Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

From Goodreads:    Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

My Thoughts:

-    This is going to be a tough review to write! I'm not exactly sure how to portray my feelings.

-    I would definitely not consider this the 8th book in the series. I think they should have called it a companion book or just have it be associated with the Harry Potter line. It just doesn't fit in with the series. Let's just call it what it is! It's fan fiction! 

-    I've read several plays, and this was a poorly written play. It was disjointed and didn't flow very well. With the other plays I've read, it didn't take me long to get used to the format, and I didn't feel like I was reading a play. This really felt like I was trying to read a script. The second half is better than the first half.

-    One of my biggest complaints about the book was when it referenced scenes from previous Harry Potter books, mainly The Goblet of Fire, it didn't copy the story accurately. If you are going to copy lines out of another book, they need to be EXACTLY the same! You can't just change stuff!

-    My other big complaint was the characters. The play did NOT capture these beloved character's personalities very well. 

-    I really liked that the play started with the epilogue from Deathly Hallows.

-    I liked Albus and Scorpious's friendship. I always wanted Malfoy to get some sort of redemption, and I'm glad that past events didn't taint this new friendship.

-    I felt like the story wasn't thought out very well. Things kinda just happened, and the characters just "magically" made it through situations. (See what I did there?)

-    I didn't have very high expectations going in, so I wasn't really disappointed or impressed. It was pretty much what I thought it would be.

-    I like the book for what it is. If you think of it as fan-fic, it isn't too bad. I wouldn't buy the book. I wouldn't even pick it up if it was at a yard sale for a buck, but overall, it was alright. 

The Importance of Being Earnest

Goodreads Description:    Oscar Wilde's legendary wit dazzles in The Importance of Being Earnest, one of the greatest and most popular works of drama to emerge from Victorian England. A light-hearted satire of the absurdity of all forms and conventions, this comic masterpiece features an unforgettable cast of characters who, as critic Max Beerbohm observed, "speak a kind of beautiful nonsense - the language of high comedy, twisted into fantasy."

This collection also includes Oscar Wilde's most famous comedies: Lady Windermere's Fan, A Woman of No Importance, and An Ideal Husband, as well as his poetic tragedy Salomé - all written between 1891 and 1895, Wilde's most creative period. George Bernard Shaw said of Oscar Wilde that he is "our most thorough playwright. He plays with everything: with wit, with philosophy, with drama, with actors and audience, with the whole theater."

My Thoughts on The Importance of Being Earnest:

-    The movie adaption of this was kinda corny, but I found the play quite humorous! I liked it a lot better!

-    Algernon is funny. He is very clever and witty. Sometimes he can be a bit egotistical, but I like his character.

-    Cecily is such a dreamer! I can't believe she isn't embarrassed by some of the things she has in her diary. I would never let anyone read my journal, let alone a diary like the one Cecily keeps.    

-    Jack and Algernon's bickering is hilarious! I loved the part with the muffins. Now I want some muffins! 

-    There is line in the play that Gene Wilder uses in Willy Wonka! I didn't know it came from this play! If you've read this, do you know which line I'm talking about?

-    Overall, I really enjoyed this play, and I think I need to go re-watch the movie now. I think I'd appreciate it more.

My Thoughts on Lady Windermere's Fan:

-    There are too many characters in this play. It was hard to keep track of who was who. I still understood the play, but I think they could have cut a few people out.

-    This was an interesting play with a bit of suspence.

-    I would like to see this on the stage.

My Thoughts on A Woman of No Importance:

-    The beginning is very boring! They just speak of politics and other random topics!

-    In fact the whole play is just blah blah blah!

-    There were WAY too many characters. I had no idea who was who.

-    There was a couple lines that were from The Importance of Being Earnest. Oscar Wilde must have really liked those bits of dialogue.

I got burned out of plays after reading these 3, so I didn't read the last 2. I'll get to them some day.

Cyrano de Bergerac

From Goodreads:    Regarded as one of the greatest dramas ever written, this story of the silver-tongued soldier whose unfortunate looks drive him to woo his love by speaking for his handsome but dull-witted rival is beloved around the world.

My Thoughts:

-    This was a really fun and beautiful play.  I laughed and almost cried.

-    I couldn't pronounce a lot of names, but it didn't detract from the story at all.

-    I liked the first few poems at the beginning.  They were really fun and used well.

-    I think I would almost fall for Cyrano as well.  He was very witty and eloquent.  He is really prideful though, and I don't know if I could get over the big ego.

-    The ending is sad, real sad.  Why do plays have to end sadly?  

-    Even though it is written as a play, it was really easy to read, and I could picture everything. 

-    I've never read this classic play before, but I'm glad I did, and I really want to add it to my library now.  It is a keeper!  

-    I'm going to be thinking about this play for next few days.