**WARNING: This post will contain some spoilers for both the novella Double Indemnity and its film adaptation. I’m sure most of you have at least seen the adaptation, but in the event that you haven’t, or have seen the film but would like to keep the book shrouded in mystery, read with caution! Double Indemnity is a film that needs no introduction. One of Barbara … Continue reading TMP Reads: Double Indemnity by James M. Cain
Note: Today is my birthday! I considered giving myself an “off day” from blogging in honor of the occasion, but since I’ll be going camping and taking a few days away next month, I’ve decided instead to cover one of my favorite modern movies, Ghost World. Enid and Rebecca are graduating from high school and attempting to plan their futures. Rebecca is eager to get … Continue reading Book vs. Film: Ghost World
American novelist Ben Ames Williams was a prolific writer, crafting over 30 novels and over 400 short stories throughout his career. Quite a few of his works, including Small Town Girl, All the Brothers Were Valiant, Leave Her to Heaven and The Strange Woman were adapted to the screen. (All the Brothers Were Valiant and Leave Her to Heaven were each adapted more than once!) As a … Continue reading The Cinematic Novels of Ben Ames Williams
Published in 2007, Shannon Hale’s Austenland follows Jane Hayes, a 30-something New Yorker. She’s an average woman, with an average life, but for one thing: she’s obsessed with Colin Firth’s Mr. Darcy from the BBC adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. This love for Mr. Darcy has given her unrealistic expectation for her love life, but she may get the chance to find the … Continue reading Book vs. Film: Austenland
It took six novels for an adaptation to be made of one of John Green’s work – surprising, considering his popularity with readers of young adult fiction. As a librarian-in-training and an avid reader/viewer of book reviews, I’ve found it difficult to take two steps into the internet without being bombarded by praise for this book and its author. I’m not someone who buys into … Continue reading Book vs. Film: The Fault in Our Stars
Divergent is the latest in a long line of young adult novels to be adapted into films, with the hopes of spawning a lucrative film franchise for Lionsgate. Sure enough, the sequel, Insurgent, has already been greenlit for release next year after a successful opening weekend. Both Veronica Roth’s novel (the first of three in a series, followed by Insurgent and Allegiant) and its adaptation … Continue reading Book vs. Film: Divergent
Legendary director John Huston’s final film, The Dead (1987), was adapted from James Joyce’s short story of the same title. I was recently assigned to re-read “The Dead” (for about the 300th time) for one of my English courses, so I decided it was time to finally give the adaptation a watch as well, with the story fresh in my mind. NOTE: This post will … Continue reading “The Dead” by James Joyce vs. The Dead (John Huston, 1987)
In 1957, Nevil Shute published his 21st novel, On the Beach. The story had originally appeared as a four-part story in a London periodical, being bound up into a single edition later that year along with new material that wasn’t included in the original stories. Set in the then-future of 1964, the book follows a group of people who struggle with the realization that they … Continue reading Book vs. Film: On the Beach
In 2002, Sue Monk Kidd published her Orange Broadband Prize-winning New York Times best-seller The Secret Life of Bees. Though set in the pivotal year of 1964, The Secret Life of Bees is not your average “South in the 1960s” period piece. The civil rights movement is one of the novel’s underlying themes, but the real focus is the coming of age story of 14-year-old … Continue reading Book vs. film: The Secret Life of Bees
A NOTE FROM LINDSEY: Today on TMP, I bring you another very exciting addition to Adaptation Month: a guest post by the lovely Natalie of Many Media Musings! (Visit her blog for posts on film, television, literature and all things media, including “Reading the Book Before Seeing the Movie: When Does It Matter?” – an interesting post and topic of discussion which relates to our … Continue reading Captain Blood: His Odyssey from Page to Screen (GUEST POST by Natalie)
