Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay : A Review

BOOK TITLE: Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them - The Original Screenplay

AUTHOR: Joanne Kathleen Rowling

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1408708989

GENRE: Fiction / Fantasy / Screenplay

NUMBER OF PAGES: 304

FORMAT: Hardcover

SERIES / STANDALONE: Standalone. (But Screenplay of probably first of five movies)

HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: A timely gift from a friend in search of the original Fantastic Beasts (Hogwarts Library Copy - which has not come, yet!)

SUMMARY:

• J.K. Rowling's screenwriting debut is captured in this exciting hardcover edition of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them screenplay

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay is an entirely new and original story written by J.K. Rowling for the screen

• The screenplay will be brought to life in Warner Bros. Pictures' upcoming feature film and was inspired by the Hogwarts textbook of the same title, which was written by J.K. Rowling's character Newt Scamander and published in 2001 in aid of Comic Relief.

• The published screenplay will comprise J.K. Rowling’s full script of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

• It is a feat of imagination and an exciting adventure, featuring an array of magical creatures and characters

• It will be published both in print and digital editions in line with the UK and US release of the feature film from Warner Bros in November 2016

When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt's fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone… Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, author of the beloved and internationally bestselling Harry Potter books. Featuring a cast of remarkable characters, this is epic, adventure-packed storytelling at its very best. Whether an existing fan or new to the wizarding world, this is a perfect addition to any reader's bookshelf.

FIRST IMPRESSION:

I had expected this book to be the original Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Hogwarts Library Book when it was ordered. The description on this particular link on Amazon did not mention it was a Screenplay. Overjoyed at having to lay my hands, finally, on the original book written by JKR, I was indeed surprised to have the hardcover edition of the Screenplay.

But the book attracted me immediately. It was love at first sight, and the screenplay book captured my attention completely the moment I removed the protective plastic jacket. The navy blue jacket of the hardcover and the gold embossed letters took me back to the magic of the Potter Universe and I wasted no time in opening it and reading.

P.S. : I have seen the movie on big screen. The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them original movie starring Eddie Redmayne was an instant hit as far as I am concerned. And this book had to live up to that expectation.

REVIEW:

There is undeniable joy in reading a book that belongs to your favorite series, or is written by your favorite author. Joanne Rowling was not just a favorite author. She has been an inspiration since I have known about the world she has created and it was no secret that I loved every aspect of it, despite the many complaints I will have. The last book I read from the series was Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, the play about Harry's life after Hogwarts, and focusing on Albus Severus Potter, his son. Touted to be the eighth book in the series (the original of which has seven books), The Cursed Child came as something of a surprise and was the first full length book I read as a script, a play and not as a fiction novel.

Maybe it was that experience that had prepared me to read and navigate through this screenplay with ease. I could understand the dialogues and the scene placement much better than I did when I was reading The Cursed Child, and the terms specific to plays and movies, like 'POV', 'Pan', 'Ext' , 'Int' made sense. Of course, it helped that I had seen the movie previously and I could assign faces to the characters. I should admit that Jacob Kowalski and Newt Scamander dominated the scenes, with Queenie giving tough competition. It also helped that I had the frames of the movie memorised, making the visualisation very easy and the book infinitely more enjoyable. Did you just see me say that I liked a movie and that helped me read a book? Yes, you did. It is a screenplay after all, and it is all about being able to give faces to the characters and directing the movie inside our head.

The story itself is simple. (Not reviewing the movie here). Newt Scamander arrives in Early twentieth century New York, with a case full of 'fantastic beasts'. He passes the customs by making his case 'Muggle Worthy' and enters into the city where some dark force has wreaked havoc and destruction. We are quickly introduced to the main characters in the book, and it was easier to read through the dialogues knowing who spoke them. An investigator belonging to the MACUSA, Tina Goldstein, takes Newt Scamander into custody for interrogation as he searches desperately for his escaped Niffler. Yes, the very same Niffler that stole our hearts, emoting as well as the shy Newt did. From there the movie is about two major things - exciting chases after the beasts that escape, and trying to make sense of the dark force that is destroying the city, posting a serious threat to the International Statute of Secrecy.

We are introduced to the concept of an 'Obscurus' - the dark, black physical form (barely above a stormy wind) that is actually the form the oppressed magic of kids takes. Die hard fans of the series immediately remember the sweet little Ariana Dumbledore, the girl who was an important turning point in the original series, possibly an obscurus who had suffered the fate of suppressing her magic. This also explains the interest Gellert Grindelwald had on her, and the place where he appears in this new book makes complete sense. And in JKR's inimitable style, the pieces fall into place almost miraculously.

Maybe because it spoke about the world of magic but with different characters, leaving the original set untarnished, or maybe because this book was closer to the actual style of the author, or probably because I was, by now, used to the concept of screenplays / scripts, Fantastic Beasts appealed to me a tad more than The Cursed Child did. There were confusions, however, and a lot of them. It took me a long time to get used to 'No-Maj', MACUSA, Madam President and the likes when I had spent more than a decade talking about Muggles, Ministry of Magic and Minister for Magic. These terms seemed to be simplifications and acronyms, pertaining to the area it was based in but they did not hamper the reading once I got used to them.

I loved the book overall, having loved the movie in the first place. I have gotten used to reading the screenplay style of writing and it was made easier by the glossary of terms that explained the scene setting better. I read the book in one sitting, start to finish, miraculously never even having to keep it down and that was a main contributor to the list of reasons I really enjoyed this foray into the magical world. I still would not call this style of writing my favorite, (it will take a little more time to get used to it) but I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the journey on the whole. 

WHAT I LIKED:

• The different scene settings - the book about a Hufflepuff, set in the USA, and spoke about a different controlling authority.
• The illustrations were the highlight of the book. They helped in the understanding of the story and kept the interest alive. Special thanks (as mentioned in the book) to the graphic designers who were instrumental in the graphic design for the movies, and had illustrated this by hand.
• The character of Jacob Kowalski, the one person who stole my heart besides Newt Scamander. They are perfectly defined and are etched in my mind.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:

• The slight disappointment in the actual description in the link - it did not mention the screenplay and that was misleading.
• The book could have explained the rules of the new (different) society a bit better. It would be harder to follow were it not for the movie.

VERDICT:

Potterheads will love this book, but a lot depends on the acceptance of an entirely new side of the Potter Universe.

RATING: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J.K. Rowling is the author of the bestselling Harry Potter series of seven books, published between 1997 and 2007, which have sold over 450 million copies worldwide, are distributed in more than 200 territories, translated into 74 languages, and have been turned into eight blockbuster films. She has also written two small volumes, which appear as the titles of Harry's schoolbooks within the novels. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through The Ages were published by Bloomsbury Children's Books in March 2001 in aid of Comic Relief. In December 2008, The Tales of Beedle the Bard was published in aid of the Children's High Level Group, and quickly became the fastest selling book of the year

As well as an OBE for services to children's literature, J.K. Rowling is the recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees including the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord, France's Légion d'Honneur, and the Hans Christian Andersen Award, and she has been a Commencement Speaker at Harvard University USA. She supports a wide number of charitable causes through her charitable trust Volant, and is the founder of Lumos, a charity working to transform the lives of disadvantaged children. For further information about J.K. Rowling, please visit her new website: www.jkrowling.com

EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Kindle, Hardcover

PRICE Rs. 232.80 for Kindle, Rs. 349 for Hardcover

BOOK LINKS: Amazon