Book v. Movie: Earwig and the Witch #MarchMagics

Welcome to a chat about Earwig and the Witch! I read the book on the first day of March Magics and finished it on, well, the first day. (It's just over 110 big print pages and full of illustrations.) When I set it down, I spent the afternoon watching the movie. Here are my thoughts ...

This was DWJ's last completed fiction book, published in June 2011, just after her death in March of that year. It's probably for the youngest audience of all of her books besides a 1992 picture book and a handful of short stories. The US edition (seen above) was illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. It's the story of Earwig, a young girl who was left at an orphanage when she was a baby with nothing but a note that said "GOT THE OTHER TWELVE WITCHES ALL CHASING ME. I'LL BE BACK FOR HER WHEN I'VE SHOOK THEM OFF. IT MAY TAKE YEARS. HER NAME IS EARWIG." The children's home staff, of course, aren't sold on the witch story or the name and they try to call her Erika Wigg. Still the nickname Earwig creeps back in and she grows up with it and with the special talent of making anyone and everyone do just what she wants. Another day comes when foster parents are to arrive and choose kids to take home with them and Earwig expects the usual thing to happen, a bunch of cooing over babies and toddlers and the ignoring of the older kids. This time though, a very weird pair of adults, one who seems to get taller and grow horns as he stands there, actually choose Earwig to go home with them. What happens after this is unpredictable and fun.

The thing I like most about this book is that Earwig is not a bad kid. She gets her way and she does things that she doesn't have permission to do but she is not trying to hurt anyone. And, in the end, she stays happily with the same people who she didn't think cared about her at all. It's a found family story which is different from many DWJ stories that have bad parents. This one has adults that don't want to be parents who kind of grow into the role because of the strong personality of Earwig. Also ... talking cat!

Just in time for the tenth anniversary of the book, we get the Studio Ghibli film version of Earwig. This is the studio's first computer animated film and was directed by Hayao Miyazaki's son, Goro. As far as story goes, this film is almost too faithful to the book. It uses the exact dialog and pacing from DWJ's book and, in my opinion, it's not quite the right pacing for a film. It does start with an added scene of Earwig's mom taking her to the orphanage while being chased and there are two brief additional plot lines but neither really brings anything interesting to the story and seem tacked on. But these were only obvious to me because I had literally just read the book that morning. Most people won't have read the book and will may not have these issues. But the thing that disappointed me most was that the movie has Earwig's mom return at the end. That killed the entire "found family" aspect of the book and it bummed me out a bit.

As a huge Studio Ghibli fan (you may remember my Ghibli watching project in 2010), I missed the magic that Hayao Miyazaki brings to a story. I adore DWJ's Howl's Moving Castle but will admit that Miyazaki's film, with its differences, has more heart than the original tale. His son needs to learn to find and grow the spark that makes a good book into a great film. Also, the animation of Earwig was a little weird with thin old-lady eyebrows and too many angry looks. And the cat had no fur texture which, as we all know, Pixar perfected twenty years ago with Monsters, Inc. It just didn't work for me the way hand-drawn Ghibli films do ... although the workroom was exactly how I imagined it, so dirty and slimy! I also missed the music of Joe Hisaishi, which is one of the threads that tie all Ghibli films together and also adds to the magic.

Side note: this is the promo image for the film and it is not something that happens in the movie. That's kind of weird, right? Anyway, I know a couple of you were going to be able to watch the film so what did you think? Did you read the book first? How do you think it compares to other Studio Ghibli films (if you've watched any of them)? What was your favorite thing about the movie? Least favorite? Please share!

Holiday Giving on My Mind

As I sit here browsing websites for gifts for my friends and family, there are a couple of standouts that I want to share with you.

1. Art of ... Books
Not everyone is into books and that's okay. Luckily, some of those people are into film.

With the lovely Disney-Pixar film Coco coming out later this week (we'll be seeing it in 3D on Weds), it is a great time to celebrate Day of the Dead with the first animated film to take us into the world of the dead -- Art of The Book of Life by director Jorge R. Gutierrez. This is one of Z and my most favorite films with beautiful music, a gorgeous style, and a heart-warming story. And the art style is so unique that you can totally get lost in this book while you're trying to wrap it for someone else.

Chronicle Books has just released The Art of Aardman, featuring sketches, early models, and movie scenes from all of their stop-motion hits. It will not only remind you of all of your favorite Wallace and Gromit moments but will let you finally see all of the little jokey props that you missed in the rich environment of The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists! even though you have seen the film dozens and dozens of times (oh, is that just us?). It would be perfect for a youngster who is thinking about a career in animation and wants to see the process from the bottom up.

And there are so, so many of these "art of film" books. (Chronicle even has one for Coco!)

2. Collectors' Editions

Sure, pretty much everyone who wants to read Harry Potter has already, but do they have their own house-colored edition of Philosopher's Stone? There are also paperback editions in solid house colors but I think these hardcovers with the tie patterns are the best. If you are in the U.S., you can get them from The Book Depository. I already gave my niece a Ravenclaw edition for her 11th birthday this summer and she almost died when she realized it came from the U.K. and was the British text!

Also, lots of books have beautiful new editions out -- like the 10th Anniversary Edition of The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and the Neverwhere Illustrated Edition. I'm asking for more clothbound Penguins to fill out my collection!

3. Bookish Swag

I know everyone has their own places that they like to go for swag, from your local indie bookshop to the neighborhood Barnes & Noble but I just wanted to remind everyone that you can support small businesses by heading to Etsy. There you'll find goodies like magnetic bookmarks from Wrecking Ball Design (also, you may recognize the owner when you click over there)! Just search for any author, title, or item and you'll be sure to find lots of surprises and treats.

Is there anything you want to add to the list? Something you are asking for or are gifting this year?

Spendin' cheese,
K

Boys in the 80s

I forget where I saw a review or comment that made me think I needed to put The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak on my library hold list sooner rather than later but I saw it and I did it. It's the story of three boys that want to pull off the perfect heist of a Playboy issue. One of them is super into early computer gaming and so is the daughter of the store owner where they want to steal the magazine. This leads to an unexpected friendship and a lot of big decisions.

First, the good stuff. This story really felt true to the 80s. It made me remember early computers, crappy love songs, and old mall stores. Now the bad stuff. This story really felt true to the 80s. It reminded me of the horrible words that us 80s kids used to throw around, the casual sexism and racism, the shitty way single mothers were treated. I liked this story but I strongly disliked one of the boys and hated another one of them. The end is also a bit farfetched, although I did feel that the boy I disliked redeemed himself somewhat. All of the blurbs on the cover that use the words "sweet", "funny", "hilarious"? I'm not sure I read the same book that they did. I thought this was a dark but honest story. We may get nostalgic for the past but the day-to-day reality might not be as rosy as we remember.

My 80s itch wasn't fully scratched after that first novel so I picked up Jason Diamond's Searching for John Hughes. This book reminded me why I used to be (and need to be again) very, very picky about which memoirs I was willing to read. I did not like this guy much at all. I felt bad for him when he was a kid because both of his parents were HORRID but, ugh, how many times can someone claim to have recognized his privilege and then still go ahead acting the same way as he did before? How self-centered do you have to be to keep treating people like crap who are trying to help you and be friendly? He ultimately only gets his shit together because he is handed the job that becomes his career. This was not the love letter to the 80s that I was expecting. This guy wasn't even born until like 1980/81. Again, blurbs that use words like "hilarious" and "charm" don't make any sense to me after reading this book. It is dark and depressing and not a fun read.

So, now that I've read two books that weren't satisfying 80s reads, recommend me something about the 80s that I *will* like. (I am one of the ones that totally loved both of Ernie Cline's books, Ready Player One and Armada.) Please.

Looking back with distaste,

K

Book v. Movie: The Prestige

Somewhere around when The Prestige came out on video (Feb 2007), I enthusiastically rented it and watched it. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale (not to mention David Bowie!) didn't hurt my enjoyment, of course, and I thought it was a smart and intense tale.

Years passed and I finally realized that The Prestige was based on a novel by Christopher Priest and that it was widely acclaimed. I found a gently used copy and it sat on my TBR shelves for a couple of years more.

Well, I finally got around to reading it a month or two ago, long after I had forgotten the movie, and what I read was an amazing and powerful story of rivalry and revenge and science gone wrong. The layers of story, from Andrew Westley in modern times, back to the dueling narratives of illusionists Alfred Borden and Rupert Angier, were rich with intrigue and secrets and horrifying truths. It was all I had expected it to be and so much more.

After I finished reading is when it all went wrong. I had the innocent thought "now I should re-watch the movie". The holidays came and I forgot about it until David Bowie passed away. Then I happened to see The Prestige was streaming from my cable company and I hit play. What followed was the most infuriating book-to-movie experience of my life. There was almost nothing in the movie that was the same as the book except for the main character's names! Hubby was less than pleased to have to sit through a movie where I sighed and shouted and raved through the whole thing. I kept yelling "that's not the way it happened!!" Because, not only was it not the same, it was far worse. It took all of the most brilliant parts of the book story and just threw them away, replacing them with totally annoying, pedestrian plots instead.

And so, David Bowie aside, I would strongly recommend that you grab the book and enjoy an amazing read -- and get your Christian Bale fix elsewhere.

Declaring the written word victor,
K

New Release: Silver Screen Fiend

I have a stack of books here to review but last night I started and finished Patton Oswalt's short second memoir Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life From an Addiction to Film and I couldn't fall asleep because I was thinking about my own connection to film. So, I thought that I should get this post out of my system and then go back to the other books.

Patton's story is about how, for four years, he overdid it a bit (understatement!) by seeing hundreds of movies, sometimes going to the theater almost every night as he also kept up his routine of comedy performances and also began to break into film and television. He also talks about some of the history of the comedy scenes in various locales throughout the late '80s and the '90s, but the part that really resonated with me was the way he found, lost, and found himself again through film. In the back of the book, he lists all of the movies that he saw in those years and, though he has upwards of 750 movies on the list, out of curiosity I counted up how many of them I had seen and I easily passed 200. It blew my mind to think that I had seen so many more movies even than that. Which then led to me thinking about what role movies have played in my life.

When I was in kindergarten, our family of two adults and four kids moved to California into a two-bedroom apartment. We lived there for four years (and one more kid) and, as you can probably guess, looked for lots of ways to get out of the house. Whether it was going to the local movie theater on summer mornings for their family-friendly discount movies or piling into our Chevy Nova and heading to the drive-in for a double feature, the movies were an escape, a source of joy, and a time of bonding (except for Star Trek II:The Wrath of Khan ... that just gave me a fear of bugs crawling into my ears). Then my grandma started taping movies off of cable and we ended up with a home VHS collection in the hundreds. We watched movies ALL of the time, discovering new films and re-watching old favorites dozens of times. After I finished high school, I got a job at a music and video store (Music Plus forever!) and started another journey into film as I watched almost every new release that came through the store. Through my college years, our cheapest entertainment option was the local Blockbuster (where we actually ran out of films that we wanted to see) and then, after college when we moved to Washington, I worked at another music and video store for a while. Around that time I also finally discovered Turner Classic Movies and a whole other journey through classic film started (with The Thin Man and Laura and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir). I haven't seen as many films as Patton and I still have a lot of back catalog films that I would like to eventually see but, just like him, I have shifted to have more of a balance between film and other pursuits (some of which has come thanks to this blog and the rest thanks to having a kid). Many films now bring back vivid memories of the time I watched them (Close Encounters of the Third Kind at the drive-in, Empire Records twice in one night in my tiny college bedroom) and the feelings and thoughts they inspired. I wasn't watching them for technical reasons like Patton (who wanted to become a director) but I noticed the same things, the same moments, when a single line, a single look stole the show. I can't imagine having grown up any other way, with all of these moments building me into who I am today.

So, now that I've spilled my guts, tell me, are you a movie addict? Do you have an all-time favorite?

In 1.85:1,
K

Autobiography by Morrissey

I know that it came out a year ago and I bought a copy from the UK the week it came out but somehow time flew and I only ended up reading Morrissey's Autobiography this November. This book will have a specific audience so, instead of trying to convince you to read it, let me give you a few tips if you're already planning on reading about Stephen Patrick Morrissey, from childhood through his most recent album.

1. Be prepared to read a book that has no chapters. This is one long, verbose, sometimes poetic, sometimes obtuse, narrative. It is, as you would expect, lyrical. It is also somehow self-effacing and conceited at the same time. "There is no reason for anyone to notice me" can be quickly followed by "Did you see how they all love me".
2. The longest and most detailed part of the book (50 pages) is a very bitter diatribe about the Michael Joyce vs. Morrissey/Marr Smiths-related money lawsuit. To be sure, it was a terrible court case and was the true nail in the coffin of the Smiths, but I would have liked more about Morrissey in the book and less about the horrid Judge John Weeks. Still, this is obviously still a very tender and gaping wound.
3. You cannot read this book with the book alone. You are going to want a computer right next to you. You will need to regularly press play on this Spotify playlist by Greg Thorpe that includes almost all of the non-Smiths/Morrissey music mentioned in the book (59 tracks). You will also need to get out all of your Smiths and Morrissey albums (which you will have because why else would you be reading about Morrissey if you didn't care about the music). You will want the link to the Suedehead video because so many cool things come together when you read about how/when it was made while watching it. It will also be to your benefit to have a search engine nearby because Morrissey likes to mention people without giving any background biographical information about them. A good Google search fills in many a blank.
4. Get the UK Penguin version. The American Putnam edition is apparently slightly sanitized and it does not have the brilliant Penguin Classics cover that Morrissey demanded.
5. Don't eat meat while reading the book. I have a feeling that he has a way to find out.

Reading this book was definitely an experience. There were times when my heart broke for Morrissey and other times when I wanted to slap him. Overall, this book proves that he's human and he needs to be loved just like everybody else does. (Sorry.) I think that the first person that needs to learn to love him though is the one residing in his own skin. Still, I will be queuing up for tickets the next time he is in town to see him (for the fourth time) and let him bask in my adoration.

Trudging slowly over wet sand,

K

DWJ March Watch-Along: Howl's Moving Castle (and Giveaway)

I'm very excited for our watch-alongs today of Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle! Join me at either

6pm Berlin/5pm London/1pm Eastern/10am Pacific

or

10pm Eastern/7pm Pacific/3pm (Sunday) New Zealand/11am (Sunday) Tokyo

(or both if you want to!) and let's enjoy this beautiful and fun-filled re-imagining of Diana's novel. The discussion will be on Twitter using hashtag #howlalong. (Again, Tweetchat is the easiest tool for keeping up with the discussion.)

§ § § § §

I also have a great giveaway today! One lucky person will get their choice of one of these necklaces from Etsy shop Authored Adornments.

Just leave a comment here and let me know if you would prefer the bronze or silver necklace and a way to contact you if you're the winner. This giveaway is open worldwide and will close next Friday, March 22nd. I'll choose a winner at random.

Getting ready for the show,

K

Book v. Movie: The Woman in Black

This will be a pretty short post because I read the book and watched the film a month and a half ago and, to be honest, neither was especially memorable. The book was satisfactory but not mind-blowing and the film was bad but in a totally predictable way.

Susan Hill's The Woman in Black has been on my TBR list for years but I didn't get around to reading it until December, mostly because I also wanted to watch the recent film version. It turned out to be an acceptably spooky story with good pacing and a haunted house that I hope never to get caught in at night. But while the story also had a deep feeling of melancholy and loss, the film went for the cheap thrills, inventing horrors that were obvious and, to be honest, rather lame. I knew from the moment that I saw it was a Hammer film that it would be over the top but, when the entire mystery of the book was given away in the first few minutes of the film and then was just exploited for stereotypical horror scenarios, it was really frustrating. And I really don't believe this interview with Susan Hill where she says

And now, 30 years after I wrote it, The Woman in Black has made it to the big screen. Jane Goldman, one of the hottest screenwriting talents around, has done a marvellous adaptation, which is just that — not a copy but a screen interpretation which remains faithful to the spirit of the book but, like the play, is true to its own medium.

The film was not at all faithful to the spirit of the book nor was it, by any stretch of the imagination "marvellous". It was like a knock-off of The Ring or some other schlocky horror film.

Verdict: Read the book, skip the movie ... unless you really need to see Daniel Radcliffe looking handsome at a legal age, then go ahead and watch it but don't expect anything but a standard horror flick.

Disappointed once more,
K

RIP VII Read #5: Something Wicked This Way Comes (Book v. Movie)

Well, I kept my promise that I would finally read some Ray Bradbury after enjoying Shadow Show in July. And I didn't just read any old Bradbury work but I chose the story that spawned the movie that terrified me the most in my admittedly sheltered childhood -- Something Wicked This Way Comes. I had a lingering fear of carousels for years after seeing that film. But, for some reason, while looking through my many RIP reads, I had a strong desire to get this one from the library. Before I chickened out, I put in my request and set out on this literary adventure.

Jim Nightshade and Will Halloway are boys on the cusp of becoming men, with Jim more enthusiastic about it than Will. When a strange storm blows into Green Town just before Halloween, bringing Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show with it, the boys soon find that living a quiet, normal life isn't as overrated as it seemed just the day before. But once events are set in motion, it's a race against time and the forces of evil for Jim and Will.

With somewhat strange language and cadence, this is a difficult book to get into at first. But once you get used to it, the story sweeps you away into the clutches of the supernatural carnival and its devilish inhabitants. At first I found the story to be atmospheric but not scary but that soon changed and I was quite tense by the end of the tale. I can't explain exactly why this story works but it does. It never won any awards but its influence on other modern authors is undeniable.

And, since I overcame some of my SWTWC fears, I decided it was finally time to rewatch the 1983 film. In fact, Z sat down to watch it with me. And? It was pretty bad. Though the casting of Jonathan Pryce as Mr. Dark was inspired and Jason Robards as Will's dad was pretty good, the boys were terrible actors. There's one scene where they sneak onto the closed carousel and hop on some horses and do this weird maniacal fake laughing. It was awful. There were unnecessary changes in the story and much of the mystery was taken out. It was too obvious in most parts and had bizarre orchestration and cheap special effects. I'm surprised that I paid attention enough to the movie when I was a kid to be scared by it. Z was bored pretty much from the start. He ended up reading books instead of watching and kept asking when it was going to be over.

Verdict: Read the book and skip the movie. Bradbury should never have been Disney-fied.

Happy to age at a normal pace,
K

RIP Read 2: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Z and I have started bedtime reading together in earnest again after a few off-and-on episodes and we finished our third book on Wednesday night -- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. He had seen the movie a few times but I didn't feel like he ever really paid attention. He certainly wasn't very interested in the story or the characters. But, after our first two reads (book one and two of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series), I needed something that I would also enjoy reading and that had a good message and a strong story. I asked Z if we could read HP and he said sure.

He was excited about the book every night. We read about half a chapter at a time so we always had a bit of a cliffhanger or something to look forward to because of the chapter title. Every time I mentioned Harry's scar, Z leaned over and traced a lightning bolt on my forehead. When I said "muggle" he smiled and said "muggle, muggle, muggle". Once I had mentioned Nicholas Flamel, he asked me every night when we sat down "who is Nicholas Flamel anyway?" and I had to remind him again that we wouldn't find out until later. When the chapter called "Nicholas Flamel" finally arrived, he was ecstatic! He also thought Neville's toad, Trevor, was a hoot. Although, he won't believe me that Rubeus is Hagrid's first name. Z wants him to just be Hagrid. And Z also insists that Voldemort is a professor -- I think because he was attached to Professor Quirrell.

So, now we are sitting together, watching the film together again (along with the necessities, namely popcorn and gummy worms) and he is loving it. He remembers the book quite well and is noticing things that have been changed, like when McGonagall is calling names for the sorting hat. In the film, she calls them first name first. But in the book, they are called last name first. So when she says "Susan Bones", Z is over here saying "Bones, Susan". It's cute! He knows all the characters and even waits for certain things to happen -- like Harry seeing Quirrell in the Leaky Cauldron for the first time.

This was an awesome RIP read for both of us. I was a bit worried about spooky things like Nearly Headless Nick, Voldemort and the Forbidden Forest and scenes like the unicorn hunt and Harry finding out about his parents' death but Z did alright with them. His favorite holiday is Halloween after all! We'll definitely be reading more RIP-eligible books together through October. I pulled out our Halloween picture books but I really think he's craving something more substantial now so I bought a copy of Bunnicula and have some other choices from Eva Ibbotson and others to get us through.

Sharing the peril,
K and Z

Book v. Movie: Auntie Mame

I'm not sure when or where I came across this novel but, since I had seen the movie once and liked it and this book had a fabulous cover, I decided to pick up Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis. It was published in 1955 and was on the New York Times bestseller list for over two years (112 weeks!). Though steeped in the superficial--clothes, homes, engagements--the story takes some surprisingly deep turns and I thought it was a fun read even though Mame was extremely exasperating at times.

The narrator is also named Patrick Dennis, writing as an adult who is looking back over his exceptional life with his Auntie Mame. After he is orphaned at the age of ten, he moves from Chicago to New York City to live with his father's sister. From the moment he steps out of the elevator at her floor, he is swept up into a world of high society, low inhibitions and many ups and downs. Mame is a free-thinker who falls head-over-heels for the young man that comes into her life. She always wants what's best for Patrick but maybe doesn't know exactly how to get it. Whether it's enrolling him in a nudist elementary school or pretending to be someone she is not to please his future in-laws, Mame always means well but her outrageous personality often gets in the way. The story takes Patrick from the age of ten until he has a seven year old son of his own.

The main difference between the book and the movie is Mame. In the novel, she truly loves Dennis but in a very matter-of-fact way. She speaks to him as she would to an adult and she expects him to catch up. She's not always kind but what she does almost always turns out to be in his best interests. In the film, Mame is much more emotional and sentimental. I would have loved to see Rosalind Russell be a bit less weepy and a bit more saucy. Also, the novel is quite a bit racier -- be it with Mame's marriage to a younger Southern gentleman (who was already engaged at the time he met her), her involvement with a young lecherous Irish poet or her ill-advised relationship with one of Dennis' college friends. Some of these situations aren't even mentioned in the film and the others have the teeth taken from them. The man she marries in the film actually appears to be older than she is, which makes the relationship not very interesting at all.

The novel also takes on the racism and sexism of the early- to mid-twentieth century in a very honest way. There is an exchange between Mame and Dennis' future father-in-law regarding Jewish people (at the start of WWII but pre-American-involvement) that is presented in about two lines of the film but takes pages of the book. Mame is absolutely amazing in this scene and it's one of the moments where her intelligence and depth are revealed. The film takes away many of those moments and makes them mushy with a bit of slapstick and a smile.

Verdict: Both are fun but I would recommend the book over the movie. It's got more substance and is a forgotten gem. And I would definitely recommend watching the film first because, if you watch it second like I did, you are bound to see its shortcomings.

Taking it in stride,
K


Support our site and buy Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade (the book) and Auntie Mame (the film) on Amazon or find them at your local library. We bought our own copy of the book.

A HOP and a Give-Away!

We have something really fun for you today. In celebration of the Friday movie release of HOP, we are giving away a prize pack of FIVE tie-in books from Little, Brown!

If you haven't seen the trailer for this film yet, it's the story of E.B., a teenaged bunny. His father is the Easter Bunny and is ready to retire. But E.B. wants to be a drummer in a rock band instead and so he runs away to Hollywood. He ends up staying with a man named Fred and is a less than stellar houseguest. Back at Easter headquarters, the chicks have decided to revolt and take charge of the holiday. Will E.B. accept his destiny before Easter is ruined? You can watch the trailer here.

These are the five books you could win for your family or to give away to other lucky kids:

Hoppy Bunnies is a great Easter basket board book choice for the youngest ones. It has three felt finger puppets attached that you can use while telling the short story of how the Easter Bunny delivers baskets to children. It's an Easter version of The Night Before Christmas poem! We would send this one to Z's almost one-year-old cousin.

Counting Chicks is another cute board book for toddlers who are learning to count. Featuring chicks Carlos and Phil, this one counts from one to ten through yummy-looking candy that needs to go into the Easter basket. This book would be perfect for Z's two-year-old cousin!

Meet the Easter Bunny is an early reader level book that takes young readers (and E.B.) on a tour through the Easter factory, deep under Easter Island. It's only loosely based on the film and is a cute and happy book. Chicks Versus Bunnies is more of a movie picture book, with a brief re-telling of the main movie story. It's more intense than the other book (with a bit of cartoon martial arts) but about at the same reading level. It has some punch-out Easter egg holders in the back. These books are just right for Z and his 1st grade cousin.

Hop: The Chapter Book is a 64 page book with twelve easy chapters and pictures from the movie. It would be perfect for 1st graders that are good readers and up or as a bedtime book. Z has decided to read one chapter a day.

What a great prize package! If you would like to win a set of these books, simply fill out the form below. This contest is for U.S. residents only. Entries will be accepted until end of day on Sunday when I will pick a winner.

HOPping off to the theater,
K and Z


Support our site and buy Hoppy Bunnies, Counting Chicks, Hop: Meet the Easter Bunny, Hop: Chicks Versus Bunnies and Hop: The Chapter Book on Amazon or find them at your local library. We received copies for review from a publicist and will be sharing them with cousins.

Book v. Movie: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

I put off watching Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist for the longest time because I was annoyed that they copied the names of my beloved Nick and Nora from The Thin Man movies. Then one night I was awake far too late, nothing else was on and so I stayed up for hours longer watching this movie. It's not an all-time favorite but there are things about it that I love (like Kat Dennings and the Yugo). It's a story of second chances, accidental love-at-first-sight and choosing your best future. I've watched it once or twice more in the wee hours of the night/morning (because I can't stomach the whole Caroline and her gum thing when I'm fully awake) and enjoyed it each time. Then, inevitably, I figured out it was a book.

In fact, I figured that it was probably the type of book that wasn't really for me -- me being stodgy and married and from the opposite coast and all. And then I saw the book for a dollar at Half Price Books and couldn't resist. I breezed through the short novel--written by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan as alternating chapters between the titular Nick and Norah--and have made it through relatively unscathed and of the opinion that this book was actually more for the adults than the kids. It's quite full of profanity and sexuality and was surprisingly lacking in music. The kids talk like they're in their twenties instead of like teenagers. Money keeps magically appearing for these kids who don't seem to have jobs. And yet, it made me a bit nostalgic for the problems of teens -- the wondering, the firsts, the fights, the friendships. That's why I think that adults might ultimately find it more interesting than teens.

The movie and the book turned out to have little in common and, though I appreciated the book, I have to say that I prefer the movie. I like the story line that they created, the different direction the characters took at times and the more dastardly exes. It was more of The Odyssey and less of The Breakfast Club.

Verdict: These are both decent stories about teen adventure and love. If you want more New York City landmarks, angst and f-bombs (hundreds of them), read the book. If you want more of a dramatic teen adventure comedy (yes, I'm having trouble classifying it!) with that special something that you always get from Michael Cera, watch the film.

Looking back on my relatively quiet teen years with relief,
K


Support our site and buy Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (the novel) and Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (the movie) on Amazon or find them at your local library. I watched the movie on cable and bought a copy of the book.

Merry Christmas!

Though there are many Christmas classics out there, my very favorite Christmas film scene comes from Disney's The Swiss Family Robinson (1960). I tear up every time when the pipe organ fails, the mother begins crying and then, miracle!, they hear the voices of their two sons in the distance singing O Christmas Tree and they come walking up with a zebra and a girl!  Enjoy!



Best wishes to all of our blog readers and friends,K and Z

RIP Read #2 and RIP Film #1: Dorian Gray

As a big fan of Oscar Wilde's story The Picture of Dorian Gray and the 1945 film version, I thought I would join the 21st century this year and change up the formats in which I experienced the story for the RIP Challenge this year.

First, I read the graphic novel version, "written" by Roy Thomas and illustrated by Sebastian Fiumara.  This is part of the Marvel Illustrated series of classics retold in graphic versions.  Lest you worry, this is from Thomas' introduction:

Since our aim was to tell Wilde's story, in the author's own words wherever possible, I was loath to put words into the mouths of his characters.

I think that Thomas definitely did a great job of this.  Wilde's humor and cynicism shows through on every page and Fiumara's skilled and reserved illustrations are a fantastic companion.  And yet, this is still a graphic novel and I had to chuckle when seeing such things as "BLAMM" and "SHUNK" in the middle of Wilde's story.  I think this would be a good introduction to the story for someone that is a bit wary of Victorian language.  It contains a four page glossary at the back of possibly unfamiliar words like brougham and pomander.  It is also lacking in Wilde's long passages of philosophy which might appeal to some readers wanting to just explore the plot of the story.  This (and others in the Marvel Illustrated series) might even be a good start for someone wanting to explore graphic novels but who is not sure how to make the leap from standard literature without landing in comic book territory.

Next, I watched the recent film version of Dorian Gray which was finally released on DVD here in the U.S. a couple of weeks ago.  It stars Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian) as Dorian Gray and Colin Firth as Lord Henry Wotton.

As you could probably guess would happen, this was a ridiculously sensationalized version of the story with uncountable plot and character changes.  As always, Firth was fantastic in his role (just as wonderful as George Sanders in 1945) but Barnes just wasn't able to surpass Hurd Hatfield's amazing performance in the old film.  And the plot changes seemed unnecessary in some parts and ridiculous in others.  An added character even changed Dorian's final attempts at redemption into just another selfish act.  I was quite disappointed in this film overall.

And as a side question -- why is gratuitous violence more acceptable to film audiences than nudity?  This film is full of fight scenes and murders or attempted murders and yet barely shows any nudity, though sex was implied to be the bulk of Dorian's sins against others.  It was just incredibly unbalanced and, as I am not a fan of violent scenes, it really made me lose almost any interest in this film.  It turned the story into something it was never meant to be and was disappointing.

If this was a Book v. Movie post, I would definitely say "avoid the film but look for the graphic novel if you're into them or thinking about trying one out".

As sparkly clean on the outside as in,
K


Support our site and buy The Picture of Dorian Gray (Marvel Illustrated) on Amazon or find it at your local library.  We bought our own copy.