About a Boy – Nick Hornby
This is one of my favourite films ever, so I’ve been curious for a while for how the book would compare. It’s inevitable that when you watch the film first you see all the characters as they were in the film; but fortunately in this case the characters in the film seem pretty close to the book so there were no nasty shocks. It was interesting to see where the film had taking things from the book, and where it had gone its own way. There were places where dialogue had been shifted from one character to another, which was particularly interesting.
The two diverged more as the book went on, so that you miss out on the brilliant scene at the school concert. That said, the book instead has this striking trip of Marcus and Ellie to Cambridge the day that Kurt Cobain kills himself (Ellie in the book is a huge Nirvana fan).
There’s probably more in the book of Marcus and Ellie, which is good. There is a really good commentary on Ellie’s need to rebel and feel angst which ends up being largely manufactured. The relationship between Will and Rachel is different too, and perhaps because of that, Will doesn’t have the epiphany he has in the film. Ah, so Hollywood, isn’t it?
Another thing the book brings out which the film doesn’t is the real root of Fiona’s problems, and in particular, the extent to which Marcus is responsible. This is a good area to touch upon. It’s not just that she’s a single parent; it’s perhaps a more realistic view on what children are like than most of what we are exposed to. I understand Nick Hornby used to be a teacher; he certainly seems to have a teacher’s unromantic and acute observation of the nature of children. I like that.
The book cuts between a chapter of Will’s point of view and a chapter of Marcus’s. This works fairly well, but feels a bit rigid compared to the film – there are some great bits in the film where one person’s voiceover cuts straight to the other’s with comic effect, and while occasionally the book gets this effect by switching chapters and going back, it’s not quite the same.
At the end, I felt that the book reached a slightly different conclusion from the film. The book implies that in order to survive, Marcus has to become a sheep. That’s not my experience; I prefer the Robert Frost view (Two paths diverged in the woods, and I … I took the pass less wandered by; and that has made all the difference). The main conclusion of the film is the brilliantly un-Hollywood idea that “couples aren’t the future” – or at least, aren’t everything. And the wonderful bookending of the film with John Donne (Jon Bon Jovi)’s “No man is an island” isn’t in the book.
Inevitably I’m going to read something like this and compare it to the film. Usually the book wins hands down. In this case I wouldn’t want to say either way, both had good bits the other lacked, and it was definitely worth getting to know both. Definitely the best Nick Hornby book I've read, and by some margin. Great film, good book.
The two diverged more as the book went on, so that you miss out on the brilliant scene at the school concert. That said, the book instead has this striking trip of Marcus and Ellie to Cambridge the day that Kurt Cobain kills himself (Ellie in the book is a huge Nirvana fan).
There’s probably more in the book of Marcus and Ellie, which is good. There is a really good commentary on Ellie’s need to rebel and feel angst which ends up being largely manufactured. The relationship between Will and Rachel is different too, and perhaps because of that, Will doesn’t have the epiphany he has in the film. Ah, so Hollywood, isn’t it?
Another thing the book brings out which the film doesn’t is the real root of Fiona’s problems, and in particular, the extent to which Marcus is responsible. This is a good area to touch upon. It’s not just that she’s a single parent; it’s perhaps a more realistic view on what children are like than most of what we are exposed to. I understand Nick Hornby used to be a teacher; he certainly seems to have a teacher’s unromantic and acute observation of the nature of children. I like that.
The book cuts between a chapter of Will’s point of view and a chapter of Marcus’s. This works fairly well, but feels a bit rigid compared to the film – there are some great bits in the film where one person’s voiceover cuts straight to the other’s with comic effect, and while occasionally the book gets this effect by switching chapters and going back, it’s not quite the same.
At the end, I felt that the book reached a slightly different conclusion from the film. The book implies that in order to survive, Marcus has to become a sheep. That’s not my experience; I prefer the Robert Frost view (Two paths diverged in the woods, and I … I took the pass less wandered by; and that has made all the difference). The main conclusion of the film is the brilliantly un-Hollywood idea that “couples aren’t the future” – or at least, aren’t everything. And the wonderful bookending of the film with John Donne (Jon Bon Jovi)’s “No man is an island” isn’t in the book.
Inevitably I’m going to read something like this and compare it to the film. Usually the book wins hands down. In this case I wouldn’t want to say either way, both had good bits the other lacked, and it was definitely worth getting to know both. Definitely the best Nick Hornby book I've read, and by some margin. Great film, good book.
Labels: Reading
posted by tomdg at 11:02 AM
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