I LOVE Alfonso Cuarón’s sci-fi action movie Children of Men. I’ve watched maybe six times and every time, the ending always almost brings me to tears. So when I learned it was adapted from P.D. James’ book of the same name, it was a no-brainer deciding what my next book would be.
After finishing the book, it wasn’t difficult to reach to the conclusion that I enjoyed the movie better.
While James’ book gives a more in-depth look at how human infertility and humanity’s slow death march towards extinction affects the sexual dynamic between men and women and almost demented ways humans try to cope with a world without children or a race of dead men walking, I feel the book dedicates WAY too much time describing the failing of human civilization and the Regrets and guilt of Theo Faron. It’s not even until after 2/3 through the book where it feels like the plot and story are properly paced and stuff of consequence actually begin to happen.
The film’s adaptation by, comparison, feels consistent in its pacing and the world building and woe-is-mes of Theo feel more compact a take up less of the audience’s time.
What books do you feel were worse than its film adaptation and why?
Under the Tuscan Sun
That book really is awful. Which is a shame because the movie is one of my favorites.
I would disagree with this because I loved Frances Mayes’ true story about trying to ensure her second marriage had the gravity of the first without the birth of a child, and I thought Diane Lane’s romantic misses were just sad
So, to be fair, I think they’re just completely different stories. I didn’t love Frances Mayes in the book even while I sympathized with her (and I can’t quite put my finger on why) and I also just wasn’t terribly impressed with the writing. I do respect that you enjoyed it, and clearly you’re not alone in that!