Print to Film

In my recent traveling I have been able to do a bit of reading. My theme for the summer was books that have been made into movies.

I started off with the Twilight series a couple of months ago. They were entertaining and definitely held my interest, but you can't expect to be wowed by young adult fiction. The movie, however, was VERY cheesy. Definitely glad I waited for the rental (and I wasn't even the one to rent it, HA!) I will see New Moon, although I may way for the rental on that as well. I'm hoping the new director will do better than the last.


A few weeks ago I picked up My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult while I was in the Denver Airport (the first time, not the time I spent the night.) I thought this was a beautiful story. Each chapter comes from a different character perspective. Picoult allows you to relate to her characters as a parent, a sibling, a friend. Warning: Read with a box of tissues. It doesn't play out like you think it should but I was crying from page three on. Unfortunately, even thought I haven't yet seen the film, I was only able to picture Anna as Abigail Breslin. I was able to let the author describe the characters and I could form them in my mind, but Anna always came out looking like Abigail.



On my way to Boston I read Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. It was okay. The character wasn't very deep, and was a little irritating, but it was an easy read and good for the airplane. I thought it was pretty funny though when it came up as the in-flight movie. Kevin watched the film while I finished the book. But when Kevin and I discussed it later, the film is nothing like the book. (Are movies on film anymore? Isn't everything digital?) Apparently the film writer and director took a lot of creative liberty almost changing the entire story line. The book ending felt a little rushed. It looks like the film ending was a little more entertaining and better for the box office.


On the return flight I read The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Wiseberger. This was entertaining and different than the movie as well. The difference with this story was I had already seen the film. Typically I prefer to read the book first so the movie doesn't dominate how I view the characters or give a way a books ending. I would much rather have the ending of a movie spoiled over a books ending. But the book was different enough from the movie to keep my attention and allow me to develop a new vision of characters. There is a lot of swearing and I wouldn't recommend it for the faint of heart, but I thought it helped the reader shape Andy's character.


I have one of this "theme" left for the summer; The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.