better man than the husband will ever be (pride).

Drunken Dante swings at the husband, misses, and falls on a table, killing him instantly. What follows is a Mephistopheles character greeting Dante on the lowest level of Hell, and telling him what he can do to at least make it to the highest since he is now dead. It all basically concludes with Dante meeting people who did much worse things than he, so when he makes it to the Lust Level his pride yanks him straight back down to the Pride Level where he will spend all eternity. Mephi laughs. The end.

Like I said before, this will definitely be a near future read for me. I typically read a classic novel then contemporary and repeat the pattern. I’m almost done with a Brandon Sanderson novel, so maybe this is the impetus I need to finally crack open one of the greatest works of all time.

Why Books are Great (and other reasons why they are useful)

Nothing frustrates me more than when someone tells me that books are dying…and a LOT of things frustrate me. But it is so completely mind-boggling to me when someone tells me “print is dead” or “libraries gotta go” or “why don’t you just get e-books instead?”. And my deadpan stare in answer has not been providing me the responses I want. I also have a tendency to just splutter when I get worked up, which is not a convincing argument either. So in one of my rational moments I have created a list of why books are great.

1. Knowledge. Books are filled with letters that create words that are then the makeup of sentences. Sentences are used to convey knowledge. Knowledge is power. And what is more powerful than busting out a 30-pound dusty tomb to prove your knowledge? Power move.

2. They smell wonderful. Older pages smell to me like chocolate, dust and memories. New books smell like ink and light. Sniffing these pages can give you a high. Especially if one of your older books was taken to Woodstock.

3. They are a kinder “Do Not Disturb” sign. I know what you are thinking; headphones are also a wonderful way to get people to leave you alone. But as we move forward in this technological age, people are becoming more and more resistant to the headphone rule. When everyone is wearing headphones, then it’s the same as no one wearing headphones. They cancel each other out. But a book. A book you can use to block your face, hold up higher and closer as a signal to disturbers that you are blatantly and actively ignoring them.

4. They are blunt objects. Perfect for hitting, throwing, pounding for sound. You can use books as an instrument of retribution to those who do not understand the “my nose is buried in the book so go away Gaston” pose.

5. You can gift them. Picture it. Sicily. 2062. It is time to gift your possessions to your family in your will. You turn to your youngest great-grandchild and say, “And to you, sweet sweet Elizabeth, I want you to have something that has been with me ever since I was in high school. I gift you this 5GB flash drive which contains the complete works of Jane Austen. Make sure you insert it correctly”. Wouldn’t a nice hardback edition (that has swollen with age, cracked with use, and oh! isn’t that a tea stain from when you woke up in the middle of the night to read since you couldn’t sleep?) be more impactful?

6. Appearances. It is scientifically proven that you look 46% smarter and 71.2% trustworthy-er once you place a book in your hand. They did a study where parents were asked who they wanted to watch their infants, and 8 out of 10 of them chose the 14-year-old who was holding a used copy of Walden: or, Life in the Woods over a woman holding her various degrees detailing her child care education and that her clients include Beyonce, Kate Middleton, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

7. Nuff said.

 

Book Review: Carry On: The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow by Rainbow Rowell (2015)

I clearly enjoyed this book because I finished it in 4 days and felt bereft once I turned that final page. My very first impression was “Ah, published Harry Potter Fanfiction”. And I have to apologize to Rowell and any fans for that first impression because that is absolutely NOT what this book is. Yes, there are a remarkable amount of similar elements to the HP Universe, but the same can be said of the similarities between Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.

Carry On carries on the traditional hero orphan trope that is a mainstay in fantasy and adventure plotlines. You have Simon, the orphan supercharged mage who is supposed to save the world and end up with the pretty girl-next-door Agatha. Then there is Baz, Simon’s evil roommate who might be a vampire and might be in love with Simon. And then Penny, Simon’s genius best friend who will sacrifice life and limb to keep him safe.

We open up at their last year at the mage school Watford; Rowell does a worthy job at fleshing out seven years worth of relationships, character growth, and history throughout the novel so the reader never truly feels like they are missing something key about a previous adventure.

The antagonist is the Insidious Humdrum, an entity that has been eating up magic and leaving dead spots where mages can’t cast. The magical premise is unique as well. Spells are from popular sayings, meaning Open Sesame really does open doors because that is what popular belief says it is. This allows the reader to connect with the text a bit more than figuring out the Latin root. Rowell bounces perspectives as well: we read chapters from Simon, Baz, Penny, Agatha, and a few other choice characters that tie the plot together as Simon tries to defeat the Humdrum.

Laced within this epic plot are the less fantastical, though no less engaging, relationship stories between the teenage characters. Will Simon stay with Agatha because she is everything he would ever want? Will Baz silently pine after Simon, and perhaps his blood since he is a suspected vampire? Does Agatha want Baz because she thinks he is a vampire? There are times when I find this type of plot droll and redundant but I could not wait to find out the verdict, just as I couldn’t wait to find out what the Insidious Humdrum truly was.

This is a modern adventure story for the modern reader. The anticipation that is built into this novel is gripping. I couldn’t put it down and hearing that Rowell has a sequel coming out September 24, 2019 has me excited to see what will happen next.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two (Harry Potter, #8) by Rowling, Tiffany and Thorne (2016)

I know that I am not alone in saying that I am a huge Harry Potter fan. Long gone are the days when I was in grade school, and I diligently worked away at reading The Sorcerer’s Stone or Chamber of Secrets while everyone else read Captain Underpants (a series I still mean to get to eventually). It seems almost everyone has a stake in the Harry Potter franchise for different reasons. That being said, my review has three perspectives: that of a Harry Potter fan, that of a literary critic, and that of a theatre professional.

The being a Harry Potter fan was what kept me from reading this play as soon as it came out. I find once you close a door on a series it’s hard to reopen. And it is even harder for me if you do it in a different format from the original. We went from a series of novels focused on a core group of characters to a play focused on some of their children. In all honesty, it read to me like fanfiction and after my slight disappointment of Deathly Hallows (and in between the wait for each new Harry Potter book until the release of Deathly Hallows) I have read A LOT of fanfiction.

We have the two school rivals children become the best of friends because of their inability to connect with people due to the expectations set upon them. Basically, Harry and Draco if their parents were loving…and not dead. The characterization was cute, the glimpses of the original Gold Trio all grown up were great, and the story seems fitting. But I personally didn’t want a next generation story. My favorite parts were when we saw Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Draco all grown up, making their way through the loss of their children. I want to know how they got to where they are. It leaves me wanting because I am so attached to the original 7 books, I cannot completely care about these new characters. But I can appreciate it as being part of the canon.

The story itself is solid, but only because its a play and can get away with a lot of things. If this were written as a novel I would have note after note on plot holes, questions, and confusions that popped up along the way. This biggest being…Voldemort had a kid?! I want THAT story. It sort of grates against the image of Voldemort I got from the original series. But looking at the story as it is without trying to connect it to the rest of the universe, it is exciting. I gained nothing from it that I haven’t gotten from another play; I don’t learn anything. It is another story focusing on two young boys who go on an adventure against their better judgment and parent’s wishes. Nothing new, but the writers can get away with it because 1) it is a play and this type of drama plays out well on stage, and 2) it’s Rowling. And it’s a gripping story if not an extremely original one.

The last angle I looked at this play was that of a theatre professional. I have been doing theatre for years and have done everything from act on stage, to playwrighting, to designing, to following actors on stage with a giant follow spot. I have read hundreds of plays and even if I didn’t know how huge of a success this is on Broadway and have personally witnessed the lines outside the doors on 43rd, I could still safely say this; its a theatrical hit and a cash cow. It’s a show that relies heavily on spectacle, and this play dishes it out in spades. Harry Potter is synonymous with magic so you have to bring that element to the stage. Time hopping, train jumping, maze running, flying; these make for amazing visuals if they can be pulled off. Pair that with a decent plot and an already established fan base, you have a hit. And because this was a story written for the stage, it doesn’t feel forced like King Kong or SpiderMan.

I haven’t given this play a higher rating because of my personal reservations of being a Harry Potter fan and a literary snob, but boy the play is good. I have no doubt if I were actually able to acquire tickets to see the play I would give the production itself a higher score. It’s a continuation that I didn’t ask for, though I am sure others did. Theatre was a smart format to do it in because it divorces the story from the books and movies (which is why I think people are kinder to it than they are to the Fantastic Beasts films). I enjoyed it. And it goes by quick enough to read it again.

Overall rating: 3 out of 5.