"Me TOO! Can you even believe they made it into a movie?"
"What?"
"Yeah, they left out the best parts in the writing too!"
"You mean there's a book?"
"Oh, you're one of THOSE PEOPLE."
"What do you mean? Just because I didn't read the book doesn't mean I can't like it!"
"No, it just means you don't appreciate or even know anything about it."
"The book was probably long and boring anyway. Don't be jealous just because I didn't have to sleep through six hundred pages."
It's a struggle that will go on for ages. The Book vs. The Movie version. No matter where you stand on this issue, I'm hoping that you all can agree that both have their moments. I believe there are movies that totally do the book justice, and both are equal in awesomness. I believe there are movies that are so incredible, they outdo the book on every front. I believe there are movies that are so awful, they create "haters" for a book that was spectacular.
I'll throw out a few notorious Book/Movies
-Lord of the Rings
-Twilight
-Chronicles of Narnia
-Princess Bride
-Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
-To Kill A Mockingbird
These and many others like it carry a large debate, which version was better? The Print? Or the Reel?
Since I'm the author of this piece, you might find it helpful to know that my prejudice in this debate is towards that of the Book, however, I have no agenda in convincing you to agree.
I've recently read two books, and then went to see their movie counterparts in the theaters. In round one we will be discussing...
Warm Bodies
By: Isaac Marion 256 Pages
"I shake my head apologetically, but I wince at her use of the word "human." I've never liked that differentiation. She is Living and I'm Dead, but I'd like to believe we're both human. Call me and idealist."
Warm Bodies is about R, a zombie in an apocalyptic world. He can't remember what his life was before he died, heck, he can't even remember his name. His life is a meaningless shuffle around the zombie infested airport and hunting the living in the city. That is, until he meets Julie, a living girl whose boyfriend he just ate. Whatever is going on between Julie and R, is changing the dead into... not quite so dead. But do they have enough time to save humanity? And will anyone understand? Probably not. That's why this book is funny, scary, and thought provoking.
In this world, the dead can be changed back into the living, if they receive and give LOVE. Love is the cure to the zombie apocalypse. (Wish it was that easy in Walking Dead...)
I enjoyed reading this book on my kindle, because I was free to highlight and mark pages as well as make notes. I highlighted so many wonderful quotes. And the best part is that they range from laugh out loud funny, to sit and ponder thought provoking. I feel like I have to share some more, because the writing is so beautiful, and if my wonderful synopsis didn't get you interested, I think the poetry of the writing will.
"I long for exclamation marks, but I'm drowning in ellipses."
"What's wrong with people?" She says, almost too quiet for me to hear. "Were they born with parts missing or did it all fall out somewhere along the way?"
"I feel like a toddler caught finger-painting the walls. Or killing dozens of people."
"Can the Dark Ages' doctors be blamed for their methods? The blood-letting, the leeches, the holes in the skulls? They were feeling their way blind, grasping at mysteries in a world without science, but the plague was upon them; they had to do something..."
"I am thinking about death. I'm thinking how brief life is compared to it."
I mean, really, just lyric, beautiful, engaging writing all the way through the book. I was never bored and always wondering what would happen next. It's a quick read and well worth your time to pick up.
THEN. I saw the movie.
And you know what? I loved it.
When it was true to the book, it was dead on. When they had to make changes, they were practical and most of the time for realism's sake or to cut down on time. They left everything important in while adding a bit more exposition which is fine by me.
I thought that the fact that R doesn't talk in the book, but has a running monologue of wonderful thoughts in his head, would be a hindrance, and wouldn't work on screen (think Hunger Games), but I was happily wrong. The narrative goes throughout the movie, this is what lets us think of this story as funny. The fact that a Zombie can have thoughts and feelings that it cannot express is a new thought, and in a world where almost every zombie plot possible has been written this is a nice change.
I even favored a few cuts. R's "family" in the book, was a confusing and random thing for me, and it would've been even harder to play out on screen.
I was only disappointed with one cut. For those familiar with either book or movie, my issue is with how R gets into the living's encampment in the movie. I think the scene from the book would've been cinematic gold. It's funny, and pretty realistic in terms of breaking in that fortified camp.
There is one HUGE change from the print to the screen, and that is Julie's relationship with her father. I'm not sure which version of this I liked better, but they were SO different. I think the book goes along with the theme in the writing which is that love changes people, and if a person is unwilling to love, they are less human than the zombies. The movie goes along with the, we need a happy and completely resolved ending to this movie! (Which is too bad, because there WILL one day be a sequel to Warm Bodies, and they kind of made it so they can't make another movie.)
So, I've thrown you the facts and the numbers, what do I think? I think the book and the movie are equal. They serve different purposes. The book is there to make you think and feel. The movie is there to entertain you. Both of them do extremely well at their tasks, so I just can't call a definite winner on this one. I will recommend, that if you love the movie, you should read the book. And if you love the book, you should see the movie. I don't believe either party will be disappointed!
TIE!
Read On,
Jamie
