Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling

I haven't read a play in forever! Some people apparently have never read a play because there was a little bit of weirdness going on when this came out as "not a novel." Honestly, at this point Rowling could publish a list of her favorite breakfast cereals and I would read it with relish. But I can see people's point. Theatre is a visual medium; the setting and atmosphere is created by the lighting director, the sound director, and the scene designer. The inner workings of the character are revealed through the nuanced vocal and facial changes of a talented actor. Much of the work of the reader is taken care of by others. As such, a play is relatively sparse, leaving little work for the reader to do, and isn't that where the fun is? With all the descriptions removed, the reader is hard pressed to imagine the atmosphere of the play. Or maybe the reader just has to work harder? I'm not sure. I know that I was unable to visualize a setting and concentrate on the dialogue. When reading a script I always try to hear the voice in my head, trying to hear pauses and changes in tempo and pacing. Maybe that is what upset readers. Which I think is good, honestly. People want to read about the rich world that J.K. Rowling has created and visualize everything. A play is actually too sparse for them; they want more. And people hungering to read more is always a good thing, even, I reluctantly admit, when it is Twilight or 50 Shades. As much as I hate them, at least people were reading.

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