25 Things That Light Up My Life

‘Look at the stars, look how they shine for you, and everything that you do…’

                                                                                                    - 'Yellow', Coldplay 

'I think the thing to do is to enjoy the ride while you're on it.'

                                                                                                    - Johnny Depp 

Today I’m talking about gratitude.

A few weeks back, in a gloomy state of mind, I brought up expectations. I used to think life was supposed to play out in a certain way. It bothered me that things didn’t happen like I expected them to.

Then I saw this quote the other day. I like quotes. Not all apply, mind you. Some kind of apply. And some hit you like a bad metaphor. Suddenly you see the world in a different way.

I can tie myself in knots over my problems. The things I want, and fear, and haven’t done. But taken for what it is – my life is pretty great.

Maybe it’s the holiday mood taking over. It's New Year's Eve, after all.

Today I’m listing down all the things I’m thankful for. Life is both beautiful and fleeting, and too often we take it for granted. I said last year that life can be a constellation. Each of these adds just a little bit of starlight.

1.       I’m writing this in the first place.

Typing. Whatever. Same thing.

Laying out the inner workings of our minds doesn’t come naturally for everyone. It’s a skill. Like all skills, it takes hard work and dedication. Anyone could do this if they tried. My own writing has never seemed all that special.

But maybe I’m selling myself short there.

I’m inspired by great authors, thinkers, dreamers. Over time, I realized that I wanted to inspire people too, help them see the world in different ways. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like much of a dream.

The other day I complimented someone on their work. They said that was really encouraging, coming from another writer. What I didn’t say was that it was just as encouraging being acknowledged as one.

So, thanks. You know who you are.

I’m a writer, and that’s something to be proud of.

2.       I make bad jokes.

And occasional good ones.

Admit it. You’d find me way less interesting if I talked like a zombie accountant. And so would I. It’s fun being funny – or at least trying to be funny.

I appreciate my sense of humour.

3.       Functioning body parts.

Eyes to see with, legs to carry me, arms to hold you stuff. Health in general. Etcetera. These should not be taken for granted.

4.       Cats!

All right, fine, puppies too.

5.       Working with animals.

Like every job ever, mine can be tiring and routine. But it’s also kind of uncommon. I’ve carried pythons, petted a serval, held an orangutan’s hand. How many people can say they go to work to play with spoiled hornbills and a bearcat that rides on your shoulder and chews on your hair?

6.       Working at all.

I’ll be honest here. When I think about not working, it scares me. I need the structure, the sense that I’m doing something worthwhile. The early mornings are tiring, sure. But again, I work with animals. I meet new people. I work outdoors. And I’ve learned a great deal. About social interaction, public speaking, time management. Though I still need to improve on all of those.

I’ve learned about responsibility. I’ve had fun. I’ve made friends.

I wouldn’t say I’m passionate about my job. I don’t love it.

But I like it.

7.       My salary.

They say money can’t buy happiness. It buys security, though. There’s a certain peace of mind that comes from knowing you can afford things. Food, gifts, luxuries. You can pay the bills, handle emergencies, and set something aside for the future.

Money is a tool like any other. I’ve never cared about being rich. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t appreciate my income.

8.       Pizza!

And burgers. Cake. Pattaya fried rice. Tuaran mee. Peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches. Banana fritters. Lemon chicken. The asam pedas from one specific restaurant. Ice cream. I could go on here.

Who doesn’t love food?

9.       Milk tea.

Green tea milkshakes. Strawberry milkshakes. You know what, anything with milk in it. Including soy milk. Iced lemon tea. Mountain Dew. Starbucks green tea crème frappuccinos – but damn, those things are expensive.

Ahem. Drinks too.

10.   My metabolism.

I’ll have you know, there are downsides to being thin. I get cold easily. My BMI is just one point above being underweight. Gaining weight is a lot harder than you’d expect.

But it is kind of cool that I can eat whatever I want, with no visible difference in body mass whatsoever.

I appreciate that my stomach is a bottomless pit.

11.   My allegedly thick grey jacket.

I’m wearing it right now. Don’t judge.

12.   All Time Low.

And other bands I like. Green Day, Simple Plan, My Chemical Romance, Fireflight. Artists of other genres, when I’m not in the mood for rock. All the composers and musicians who make great scores and soundtracks for games and movies. I used to love the Pirates of the Caribbean orchestral pieces in my teens.

My life would not be complete without music.

13.   I can read sheet music.

One note at a time, at least.

I hardly ever play the piano these days. There is a faint sense of loss there. I used to have a jumbled repertoire of classics, transcriptions of modern songs, and video game soundtracks. Now I’ve forgotten them all.

Not to say they couldn’t be relearned. I haven’t forgotten everything. Considering I had no formal lessons or anything like that, I’m not bad really.

I’m glad I have some skill with a musical instrument.

(Fun fact: Square Enix has an entire line of video game sheet music books, the Piano Collections series. These are official arrangements for iconic songs from their biggest franchises, Final Fantasy and, you guessed it, Kingdom Hearts.)

14.   Karaoke.

Allow me just a little bit of pride here. I’m a good singer. Better with alcohol, but not bad sober, either. Like many things, I’ve come a long way with that. Some songs are meant to be smoky. Some are meant to be shouted.

Give me a Green Day song, I dare you.

15.   I can (sort of) draw.

Another artistic skill that could be better, but could also be much worse. Drawing my own cards doesn’t seem like the manliest of talents. It’s something else I hardly ever do anymore.

It’s still something I’m proud of, though. I believe in works of imagination. Designs in colored pencil count for that. And I’ve found that people will usually appreciate homemade gifts, and the time and effort you put into them.

16.   Books.

If this is a surprise, you really don’t know me at all.

I’ve written a lot about books before. So I’ll keep this short. I would never have started writing if I didn’t love to read.

17.   Video games.

If this is a surprise…

What I just said, with bright colours and explosions. I’ve been playing games since I was eight years old, wrapped up in Wario Land and Pokemon. All the way to present day, where I’m wrapped up in Dragon Age and Titanfall.

Life is more fun if you play games.

18.   Movies.

Have you seen Rogue One? You should see Rogue One. I’m too lazy to write a review, but this is what a Star Wars movie should be.

Though I rarely watch TV anymore, I’m actually watching more movies these days. Going to the cinema is a pastime that never gets old – and not just for bright colours and explosions. Like all good stories, the best movies will move you.

Seriously. Go see Rogue One.

19.   Authors, game designers, filmmakers, etc.

Something in me sparks whenever I come across imagination and creativity. Most of us forget that everything ever made started out as a light in someone’s head. Whenever I’m reminded of this, it blows my mind.

We’re taught that a dream coming true is a miraculous event, something that almost never happens. But we don’t see all the hard work and dedication. The real miracle is that someone believed in their dream enough to make it happen.

To all the dreamers out there – don’t stop believing. Your work is not unappreciated.

20.   Imagination.

I called it a light, but really, I’m not sure how to explain what this means to me.

If only I could put fireworks into words.

21.   The internet.

I’m probably a few decades too late here. The internet plays a central role in our lives: in our workplaces, finances, social activity. It’s genuinely hard to picture life without it. Go on, try.

It wasn’t always like this, though. The freedom with which information can be shared nowadays comes with a dark side. False news and hateful messages probably spread faster than any beneficial knowledge. But the knowledge is still there, a Google search away, just waiting to be found. 

We can communicate with anyone, no matter how far away they are. That’s pretty cool.

After all. Without the internet, you wouldn’t be reading this right now.

22.   Digital devices.

I remember reading about a boy who loved the original Star Trek. (Not me, obviously. Star Wars FTW.) The starships, the teleporting, the personal communicators that let you talk to anyone with the touch of a button. It was the stuff of science fiction. The boy grew up – 

And now everyone has a personal communicator.

Part of this post was written on a smartphone. The term ‘phone’ is misleading. These things are cameras, instant messaging services, flashlights, voice recorders, portable gaming devices and handheld computers. Oh yeah. They make calls, too.

And that’s only one device. Just think about the progress being made every day. Even a game controller having its own headphone jack amazes me.

Or maybe that’s just me. Come on. What kind of guy doesn’t like gadgets?

You have to admit. Modern technology is pretty awesome.

23.   The beauty of nature.

I’m not the most religious person. I go to church more out of a sense of duty than anything else. Faith comes with a feeling, and I don’t get it very often. But I do get it, or something close to it, with nature.

Reverence. That’s the word.

There’s a reason I take so many pictures of the sky and trees and so on. Beauty comes in many forms. Too often, people don’t notice when it’s right in front of them. I used to be like that. Ironically, it was only after I got a decent (smartphone) camera that I started seeing what was around me all along.

The natural world deserves your attention.

24.   Little things amaze me.

As they should.

You may have noticed I keep mentioning taking things for granted. That’s because I do, more often than I should. It’s a natural response. People get jaded; we start thinking we’ve seen it all before. The familiar becomes boring. Boredom leads to apathy. Apathy leads to the Dark Side.

No, seriously. Be excited about the latest movie, or that cute puppy on the sidewalk. Watch the sunset, feel the wind blowing, listen to the rain. Look around. It’s better to get wide-eyed at everything than to sleepwalk through your life.

If I could give one piece of advice, it would be this: never lose your sense of wonder.

25.   The ones who matter most.

Last but not least – my family, and my friends.

It seems like times flies faster each year. How can it be New Year’s Eve again already? When I think back over everything that’s happened, though, I know I’m not the same person I was a year ago. None of us are.

I want to be optimistic. To believe that in the coming year, good things will happen. That I can make them happen. Believing can be hard, though.

It’s been an eventful year. One of shocking twists and tragic losses. It’s also been one of adventures, progress and personal growth. Dark times have come and gone, and linger still. But despite it all, 2016 was a great year.

It was great because of you.

I don’t know what the next year will bring. What will stay the same, and what’s about to change.

For now, at least, I’m truly thankful for all we’ve been through together. More than anything else, you light up my life.

You know who you are.

Happy New Year 2017.

Fantastic Beasts

It’s finally here.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the first of a projected pentalogy of films. The next chapter of the Harry Potter legacy, set long before the Boy Who Lived was even born. But can it stand up to the hype? Does the magic live on? Is the Niffler the cutest little kleptomaniac ever?

Yes, on all counts.

Minor spoilers - no plot twists - to follow.

Inspired by the textbook of the same name, Fantastic Beasts is set in New York City, 1926. Relations between American wizards and Muggles – err, No-Majs – are far more strained than in jolly old Britain. MACUSA, the American Ministry of Magic, enforces strict laws of secrecy. Across the pond, the dark wizard Grindelwald is on the rise, spreading his doctrine that magic carries the right to rule. Meanwhile, among non-magical folk, a fanatical group called the Second Salemers is determined to expose witches and wizards once and for all. And a series of attacks by a shadowy monster have raised tensions to boiling point.

Into this backdrop of fear and suspicion comes Newt Scamander, a young magizoologist, fresh off the boat from England. He carries an enchanted briefcase full of magical creatures. In a city already primed for chaos, several soon manage to escape…

I like Newt. He’s a different kind of hero, all the more endearing for his quirks. Though well-meaning and passionate about his creatures, he’s just not very good with people. Sometimes he can’t even look them in the eye. He’s an awkward guy, works with animals, means to write a book.

Hmm.

Yes, well. At his side are the jovial No-Maj Jacob; the straitlaced  Auror Tina; and her sultry sister Queenie. All three become embroiled in Newt’s quest to track down his creatures. Meanwhile, the distinguished chief Auror, Percival Graves, seeks the source of the attacks. He believes the key lies with the leader of the Second Salemers, and her poor, abused son, Credence.

Yes, abused. Make no mistake. This is a dark story. The grim tone of the later Harry Potter books is established from the beginning, with a tense montage of Grindelwald’s attacks in Europe.

That said, at first the movie oscillates between two very different tones. Newt and company’s misadventures are generally lighthearted, filled with magic and comic relief. Whereas the subplot surrounding Graves and Credence gets dark indeed. The two merge during the second half, but it’s an uneven mix at first.

This is, perhaps, evidence of J.K. Rowling’s writing. Unlike Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, the screenplay for Fantastic Beasts was written by Rowling herself. Her hand shows. The movie is written like a book, in alternating chapters. A slow buildup is fine on the page, but some more urgency from the start could have helped a great deal.

It took a while before I realized what was wrong with the opening: Newt has no personal stake in the greater story. He spends the first hour or so running around on his own, chasing his beasties, isolated from the bigger picture.

Eventually, he and his creatures are blamed for the shadow’s attacks. This is where things get interesting. Now Newt and friends have a vested interest; they need to clear their names. Plotwise, it would have made sense for this to happen early on. Not more than halfway through the story. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the chase. But by the Central Park encounter, even I felt like the movie was starting to drag.

What saves Fantastic Beasts is its sense of wonder. Magic is in abundance, from flying plates to enchanted buildings. Venturing inside Newt’s briefcase is one of the best parts of the movie. His creatures’ habitats range from savannah to jungle to snowy mountainside. The creatures themselves are fascinating and diverse, from explosive rhinos to giant dung beetles. The Swooping Evil is awesome.

The climax is satisfying, too. Newt sets off on a final, desperate, Apparition-heavy chase after the shadow monster – the Obscurus – rampaging through the city, before the inevitable confrontation. The ending wraps things up nicely. I appreciated this. Fantastic Beasts does not end on a cliffhanger, unlike other recent blockbusters I could name. You’d almost think certain characters are gone for good, if they weren’t confirmed to return in the sequel.

As you’d expect, Fantastic Beasts is filled with nods to Harry Potter lore. Newt wears a scarf of Hufflepuff colours. There’s an early Quidditch reference that went right over my head. Obscurus was the name of the fictional publisher which produced the Fantastic Beasts textbook. The sign of the Deathly Hallows appears – the symbol Grindelwald took for himself.

The wand, the stone, and the cloak.

And that’s not all.

Rowling had this story in mind long before the movie deal was made. Pottermore recently made it clear that the Obscurus is not a new concept. It was hinted at in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

It’s tied to Albus Dumbledore.

In Deathly Hallows, we learned that when Dumbledore was young, he was very close with another young man, as powerful and talented as he, the two of them destined for greatness.

That young man’s name was Gellert Grindelwald.

These movies are set to span nineteen years. It’s telling that this is the era of WWII. Grindelwald’s ethos was obviously inspired by Nazism. The master race, a once-harmless icon turned to a symbol of evil. (He's blonde, too.) The story will end in 1945, the same year as Dumbledore’s climactic duel with Grindelwald, when he overthrew the tyrant who was once his friend.

Long before Harry and Voldemort, Dumbledore had his own dark rival, too.

This first movie is Newt’s story, to be sure. But it’s been confirmed that Newt won’t always be the main character. And that a young Albus Dumbledore will feature in Fantastic Beasts 2.

Grindelwald is barely there in Fantastic Beasts, but he’ll be back. He’s played by Johnny Depp, one of the few big names I actually care about. Jack Sparrow? Sweeney Todd? The Mad Hatter?

I daresay this is going to be epic.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a dark story, a social commentary on intolerance, repression and being hated for who you are. Newt’s words ring sadly true: the greatest monsters are human beings.

It’s also a brilliant addition to the Harry Potter franchise, the first chapter of a much larger tale, filled with action, emotion, adventure, and yes: fantastic beasts. Go check it out.

It was worth the wait.

Lines and Boxes

I’ve been kind of down lately.

Little things have reminded me that there are parts of myself I need to work on. That the problems of my life have yet to be resolved. There’s a German compound word, altschmerz, which translates to weariness with the same old issues you’ve always had. That fits.

Growing up, I had this idea that life was supposed to play out a certain way. You go to school, go to college, choose a career, start a family. Life was a straight line, in other words. And I wasn’t on it. My life didn’t line up.

I know now that that’s not true at all. There are squiggles and zigzags, spikes and curves. Every line is different. Every life is unique. It just gets hard to escape that way of thinking. That other people are moving forward, living their lives, and you’re trapped in place.

That your life is twisted into a box.

A few weeks ago, I read about a psychological term called learned helplessness. It disturbed me, for two reasons. The first was that I recognized it as a form of animal training. Young elephants are tied up with ropes too heavy for them to snap. As adults, they believe the rope is impossible to escape, and never even try.

The second was that it sounded too familiar.

I’ve come to see how one’s mindset makes a big difference. If we believe there’s no way out, we stop trying. Even though the opportunities are there.

I have a way of getting lost in things. My books, my games, my writing, my job. All of these are important to me, the latter most of all. But now I wonder if deep down, I get lost on purpose. If I’m avoiding the things I don’t want to think about – including the steps and opportunities to fix them.

Maybe there really is a box, and I built it.

But that works the other way around, too.

Remember my Wheel of Time books? You know. The ones I’ve gone on and on and on about. I got the first when I was eleven, and spent over a decade collecting the entire set of fourteen. Fifteen, counting the prequel.

I managed this through various ways. Others asked what I wanted for my birthday. I answered, these books. Christmas? These books. Overseas at a bookstore? You get the idea. My family bought them as gifts; helped me buy them by proxy; and I bought them myself.

There’s a lesson there. I got what I wanted because I went after it. People gave me chances, and I took them.

Picture the books as a series of dots, spread out across the years. They might not seem like much, but I strung them together.

I drew my own line.

See how that works?

So this is a reminder, for you and for myself, that attitude makes a difference. That’s not just a platitude. It’s practical advice. We have to face our problems and believe they can be solved. We’ll never see how if we never look.

Everyone’s life is different. Every line is still being drawn. We all build our own boxes, now and then.

That doesn’t mean we have to stay there.

Doctor Strange

I like comics, to some extent.

Not surprised?

Yes, well. Pictures do have a way of conveying information quickly. Visual jokes, for instance. Every good story needs laughs. And comics do tend to be bright and colourful.

I found a new Marvel comic in the library the other day. (Guardians of the Galaxy, if you’re wondering.) Like all superhero stories, it was colourful, action-packed, filled with ‘wow’ moments and comic relief. I started reading with interest.

Then I got bored.

Maybe it was the story – nothing special, kind of cliché. Or the many characters feeling interchangeable. Or the lack of substantial worldbuilding. Which all reinforced what I think about the medium: it can be shallow.

I like comics, but I doubt I’ll ever be passionate about them.

I need more than pretty pictures.

Pretty moving pictures, though. Those will get my attention.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an unprecedented phenomenon. An ongoing saga of movies and TV series built around comic book characters who pop in and out of each other’s storylines, just like in the comics, occasionally teaming up to defeat a Big Bad something-or-other. The last Captain America movie was their biggest crossover to date.

Yes, I’ve seen enough to know. I can’t be bothered with the comics, but I will watch the movies. Heck, the main reason I picked up that Guardians comic was because I knew who they were.

Today I’m talking about the latest hero to reach the silver screen. I had high hopes for this one. He’s a different kind of superhero. Not just any old Norse god, super-soldier or giant green guy with anger issues. This hero uses magic.

Today I’m talking about Doctor Strange.

Doctor Stephen Strange is a brilliant surgeon, hugely successful. Also an arrogant jerk. After a car crash ruins his hands, and his career, the good doctor burns through his riches trying to cure himself. In desperation, he seeks healing from an order of monks in Kathmandu, is humbled by the mystic arts they wield, and becomes their newest initiate. Still struggling to come to terms with this new destiny, Doctor Strange must confront Kaecilius, a rogue master determined to conquer time itself.

Pretty much what you saw in the trailer. No spoilers, don’t worry.

Unlike other Marvel stories, Doctor Strange has distinct Oriental influences. I like this. I haven’t seen a lot of kung fu movies, but magic and martial arts have long been combined for great effect. *coughairbendercough* The opening where the Ancient One faces off against Kaecilius while folding buildings around them is a jaw-dropping spectacle that sets the bar pretty high in terms of reality-warping fight scenes. 

I saw it in 3D. It was pretty cool.

The magic, at least, does not disappoint. Doctor Strange has been described as Marvel’s trippiest movie yet. This is accurate. The Multiverse, horrific alternate dimensions and reality being flimsier than it seems are all major themes. This is magic on a vast scale, not so much shooting spells at people as unraveling space and time themselves.

"Might I offer some advice? Forget everything that you think you know."

                                                                       - The Ancient One

The Ancient One is intriguing, a female monk both serene and incredibly powerful. A lot like Albus Dumbledore, really. (I know, I know, I’m a true Potterhead.) Strange’s mentor is more complex than she first appears.

The villain is less striking. Kaecilius has a dry sense of humour that’s most welcome – and that’s it. That’s his best quality. A tragic backstory is mentioned; some elaboration there would have gone a long way. As it is, the renegade monk is largely forgettable.

Likewise, Strange’s love interest, Christine, is yet another of Marvel’s trophy girlfriends. She’s endearing, and has some amusing reactions to all the magic being thrown around. But plotwise, she does almost nothing at all.

And what about Doctor Strange himself, you ask?

In short: he’s a lot like Iron Man.

Both are arrogant rich guys who go through a harrowing life experience that changes them. The movie has been called formulaic for its similarity to Tony Stark's, and other Marvel movies in general. This didn’t really bother me – it’s an origin story, what do you expect – but jaded viewers won’t be surprised at much. I wasn’t.

The outcomes are different, though. Iron Man is still a cocky millionaire, albeit one who’d changed his tune a bit. Strange’s tale is a lonelier one, as he comes to terms with the fact that his old life is gone forever. His struggle to let go of his egotism isn’t exactly one I can relate to. But he is a much better person by the end of the film.

Doctor Strange is a movie I wanted to like more than I did. It looked like my kind of superhero story. The magic is awesome; the redemptive arc is appealing; the Cloak of Levitation is the coolest animated object I’ve seen in ages.

But too many things drag it down. The villains are two-dimensional. The third act is anticlimactic, seemingly building up a final battle that veers off into a premature ending. And for all its strangeness – heh – much of the story felt too abstract. Faced with natural laws and clashing philosophies and perceived betrayals, I struggled to care about any of it.

I’d still recommend the movie, for the special effects, if nothing else. Just don’t expect too much overall.

This is just the beginning, of course. A sequel is almost certainly in the works, and Doctor Strange has been confirmed to appear in the next Avengers blockbuster. So that’ll be fun. We’ll see how Strange and Stark compare in person.

I’m not as excited for those as I am about other movies, like Fantastic Beasts ­– which is now one week away, people! 

But I will watch them nonetheless.

Maybe the magic will be stronger the next time around.

The Cursed Child

Serpensortia.

This post is the second of two parts. The first was a general overview of my thoughts on Harry Potter, and my own house, wand1, Patronus and so on. I talked about two of the three ways in which the series’ legacy lives on.

This post will focus on the third. The eighth and, supposedly, final story.

Full spoilers to follow.

So. I’m in Slytherin. Still coming to terms with that, but I can’t deny that the whole aura of darkness2 appeals to me. I never was afraid of snakes.

But that’s a rather one-sided view. As I noted last time, Slytherins are painted black in the main series. At most, there are shades of grey.

*sighs* No, not fifty. 

Perhaps Harry was an unreliable narrator. I mean, he doesn’t narrate. But we see the world through his eyes. With all the grief Slytherins gave him over the years, it’s no wonder he’d be biased.

More likely, Rowling simply wanted them to be the bad guys. Main characters like Draco and Snape are nuanced, but let’s be fair. These are books about Gryffindors. The other houses serve as contrast and competition. Developing them further was outside the purview of the story. It’s not like we see a lot about Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, either.

Clearly, the makers were aware of this. The eighth story takes things in a different direction. This time our heroes are not in Gryffindor.

They’re in Slytherin.

First and foremost, Cursed Child is not a novel. It’s a play. Showing in London, where the vast majority of fans are never going to see it. Releasing the script for said play is the solution. An imperfect solution, but there you have it.

Nineteen years after Deathly Hallows, the happily-ever-after is revealed to be, well, not so happy. Harry Potter is now the beleaguered Head of Magical Law Enforcement. A stone-cold Ministry man, he’s called at one point.

Harry’s second son, Albus Severus, has grown up in his father’s shadow. Scorpius Malfoy, the sheltered son Draco hid away for years, is rumoured to be Voldemort’s child in truth. No surprise when Scorpius is Sorted into Slytherin. It’s a huge shock when Albus joins him. The son of Harry Potter, in Slytherin. Albus is a troubled boy, miserable at Hogwarts, resenting the weight of his father’s legacy. Scorpius is his only friend. 

Using a stolen Time-Turner, the pair undertake a reckless journey through time to right the wrongs of Harry’s past and save Cedric Diggory. But changing the past is not without consequences. Meanwhile, Harry and Draco are forced to admit that trying to protect their sons from old pains has only given the boys new problems here and now.

You can see how legacies are a major theme. Albus, Scorpius, and the villain, the daughter of Voldemort, are each burdened by their fathers’ pasts. It’s never made clear who the child from the title is. Perhaps all three of them are cursed.

Cursed Child has been compared to fan-fiction. It’s not hard to see why. This is a story of roads not traveled. Scenes from earlier books are rehashed and examined anew, as Albus and Scorpius jump from timeline to timeline, between intriguingly non-canon scenarios. Except they are canon. But not canon canon. Does your head hurt yet?

There’s a whole lot of what-if going on here. What if Cedric never got to that maze with Harry? What if Ron and Hermione never fell in love? What if Voldemort won the Battle of Hogwarts?

What if, their first time on the Hogwarts Express, Harry and Draco became friends?

Well, no, that would have been quite different. Draco was an arrogant little insert-four-letter-word-here; Scorpius is anything but. I’ll get to him later.

All this jumping around does give us new perspective on the series. Snape’s return in the Darkest Timeline was one of my favorite parts. Even after Harry’s death, with Voldemort in power for decades, he, Ron and Hermione still kept the resistance alive. For all his unpleasantness, it cemented him being a good person at heart – deep down, anyway.

And the part where he kills Umbridge was extremely gratifying. There’s a scene in Order of the Phoenix where they face off, the two people Harry hated most in the world; he couldn’t decide who he wanted to win. I wanted Snape to win.

Yes, I read the lines in Alan Rickman’s voice. He will be missed.

1946 - 2016.

It’s not just the alternate timelines, either. Near the end, adult Harry speaks with Dumbledore’s portrait, admitting that he’s been as poor a father to Albus as Dumbledore was to him. Mind blown. Of course Harry looked up to Dumbledore as a mentor, guardian and role model. But as a father figure? I thought back and realized: of course he was.

Having said that. Acknowledging the relationship is one thing. Harry and the portrait saying they loved each other was a bit much.

Maybe it’s just my inner guy-ness. At times, I felt uncomfortable with Albus and Scorpius, too. This kind of close male friendship is outside my experience. They are close. Both are outcasts at Hogwarts. All they have is each other, and it shows. They depend on each other. They share their feelings. They hug.

And they complement one another. With his daddy issues, Albus soon seemed perfect for Slytherin. I couldn’t figure out what Scorpius was doing there. A pureblood, sure. But he was so nice. Not angry or manipulative. I thought he was written in just to be a foil for Albus.

Until that part where he convinced everyone, even Albus, that he’d lost the Time-Turner in the lake. On the spot, with a straight face. That was good acting. I was impressed.

Huh. Maybe I really do belong in Slytherin.

Ahem.

Scorpius Malfoy is the best part of Cursed Child. He’s funny, awkward, introverted, a bookworm. He’s a lonely boy, and stays optimistic despite it. He is absolutely the most original character. The story needs him.

Because at the end of the day, Cursed Child is not an original story. This eighth tale is largely a tribute to the previous seven. The ending loops back to the very beginning, with adult Harry watching his parents being killed yet again. (And having a melodramatic reaction at that.) Each of the main novels stands on its own merits. Does Cursed Child stand on its own? I’m not so sure.

Then again, that’s not a fair comparison. Cursed Child is not a novel. It’s a play. A completely different medium. The script alone is the barest of bare-bones translations. There are hints of what it’s really like in the stage directions. Live actors (duh). Transforming set pieces. Black-cloaked Dementors who rise up amidst the audience and converge on the stage.

If it was a novel, there’d be room for so much more detail. Descriptions, backstories. Exposition not told through dialogue. Explanations for questionable plot twists3. Development for minor characters. As far as I could tell, Albus' older brother, James, is a mischievous cool kid, just like his namesake. His little sister, Lily, is a girl. Really, that’s all I got.

So where does that leave us?

Neither a novel nor the play itself, the Cursed Child script book is something of a middle child, just like Albus. Don’t go into this expecting too much. It doesn’t live up to the series’ legacy.

But it is a fun read nonetheless. Albus and Scorpius’ friendship is moving; their adventures are interesting; and the story does give new perspective on the series as a whole.

For all of us not seeing the play - it’s the best we’re going to get.



1 - I never mentioned my wand, did I? Cedar, dragon heartstring, quite bendy. Perceptive and loyal, with a high level of adaptability. Dragon heartstring has the greatest potential for power – and the greatest chance to turn to the Dark Arts. Isn’t that a coincidence.

2 - Completely unrelated, but I just found an excellent examination of darkness on Waiter Rant. Check it out.

3 - Taking the whole Voldemort-having-sex bit for granted; when, exactly, did Bellatrix Lestrange have time to be pregnant?

Where's My Hogwarts Letter

Lumos.

Due to the *ahem* excessive length, this post will be the first of two parts. Hold on to your broomstick, hippogriff, or flying Ford Anglia. 

Today I’m talking about Harry Potter.

If you’ve followed the blog, you’ve probably noticed all the HP references sprinkled around. I talked about the books themselves in a few places. One was a key example for why I love to read.

So obviously, I don’t care about the series at all.

Spoilers to follow.

I remember reading my first Harry Potter book – Chamber of Secrets – when I was eleven. Okay, no. Any thoughts about the story escape me. I just remember how it felt. I was amazed.

It was so vivid. The castle with its shifting staircases, animated armor and courteous ghosts. The comedy offsetting a very real sense of danger. The camaraderie between Harry, Ron and Hermione. And of course, the magic. Harry Potter was unlike anything I’d read so far. This was imagination with a capital everything.

It was, as Ron would put it, bloody brilliant.

They’re all like that. No weak links here – every book is deserving of praise. Though we all have our favorites. Mine are Prisoner of Azkaban, for many reasons; Order of the Phoenix, for its dark tone and themes of rebellion; and Deathly Hallows, for its hugely satisfying conclusion of the series.

It’s not all about wandwork, either.

Harry Potter is a coming-of-age story. We watch as Harry and friends struggle through adolescence. Homework and young love coincide with death, prejudice and cruelty. As the books grow ever darker, their lessons grow increasingly clear. All life is transitory. Doing the right thing is never easy. And above all else, it is our choices that make us who we are.

Yeah. There’s a reason this is one of the highest-selling book series of all time.

Harry Potter has been translated into more than seventy languages. It’s expanded through companion books, movie and video game adaptations, truckloads of merchandise, and currently has attractions at four different theme parks the world over. Harry won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

But that’s not all. The magic lives on, in three very different ways.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them comes out next month. The movie – the first of five, apparently – will begin a whole new storyline. It’s a very different setting; New York in the 1920s, instead of Britain in the 1990s. Not that that’s a bad thing. The premise is intriguing, and Rowling hints at a much larger tale in the works. Grindelwald's in there! 

 

If only it were a novel instead…

Who am I kidding. I’m really, really looking forward to it.

Then there’s the Pottermore website. A sort of official blog, the Wizarding World’s digital presence. Isn’t that ironic. On it, J.K. Rowling posts short stories, character profiles and articles on various magical topics. There’s a membership system too, allowing access to various quizzes determining what kind of witch or wizard you are. This is where things get interesting.

Naturally, I’ve taken all of them. Twice.

You’re not supposed to do that. A single account can only take the tests once, so the answers will be definitive. But that’s easily gotten around. Just open another account.

What? I was curious.

And dissatisfied with my first Patronus. I wasn’t alone there.

Each quiz draws on a larger pool of questions, so no test will be exactly the same. Most questions aren’t intuitive, either. You can’t game the system. Looking back, I’m still not sure how I got the answers I did. My first Patronus was a wood mouse. My second, a white stallion. Which fits better? Perhaps both.

In conjunction with Fantastic Beasts, the site introduces Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – the American Hogwarts. This too has four houses, named for creatures from Native American folklore. It’s a nice touch. They’re not carbon copies, either. Whereas the Hogwarts four represent qualities of character, Ilvermorny takes a broader scope, with their houses representing heart, mind, body and soul.

Again, I got two different answers.

My first was Pukwudgie. Yeah, I’d never heard of it either. A pukwudgie is a sort of goblin archer, fiercely loyal. This house favors independence, healing, and the heart. I could live with that.

My second, however, was Thunderbird. Pretty much what the name implies. A giant bird whose wingbeats create storms, related to the phoenix. This house favors freedom, adventure and the soul.

I was torn here. Independence and freedom aren’t all that different. Healing makes sense; I try to be considerate. I like adventures, both real and imagined. And how do you compare the heart and the soul?

You can probably guess what I chose in the end. *points to blog title*

Rowling herself is in this house.

Thunderbird it is.

There is a point to this. I’ve been talking about conflicting answers, but there was one test where I got the same results – the Hogwarts Sorting.

I was never going to be a Gryffindor. I’ve said before that personality-wise, I’d be either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. Not brave, but intelligent and loyal. Given the choice, I’d choose Ravenclaw.

But the official test gave me neither eagle nor badger.

I got Slytherin.

Twice.

Okay. There were a couple of repeated questions where I gave the same answers. But why should wanting a black cat make me a Slytherin? One of my favorite pets was a black cat. What’s wrong with that?

I was indignant at first. But the more I thought about it…

Slytherins are rather maligned in the series. Their house is for Dark magic, Nazi children, the enemies of Gryffindor. Think about it. In all seven books, can you recall an instance where a Slytherin student is not conniving or hateful or just plain bad?

There are nuances, though. In the end, Draco Malfoy was just an insecure little brat. His mother, Narcissa, truly loved him. And Snape, one of the most hated characters, was arguably one of the most heroic.

Dumbledore noted how the house is known for cleverness, determination, resourcefulness, and not always following the rules – all of which being qualities Harry possesses. Harry could have been in Slytherin, remember. Pottermore describes them as complex individuals, with the potential for good or evil. Voldemort was a Slytherin, but so was Merlin.

Light and darkness. That appeals to me.

All right, fine. The serpent it is. I wanted intelligence, but I’ll take cunning. 

They don’t all turn out evil. Scorpius Malfoy, exhibit A. I like that kid.

Besides. I, of all people, can say that not all snakes are bad.

That’s all for now. The second half will focus on the third way in which Harry Potter lives on. The eighth story, set nineteen years later.

Next time, I’ll talk about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.