A Terrible Confession

I am here today with another blog chain post and this time around Michelle asked the group this question: 

What is your favorite book-to-movie adaptation? Why? What's your least favorite and why?

Okay, so my favorite book-to-movie adaptation is probably A ROOM WITH A VIEW by E.M. Forster. It is probably the only time EVER in my ENTIRE LIFE when I can say with absolute certainty that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the book and also LOVE LOVE LOVE the movie. See how they both got three loves? That's because my love for them is equal. 

Usually when I enjoy a movie adaptation it's usually with the caveat that the book is still better. Or that I like it, but they changed so much that it's less an adaptation and more of an "inspired by" situation.

This is NOT true of A ROOM WITH A VIEW. The movie is true to the book. Tone, plot, characters, and romantic swoon are all carried from one to the other without any bending or squeezing (as in leaving parts out that made the book so good because they will not fit within the time limits of a movie).

I really cannot recommend this book/movie combo highly enough! And yes, really you will want BOTH. Watch then read, or read than watch. Do NOT think that with them being so similar it is redundant to watch AND read, because I assure you it is NOT. It is really just the movie/literary equivalent of the Doublemint gum cause like the jingle you can, "Double your pleasure, double your fun..." etc. And unlike Doublemint gum, which is kind of crappy despite having a jingle so incredible that I remembered it just now after not having heard it for years, A ROOM WITH A VIEW is just terrific and wonderful in every way that I can think of.

(This is the swoon I was talking about.)

And now onto the terrible confession that I promised in the title of this blog post. It concerns my least favorite adaptation. It concerns a movie/book combo beloved my pretty much every single person on the planet. Well every single person except me. 

Can you guess what movie it is? No, probably not, I haven't really narrowed the options down very much or given any hints, so I am just gonna blurt it out and then everyone reading this can gasp in shock and say things like, "No!" and "How is that even possible?!?"

So here goes....

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THE PRINCESS BRIDE

(I actually first typo'd this as The Princess Bridge, which to be honest, sounds like another movie I would not really enjoy.)

How is it possible that I dislike this film? Well, it goes back to fourth grade. I was invited to a friend's birthday party and we were going to see Cinderella at the movie theater. I was excited. I had never seen Cinderella and also I didn't belong to a family that went to the movies a lot. In fact, we usually only went once a year during Christmas time and we all saw whatever big new Disney movie came out. So, to see two movies in the same calendar year was extra super exciting. 

But then I got to the party and all the other girls didn't want to see it because it wasn't cool to see cartoons, or something. I don't really know exactly what the issue was, because I did not get the "things that are and are not cool" memo that went out sometime in fourth grade. I believe there may have been some follow-up memos throughout my middle and high school years that I also missed. Thank goodness those types of memos stop getting sent out when you're an adult. Ummm... the memos do stop in adulthood... right guys? I mean, if they were still getting sent out, I would get them now, because I am much cooler. Right? Right? Ummm... why is no one saying anything?

Huh.

Well, anyway, we went to see THE PRINCESS BRIDE and I can tell you this: She was NOT animated. The animals did NOT sing. And the Prince was decidedly NOT charming. 

All in all it was a BIG disappointment.

Of course, I've watched the movie again as an adult and with the passing years have realized it does have quite a bit of charm... but I still think it would be better if it were Cinderella.

More like this. See?

Not it's not that bad. But it's also not Cinderella.

It's okay. Everyone does.

Aren't animated GIFS (Fun fact: it's supposed to be pronounced like the peanut butter: JIF. But I REFUSE and use the hard G. Yep, I'm a rebel.) fun?

Oh! I forgot to mention THE PRINCESS BRIDE book!!

OH THE BOOK. I LOVE the book. I actually read it in high school. Some of the other english classes got it as required reading, but my class didn't and still I thought it would be a good idea to read it anyway (see the not getting the "things that are cool" memo above). I was expecting a book that was a little challenging or a bit of a slog or the opposite of fun. But it was NONE of those things. It was pure awesome, actually and I LOVED it.

So yeah, I am sure there is some sort of important life lesson to be learned here about expectations and how only Cinderella can be Cinderella and how if you are not cool in fourth grade you will probably not be cool ever, but this blog post has gone on long enough so I'm just gonna direct you to the next blogger in the chain: Sandra. Go forth and see what she has to say about book to movie adaptations.

This I Believe...

So I've taken a little blog hiatus for the last month (or so). 

Here's my excuse: I was a little wiped out after June, what with the release of ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE, two deadlines on my next book- (DON'T YOU) FORGET ABOUT ME (HarperTeen 2014!), and a visit to Chicago for ALA.

However, now I am back and while not quite refreshed (mostly thanks to my 6-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter who have gone from being my adorable and sometimes mildly monstrous children, to cunning and possibly evil co-conspirators intent on making Mommy lose her frickin' mind.), I am no longer feeling totally exhausted and burnt out anymore.

So, with that out of the way let's move onto the meat of this blog post. During my blog vacay, I missed a few blog chains, but now I am back on the chain with a question that I came up with:  

Do you find yourself repeating certain themes in your writing? Can readers glean what you believe in, or some of your life philosophies from reading your work?

Good question, right? (Please say yes!)

So, if you want to know what I believe, it can be best summed up with this song (um... warning, or something: this music video begins with a pixelated butt, so if that sort of thing offends you, you could perhaps listen to the version with just the lyrics on the screen which can be found here.) :

I also believe in: rock 'n roll, our memories make us (and sometimes break us), the human ability to do amazing things, miracles (not necessarily of the religious variety), free will, and finally the power that can be found in the stories we tell.

I also believe that chocolate is delicious... but if you've read ALP you may not come away with that exact message. 

Aaannnddd, that is it for me. To keep following the blog chain look for Sandra's post to go up tomorrow. And in the have an extra moment - leave a comment and let's catch up. How has your summer been? Do you have children who are making you crazy too? And if not... can I come and stay at your house for awhile?