Lit To Film: The Wizard of OZ

               

            It’s that time again for Lit To Film!! To be honest this particular one I debated even trying to do as the movie is a classic in my mind. How dare I think of even allowing a BOOK to taint my feelings for the film? And that movie is *drumroll please, although you can tell from the title and the picture, ugh, just play along* THE WIZARD OF OZ!!  Yes the film that brought you dazzling Technicolor is about to get the Lit to Film treatment J

****SPOILER ALERT!!! ****

                Okay now that that’s out of the way let’s get down to business. When I was growing up I didn’t have a great library thus many children’s classics were unavailable to me. Classic TV and movies however, well, that is a different story. I LOVE the 1939 movie with a passion. Who doesn’t?  Yeah, the Amish, you got me there. But when you hear “Over The Rainbow” tell me you don’t stop what you’re doing and belt out the song line by line in off key glory. So over time I honestly forgot to look up the book…until recently.

                Yes, I finally read Frank L. Baum’s classic novel, thanks to Kindle and their free books. Although I did enjoy the book, I don’t think it’s a classic, and the differences between the movie and book are so astounding they can barely be compared.

                The movie was as bright and cheery as the vibrant as the yellow brick road. Everything led to a chipper song and meeting with adorable people. The book however is…darker. The scarecrow, the tin man, and the cowardly lion all tell their own origin stories. My favorite would have to be the tin man who self-mutilated himself because of a spell placed on him by a witch who wished to have the woman he loved all to herself. Well, maybe not that homoerotic but you get the point, nothing like that would have appeared in the movie. If you were frightened of the flying monkeys then my lord the kalidahs, tiger faced and bear- bodied creatures with a taste for our adventurers. There were more attacks and peril abounded in the short read. Certainly if the Dorothy of the book had the opportunity to take a route that included more singing and dancing I’m sure she would have chosen that one.

                So while the imagination is high in the book. The movie is rich with life and fun. Still to judge between the two…I don’t know.  They have the same characters but the way of telling the story is too different. If I had to choose between them I’d have to choose the movie J Sorry Mr. Baum, the film did it better I think.

                If you want something to compare the book to, may I suggest the Marvel Comics adaptation by Eric Shownar with art by Skottie Young. Wow. The book loses again. The art captures innocence from that time period while the story is spot on with the story. I also suggest you continue on with their captivating series. Weeeeeeeellllllllllll worth it. LOL I hope you enjoyed! Sorry for any Baum lovers out there but come on…you know those are better.

SEE YA NEXT TIME!!!

Whatcha Reading Tuesday!!

It's time once again for the reason Al Gore invented the internet. Yup, Whatcha Reading Tuesday!! I know many people are so fixed on their NaNos this month but a little time to read should always be on the menu for you budding and established writers :) So share what your reading with us. Anything!! And answer our little question: Is there a story you read that if done the right way belongs on the big screen?

Whatcha Reading Tuesday!!

It's that time again for Whatcha Reading Tuesday!! Yeah, you know you love it :P Share what you're reading with us. Anything at all from novels to works-in-progress to comics to instructions on how to assemble a cybernetic zebra. Whatever it may be, share!! Also answer our little question: With Halloween right around the corner what is your favorite scary story? :D

Whatcha Reading Tuesday!!

It's time for the reason you get up on Tuesday. *drumroll* Whatcha Reading Tuesday!! Share what you're reading with us. From books to comics to scripts to pamphlets on how to help a koala give birth. Anything!! And answer our little question: What book or author sparked that light bulb in your noggin that said "I will be a writer" ?

Book Review: In The Shadows

To be wrong about someone can be disappointing, but what do you do when that person is someone you love and thought you knew everything about? That is what Giselle Bergman must find out in Julieanne Lynch's book In the Shadows. The author introduces us to Giselle right from the start and it is not hard for the reader to connect with her. At eighteen years old Giselle is pretty much your average teenager and one nearly everyone can relate to. Regardless of how imperfect her family may be, Giselle really has a lot going for her. Her family loves her, she has a popular boyfriend, and is best friends with a boy who would do anything for her. What more could a girl ask for? It is soon discovered that things are not always what they seem. That some people are not who they appear to be. And that no matter how normal her life may seem at the moment, high school romance drama included, Giselle's life is about to change very suddenly. Catapulted into a life she never asked for or even believed existed, Giselle soon finds herself submerged in a world made from the stuff of nightmares and forced into making decisions that will change the course of her future in drastic ways. Her once ordinary life is filled with chaos and betrayal and a new bloodlust that rages through her constantly. She is also forced to realize that if she wants to survive in this new life of hers, Giselle will have to awaken the darkest part of her. A powerful part of herself that she never knew existed. Until now.

Typical and washed up are what usually come to mind when you hear the word vampire. It is easy to see how this could be considering the latest craze and all the hype that has come along with it. After reading In the Shadows by author Julieanne Lynch, however, one cannot bring themselves to utter such words. Readers are instantly aware of the darkness that almost flows off the pages. We are beckoned and enticed by the author who sucks us deep into her characters' world to make us see and feel as they do. The author's simple and down to earth style is refreshing. There are no dressed up words to take away from the story but there is an elegance in her writing that speaks or itself. In the Shadows is a fantastic read that will leave you breathless the entire way through. There is not one page of disappointment in this book except the fact that it ends and leaves you thirsting for more. This is one book you do not want to miss.

 

Buy it now!

 

On Amazon and on Smashwords!!

Book Review: Gone With a Handsomer Man

Gone with a Handsomer Man
by Michael Lee West

Check out fellow blogger Joyce Lanksy's review of Gone with a Handsomer Man :)
And be sure to follow her blog while you're there!

Lit To Film: The Shining

Wow, 2011 has been a strong year for books on film. I mean Water For Elephants, Red Riding Hood, I Am Number Four, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows part two, and Beastly have made their appearance known already and it’s only June!! Books are almost destined to take a shot at the silver screen. Some maintain the heart of their printed counterparts while others…uh, try. Then there are some who outshine the book (stop laughing it’s possible). That’s what this segment is about: Books that have been turned into movies and which is better. The long standing debate of ‘can a film ever capture what is on the page’ will be debated here. So grab the film and the book, a bowl of popcorn, and a pair of boxing gloves because it may get fierce. :P
Let’s start off fairly easier as this is a new segment. So no Harry Potter, Twilight, or Lord of the Rings this week. How about one that is certainly a classic film and book, both crafted by masters, and one I think is better than the book.
The Shining.
Let me start off by saying I am a huge Stephen King fan. The bulk of my bookshelf is his work, and he is one of the few people that I would be struck speechless to meet one day. This is not bashing him in anyway. Oh and if you haven’t seen or read The Shining by now, shame on you. LOL Okay but there will be spoilers to both so *SPOILER ALERT*
The story goes Jack Torrence becomes caretaker for The Overlook Hotel, and takes his wife Wendy and his son Danny with him. As he watches over this historical and quite vast hotel he convinces himself that he will write his novel, and that the change of scenery is just what he needs to get the creative juices flowing. (sound familiar?) The general part of the beginning is captured wonderfully by director Stanley Kubrick although he did miss the true reasons from the book as to why Jack had no choice but to take the job.
In the book Jack starts as a teacher in a university, but after a night of drinking he accidently kills a colleague and dumps his body in the river. After that travesty he can’t concentrate on his job, quits, and turns to writing for a living. His writing can’t pay the bills and this job is a few months of having a roof over his family’s head.
This was missed but it didn’t really matter as from this moment on every last thing is painted onto the screen. Kubrick didn’t miss a syllable of King’s words through the middle. You got the mental breakdown, the haunting of the hotel, Danny’s finger friend, Wendy’s passiveness to her husband’s murderous tendencies. It’s all there in all in sparkling Techno-color. You are totally wrapped up in the story now. This is one of the best horror movies of all time, if not the best after all.
Then comes the end and here is where I find the movie is better. Stephen King is great at what he does…but my gripe has always been with his endings. Most of them suck. Seriously. They lack the punch that managed to drag you in at the beginning. In the movie the ending is Danny calls out to the old hotel manager with his Shining power, bringing the old man to the hotel. His arrival is short lived as he gets an ax to the back. Then Wendy and Danny run out into the snowy hedge maze outside with Jack chasing after them. They find their way out while Jack freezes to death. Wow! Bravo! Encore!
Now the book. The end consists of the old hotel manager comes back, knocks out the ax wielding Jack, and then he proceeds to overload the furnace which causes it to explode. Epilogue: Wendy, Danny and the hotel manager are in the tropics and sipping drinks. Ugh, really. That’s it? Yawn. To me the book ended really weak and when you stack the whole experience up to the movie I was left wanting more from the print.
So pick up the movie and book, if you don’t remember already, and add your two cents to the discussion. Which do you think was better? The Lit or The Film?

The Invasion of the E-Reader

I’m going to make a general assumption that most people who write also love to read. I know that’s the case with me. I read at the dinner table, and earned spankings for it as a child. (Even having my own children can’t cure me.) I take books to doctor and dentist appointments. You won’t find me at the license branch without one. I read in bed and outside on my deck, whenever and where ever I get a chance. I haunt the library in the summer, and bookstores are my favorite stores at the mall. When I go antique shopping, I end up with books, old favorites to treasure again.

So when I saw the glamorous commercials about the new e-readers, I was torn. I love technology, but I also love the anticipation of putting a new book on my lap. The stiff feel to the spine when you first open it. The colorful (and sometimes hideous) cover art. The smell of fresh pages. The relaxing rhythm of turning those pages. Getting back into those favorite or new characters is such a thrill. How can you get that from a device that’s a combination of plastic and parts? An e-reader lacks the soul of a book, right?

Then my wonderful husband bought one for me for my birthday. It was a complete surprise, but an intriguing one. How would this thing, with its glitzy buttons and screen, compare?

First off, I discovered e-books are cheaper than new hardcover novels. Pleasant shock! A way to save money and justify buying more books! It’s even true of established authors. The most expensive E-books are a good ten dollars cheaper.

Next, I found the e-reader is lighter than the usually vast tombs that make up my fantasy novel selections. Another bonus! I can hold it easily with only one hand, and it fits in my purse. Who knew!

When I set it on the table with my peanut butter sandwich at lunch time, the pages don’t flip closed! I don’t have to turn the book over to keep my place and risk injuring the spine, and I don’t have to fear losing my place if a bookmark falls out. The dang thing remembers exactly where I stop reading. It goes to sleep when I have to stop and attend to a teenage drama fit and wakes up when I’m ready to read again. It plugs into the wall or my laptop and the battery lasts for days. I like this! The thing even gives you pages numbers and shows how many total pages so you know where you stand.

Turning the pages isn’t the hassle I expected. There’s two ways to do it. You can press the button each time or drag a finger across the touch screen almost like turning an actual page. And the time it takes the screen to change isn’t more than turning a real page either.

Then the first drawback greeted me. You have to wait for it to start up. No instant gratification like a true book. Any amount of waiting is too long when you have only twenty minutes to sneak in your lunch break before returning to work. I labored around that by starting it up before my lunch. Problem solved.

To balance that, I don’t have to drive anywhere for a new book. Books download in minutes, and it holds more volumes than I can afford. Hey, I’m saving gas!

Then I learned you have to go through every page to reach where the book actually starts. That means the title page, the copy write page, and all the author thank you and dedications, plus any blank pages and chapter indexes. Well, that not a big deal. I can flip through ten pages or so to find the start. Not a problem, just an annoyance.

The next drawback held more challenges. Say you’re reading along and you forget something and want to flip back to it. In a book, it’s pretty easy to hunt around and find what you’re looking for because you’ve got a general idea based the amount of pages you’ve read. On an e-reader, it’s a bit more difficult. Want to refer to that map at the beginning of the first section? Do you remember the page number? Probably not. Did you think to bookmark it? Call me stupid, but I never do. Run across a name you don’t remember and want to check the glossary? You’ve got to use a search to find it. Not so reader friendly. Okay, so there’s one thing I don’t like about the experience so far, but it does keep me from skipping ahead to get to the good parts. No more indulging my weakness of passing over the boring scenes to see who lives or dies. My stealing a peek at the ending days are over!

Also, I can take it outside and read it in sunlight, unlike my laptop. The screen is not an LCD so glare doesn’t affect the pages. Excellent! I can enjoy my deck and fresh breezes while continuing to read.

On it goes, back and forth and back and forth; is the e-reader plus or minus? I don’t have to find space on my already crowded bookshelves. Big plus! But, on the other hand, I can’t display my new acquisition for visitors as proof of my good taste. (Yes, I’m that shallow.) Minus. If I drop taco sauce on my e-reader, it wipes off without an embarrassing stain on the pages. (This seems to happen a lot.) Plus. Yet, my local library is behind the times and doesn’t have e-books to lend. (Darn, no freebies!) Minus. Hooray, I’m saving paper and not cutting down trees. That’s the ultimate plus of an e-reader for me.

Improvement keeps balancing against setback. Perhaps what I’m complaining about is not the e-reader itself, but the differences it makes in my life. Though I still buy traditional books at times, my reading habits are forever altered. What I saw as drawbacks were simply changes. Changes? Adjustments to welcome and come to treasure like an old friend with a facelift. Reading is still the same friend, who’s just been made fresh with an electronic scalpel. Shouldn’t we all try to stay fresh?

What’s your opinion? Have any of you gone through the e-reader switch? Love it or hate it, want one or shun them? Give me your story.