The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling (Spoilers Included)

*I have not seen the onstage version. This review is based completely on the script.*
The Cursed Child

by Jack Thorne and John Tiffany

• Children's Fiction, Fantasy, Time Travel
• 9+ for dark themes
• Published July 31st, 2016 by Scholastic Inc. and Little Brown
• available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books
• ★★★★★ 

Can Harry Potter be considered Gothic?

     So I was looking through my posts and I found this! It was written by my mom back when our blog when it was first getting started and for some reason it was saved as a draft. I know at some point it was posted so I would like to share it with everyone.




     "I have been doing quite a bit of research lately on Gothic Literature. My life just hasn’t been hectic enough. Anyhow, in this process, I came across a syllabus for an undergraduate class focused on Victorian Gothic Literature. What surprised me was the two novels to be studied, the all too common Bram Stoker’s Dracula and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Of course my brain was immediately reeling to decide which side of the fence I belong on.

     From my research, here is a list of the primary points to a Gothic novel:

• the betrayal of innocence
• enclosed space (typically decrepit castles)
• battles ensued on the villain’s turf
• an orphaned protagonist
• emotional narrative
• a prophecy that sets the story in motion

     I will not sit here and give you a play by play for these bullets. I mean who in there right mind even puts a billeted list in a blog post and expects people to read it? We all know Harry himself is an orphaned child sent to live with his hateful aunt and uncle who stick him in a closet. Is that emotional enough? Rowling has more than a few Gothic structures, but I said I will not go point by point so let's move on.

     What I would like to discuss is battles ensued on the villain’s turf.

     Rowling has quite the creative approach when it comes to getting the heroes and villains together on the stereotypical gothic turf. She has portkeys to transport students, she lures students into dungeons and she takes advantage of character flaws. Above all, she has created such a heartfelt group of heroes that they seek out the danger, starting with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

     Let's take a look

     Typically within the Gothic genre, the villain will lure the protagonist to a grim place (such as a cemetery) before the fight truly begins. Looking at Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,  Harry and Cedric unsuspectingly grab a portkey and are transmitted to the cemetery in Godric’s Hollow where they are to see the rebirth of the tabooed Lord Voldemort. Here, Harry is forced to defend himself against the dark wizard or die.

     Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t love the series any less now. In fact, I have even more respect for J.K. Rowling for her wonderful use of the Gothic genre within the realm of children’s literature."- Tori

     Having read this post it has great points and I never looked at Harry Potter this way. I mean seriously, I don't think most people have thought of Harry Potter this way, seeing as it's a children's book. I honestly don't think I'll ever look at this book the same. I love Rowling even more now for this, as she incorporated this Gothic theme in the books so well they were almost undetectable. This was a great book and I wish there were more posts like this out there!

*This has not been edited, the majority of this content all belongs to my mom, Tori.*

Pollyanna

 I liked Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter because Pollyanna is always so happy and glad about everything. Even though it was published in 1913, Pollyanna is written like any other book you might pick up at a book store today. The language is a little out of date because of when it was written, but other than that it is pretty easy to understand. I recommend this book to people who like classics, realistic fiction, orphans or just family.

When Pollyanna's father dies she is sent to live with her strict Aunt Polly who only takes her in because she believes that it is her "duty". Aunt Polly believes that Pollyanna was an unnecessary child giving the fact that the world was already full enough. The small town where Pollyanna is sent to live is full of people who are quite unhappy, but Pollyanna finds a way to turn things around. How can one little girl change the whole town's mood? Read the book to find out.

Aunt Polly's house is located on a hill outside the town of Beldingsville, Virginia. The people of Beldingsville were always unhappy until Pollyanna came along and changed everyone's outlook on life. When Pollyanna gets into a terrible accident it effects the whole town. Everybody wants to see her to give her a message to make her happy about something in the horrible situation she is in.

Aunt Polly is bitter and uncaring in the beginning of the book. She doesn't care about anything but doing her duty. Throughout the book though, Pollyanna changes her attitude so that in the end she is kind, loving and caring to Pollyanna.

Eleanor H. Porter was born in Littletown, New Hampshire on December 19th, 1868. Porter married Jon L. Porter in 1892. She started a singing career at  the New England Conservatory of Music but by the early 1900s had given it up for writing. She published her first book Cross Currents in 1907 but her first big hit was Miss Billy, published in 1911 followed by Miss Billy's Decision in 1912. However it is Pollyanna and Pollyanna Grows Up that she is still remembered by today.

IL: MG - BL: 5.2 - AR Pts: 8.0