What I thought about 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'

Before I start a rant of any kind, I need to come clean about one thing. I am a crazy, obesessed Potterhead. So when it comes to anything Harry Potter, I feel the need to embrace and defend it if need be.

So obviously when the news broke out of a possible eighth instalment of the series, I was over the moon. Ecstatic. And also extremely confused. Confused because Rowling had ended the seventh book with such finality that it seemed almost impossible that anything could ever go wrong again in the Potterverse future.

"The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well."

But leave it to Rowling to weave a story so believable and true to the heart that makes you forget that you are actually reading a play's rehearsal script. 

For many who argue that this book is not written by J.K.Rowling, I hope to clear the air once and for all. She may have not written the play but she did provide the original story that eventually shaped the play as it is now. Give the woman some credit. 

It is only when you read the 'book', you will understand the nuances of each character in detail. They are the magnified, perfect imperfect versions of their old selves from twenty years back. Ron is still the goofy one and Hermione the bossy know-it-all. Ginny is brave and passionate and Harry, burdened and courageous. The introduction of new characters and their traits, especially with Albus and Scorpius is superbly handled. Draco is, well, Draco. We get to find out a lot more about the Dark Lord himself, which made for a very interesting read. 

I would have loved if Hagrid, Neville and Luna made an appearance but since this is a play, the focus on primary characters is understandable. Dumbledore makes feeble but important appearances throughout the book, only to hurl some wisdom and love at the 'Boy Who Lived'. You see Professor McGonagall in her stern element well too late into the book but it is heartening nevertheless. My personal favourite?? Severus Snape! You have got to read the book to really get his footing in the entire Harry Potter series. 

For what it's worth, I loved reading the book/play for it let me live the Potter-world all over again. I was done reading in 6 hours flat and now, I have major withdrawal issues, just as I did when the last Potter book and the last Potter movie released. I really wish they made a movie out of this one too. After 'Fantastic beasts and where to find them', I am somewhat sure they will. That is the hope.

Until then, All is indeed well.

An Honest 10 Books list

Everyone is going high-end literature buff with this task of listing their favourite ten books, or atleast that is what it seems to me. Books entered my life much later than usual, at the age of 19 when I read my first full fledged novel/book. But in my life so far, I have lived with academics and being a civil services aspirant. So now, I have two lists. The first one is from my pretentious self, the second list is from my nerdy self. These are the books that remain with me even today:

(in no particular order)

LIST#1

1) The Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling

Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban in particular, because it was the first book I EVER read.

2) The Shiva Trilogy by Amish

Shiva is my favourite mythological character and Indus Valley Civilization is my favourite period of study in History. I had to love the series.

3) The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown

The book blew my mind. I finally realised that I had an inclination for conspiracy novels.

4) Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

This book took me a month to finish but it was nothing less than magic.

5) Windmills of the Gods by Sidney Sheldon

Love for the book, more love for the genre

6) Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding

Bridget is basically me.

7) Lord of the Rings by J.R.R.Tolkein

Transported.

8) Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L.James

For Christian Grey. Also, it is Beyonce certified.

9) White Mughals by William Dalrymple

Grand. Epic.

10) Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

"Do you want to fly so much that you will forgive the Flock, and learn, and go back to them one day and work to help them know?"

LIST#2

1) A Cultural History of India - A.L.Basham

2) Oxford Disctionary of World History

3) Quantitative Aptitude - Dr.R.S.Aggarwal

4) NCERT Textbooks

5) Machiavelli's Prince

6) Medieval India - Satish Chandra

7) India's Struggle for Independence - Bipin Chandra

8) Civil Service Chronicle

9) Early History of India - Romila Thapar

10) Tinkle

I have a few books on the waitlist waiting to be read:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Empire of the Mughals by Alex Rutherford, Life of Pi by Yann Martel, Discourses by Karl Marx, Chanakya's Chant by Ashwin Sanghi, Love in the time of Cholera by Garcia Gabriel Marquez and The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald.

Do I need to add more to my to-read list? I'd love some suggestions! 

Potterhead. Always.

It is my undying love for J.K.Rowling's extravaganza, Harry Potter that I am not able to get over the franchise even years after it ended spectacularly. The books changed my life in a million ways. It is not just a story of Harry's final victory over Voldemort, it is in fact a tale of bravery, love, friendship, sacrifice, pride and innocence. Each character displays a certain depth and they end up teaching us a lot more than we take from what is just plainly written.

Album Dumbledore taught us that one can always leave their past behind and change for the better. That greatness is derived from the love people have for you and not by exerting power, which he shows by consistently declining the post of the Minister of Magic. 

Severus Snape taught us that love is timeless and unconditional. That once you love someone dearly, you will stand by that. ALWAYS.

Rubeus Hagrid taught us that wild was good. That if you wanted to pet a dragon and raise a three headed dog, it was just as normal as wanting to drink pumpkin juice. He taught us that not everything that looks ferocious is dangerous, 

Luna Lovegood taught us that being weird is cool. That believing in things no one else believes in is possible, if only you believe in your version of things no matter how crazy.

Draco Malfoy taught us what it is to be pushed into wrongdoing against your own will. That living with bad company, need not make you a monster. There might still be hope. 

Bellatrix Lestrange taught us that obsession was a dangerous thing. That obsessing over something or someone was going to get you nowhere except for being dead.

Neville Longbottom taught us that being an under achiever usually ends up winning crucial battles. That dealing with a past that involves parents that no longer remembered him and a grandmother who expects too much from him did not pull him down. 

Ginny Weasly taught us to be tough. That being a girl was not just gossips and giggling and making sparks fly from the wand, it is about casting perfect bat bogey hexes and being an amazing Quidditch beater.

Fred and George Weasly taught us to be jesters. That to laugh and to make people laugh was indeed the best medicine. 

We miss you Fred! :'(

Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin taught us that we always find love when we are not looking for it. That standing together to face death was the most important thing than having to let go for each other's safety. 

Hermione Granger taught us that it was okay to be the know-it-all. That pouring over books and being the one who always answers questions, no matter how crazy they are, comes in handy to handle the deadliest of situations.

Ron Weasly taught us that it was more important to be a friend than being that guy who always lives in the shadow of a celebrity. That ginger people are the ones adorned with the best sarcastic humour. 

Harry Potter taught us that bravery and selflessness are the traits of a hero. That losing your loved ones should not let you lose sight of your bidding. 

Voldemort taught us that power corrupts. That if a person knows no love, he knows no magic. 

and

J.K.Rowling taught us that a string of rejections and downsides in life cannot tear you apart. That pulling yourself together and believing in your stories is more important than anything else. Because 'No story lives unless someone wants to listen to them'

Let me know if there are other characters from the series that have taught you something, or if these characters have inspired you in a significant way.