My latest “New Read” is another used book I picked up on a whim. Why did I snatch up The Book Thief by Markus Zusak from the free used book pile? Let me count the ways!
- I vaguely recall it being a movie.
- It has “book” in the title.
- Nazis!
When I choose a new book to read, I usually try to write a few words before I even read the first pages, but I was on a writing hiatus and refused to open my laptop until today. I started reading it over the weekend, so I’m pretty far into it at the moment.
On page four, the note “already hooked” is penciled in. I am. Death is the narrator. Make that reason #4 to read it. And the language. I’m melting! Here are a few examples:
“After a collection of minutes, the smoke exhausted itself.”
“…each person stood and played with the quietness of it.”
“…the passengers slid out of it as if from a torn package.”
Holy. Wow. There are more. And it isn’t overdone, flowery stuff. Those words are put together in a way that creates an image in your mind instantly, the way perfect fiction should. I wonder, though, how they will create that in the movie. Will is just show you with actual pictures? I don’t think it will be the same.
And, yes, I know, movies never are the same, but I don’t see that as a bad thing. They are someone else’s interpretation of the words in visual form, much like the words I write here are mine in the form of my own words.
Side note: I don’t think watching a movie that is exactly like the book would be interesting. In fact, I know it wouldn’t. When I see that a show I’m watching is based on a book, I usually go running for the book to see if I can get another point of view on the story, or more details. But these shows, a limited series of a dozen hour-long segments or more instead of a two-hour movie, follow the book so closely that there is no need to read the book. It’s redundant. The Last Kingdom comes to mind.
Further side note: I love that. I’m completely enamored with this new TV format, streaming services producing a limited series based on a book or period of history. It’s freaking awesome. We recently binge-watched Versailles and loved every minute of it. No, it’s not completely historically accurate, but it’s fun to watch and then look up things and read more, find out what really happened. It’s like a springboard to create the interest needed to search out more information.
There was a new War & Peace that came out recently that was so awesome that I was excited to share it with my non-reader family. We enjoyed a story together, with me filling in some of the details that were missing from the show.
Anyhow, is it strange to read a book wondering how they will create the same feeling in a movie? I’m excited to find out, but I’m trying not to rush through reading it.
As per usual, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Have you read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak? Have you seen the movie? Would you like to read it along with me? Jump over to Thriftbooks.com and pick up a copy. And don’t forget to leave me a comment!