Book vs. Adaptation | Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Dark Places is Gillian Flynn's second novel and was published in 2009, the film adaptation followed in 2015 after the success of the 2014 adaptation of Gone Girl. You can check out my review of the book here!

After Gone Girl pretty much took over the world it seemed only natural that filmmakers would be quick to snap another of Gillian Flynn's novels to adapt. Dark Places was the novel of choice - though I believe Sharp Objects is getting a television adaptation - and honestly I'm surprised I didn't see this advertised everywhere. Either I just wasn't looking for it, because at the time of its release I'd never read any of Flynn's work, or the marketing was kind of poor.

This year I finally dove into Flynn's work. So far I've read Dark Places and Sharp Objects, which I've also reviewed here, and I still haven't decided if I'm going to pick up Gone Girl. I think it's inevitable that I will at some point, but I think I need a bit of a break from Flynn's worryingly dark brain before I do.

While I wasn't a fan of Sharp Objects, I did really enjoy Dark Places - in fact after I read it I realised I'd actually enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I had - and because I think we can all agree that Charlize Theron is basically a goddess I was eager to check out the film adaptation. I love watching a good crime drama, I watch a lot more crime fiction than I read, and I enjoyed watching this one, too. Is it as good as the book? No. Is it still pretty good all the same? Yes.

First thing's first: if you have read the book (and personally I think you should read the book first because there's a lot more to get out of it) don't go into the adaptation expecting the characters to look at all like they're described. Charlize Theron looks like... well, Charlize Theron, but she's still a great actress. Actually I forget how good an actress she is until I see her in something and I'm reminded that she's hella talented, and she's brilliant as Libby.

Most of the changes between the book and the film, and there are changes as there always are when it comes to adapting a story into a different medium, involved cutting things out that would have made the film too long. The basics are there and a lot of it's done well; Charlize Theron is a very good Libby, but I think the cast as a whole played their parts well, even Chloe Grace Moretz made a character I wasn't entirely sure I believed in the book a lot more plausible. That being said, I'm not sure I would have understood the film as well as I did if I hadn't read the book first. Obviously I can't know for certain that that's true - I can't erase the book from my memory and watch the film again - but something about the film felt a little... lacking compared to the book. It's not a bad film at all, but there's no doubt that the book is better.

Ultimately if you're a fan of the book I think this is a decent adaptation and one that you'll enjoy. If you haven't read the book I recommend you do simply because you're missing out on a very good book, but this is still a great film if you just want to curl up with some popcorn and try to figure out whether the butler did it or not.

Top Ten Tuesday | Adaptations

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Book To Movie Adaptations I'm Looking Forward To or Ten Book To Movie Adaptations I Still Need To Watch', so today I decided to do a bit of both - I've got six adaptations I'm looking forward to, and four existing adaptations I still need to watch!

Adaptations I'm Looking Forward To

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins: The final instalment in The Hunger Games franchise is coming out this month and I can't wait to see it, even though it's going to be heartbreaking; I think Francis Lawrence has done fantastic things with these adaptations.

The BFG by Roald Dahl: I grew up with the 1989 animated adaptation of this film, starring David Jason, and the evil giants scared the crap out of me. 2016 marks Roald Dahl's centenary, and Steven Spielberg is directing a live action adaptation of The BFG. I'm really looking forward to this one.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters: One of my favourite books of this year is being adapted into a film - woohoo! Apparently Lucinda Coxon, who wrote The Danish Girl, has adapted the book into a screenplay, and Lenny Abrahamson, who is the director of the adaptation of Emma Donoghue's Room, will be directing it. Apparently Domhnall Gleeson will being in the film, but I'm hoping he's not playing the main character because personally I think he's far too young for the part. We'll see!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith: I haven't read the book, and I don't really have any intention of reading the book, but I can't deny that I think the trailer looks pretty awesome. I just love the idea of historical ladies kicking zombie butt, so I'll be going to see this one!

American Gods by Neil Gaiman: Bryan Fuller, the genius behind Hannibal, is adapting Neil Gaiman's masterpiece into a TV series. I am excite.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli: So it was recently announced that this book is going to be getting a film adaptation, which I am very excited for. I'm hoping it'll have an Easy A film to it, because I love that movie and I'd hate to see this book get a bad adaptation.

Adaptations I Still Need to Watch

Tipping the Velvet (2002): The simple reason I haven't watched this yet is because I haven't read the book yet, but I'm planning to read it soon and then I'm really looking forward to watching this!

Carrie (1976): Last month I read Carrie for the first time, and then on Halloween my dad and I watched the 2013 adaptation. Given that the original adaptation is such a staple horror movie, though, I'd love to give it a watch some time. Plus, other than Alien, I don't think I've watched many movies from the '70s.

Macbeth (2015): I was so desperate to go and see this in October - Macbeth is my favourite Shakespeare play - but unfortunately it wasn't showing in my local cinema. Oh well, hopefully I'll get a chance to see it soon!

Jane Eyre (2006): I love the 2011 adaptation of Jane Eyre starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender, but I've never seen the BBC miniseries which I know is a very popular adaptation. I like Ruth Wilson a lot, though, so I'd like to check it out!

Which adaptations made your list this week?

Book vs. Adaptation | Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (Part One)

I'm back today with another Book vs. Adaptation post, and the second Halloween-themed adaptation chat this month. If you want to see me chat about Henry Selick's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Coraline, you can check it out here!

Today, however, I'm going to be talking about Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's masterpiece, Rebecca.

Rebecca was published in 1938, and Hitchcock's adaptation followed two years later in 1940. The film is 130 minutes long and stars Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier and Judith Anderson.

After I finished reading Rebecca - a book I read around this time last year, and one I've thought about a lot since - I wasn't all that surprised to discover Hitchcock had adapted it; if anyone could adapt an exquisitely psychologically book that creeps under your skin and takes root there the way Rebecca does, it'd be this man. However, Daphne du Maurier considered withholding the film rights to Rebecca after seeing Hitchcock's 1939 adaptation of Jamaica Inn which, despite making an awful lot of money upon its release, was disliked by critics, by du Maurier and even by Hitchcock himself for completely lacking any of the suspense the novel has and turning the story into something of a comic romp. Luckily for us it seems du Maurier trusted Hitchcock to get her masterpiece right.

And did he? Yes, I'd say he did.

My mum and I are both fans of du Maurier, it's one of the few things we have in common, so one gloomy summer night we decided to watch it together and the two of us really enjoyed it!

This adaptation isn't without its faults by any means. There are the odd tweaks to the plot, but for the most part it's a very faithful and very atmospheric adaptation. Laurence Olivier makes for a tortured yet charming Maxim de Winter and Joan Fontaine, though a little too beautiful for Mrs. de Winter for me - she's a character I've always pictured as very plain, and Joan Fontaine is anything but that - certainly acts the part of Mrs. de Winter beautifully.

The star of this film for me, however, is Judith Anderson whose portrayal of the villainous Mrs. Danvers is just perfect. The woman's terrifying! She's quiet, still and so threatening, but threatening in the same way that voice in the back of your mind is when you're having a rough day; Mrs. Danvers is that part of our subconscious who makes us feel ashamed when we treat ourselves to that extra slice of cake or feel stupid when we introduce ourselves to new people. Perhaps it's just the English student in me, but there are times when, to me, Mrs. Danvers is the perfect personification of anxiety.

Something else I really loved about this adaptation is that we never see Rebecca. Some adaptations have her appear in flashbacks, but in this adaptation she doesn't appear at all and it makes her presence even more keenly felt because of it. We don't need to see her, we just need to see her 'R' emblazoned on almost everything Mrs. de Winter touches. 

(I promise that isn't a spoiler. Maxim de Winter is introduced as a widow very early on in the book, something I imagine most people can guess from the blurb anyway!)

Yes this film's old and yes it's in black and white, but I recommend checking it out. I was so surprised when I discovered it was made in 1940 because for such an early film I think it's pretty fantastic, and if black and white films bother you I promise that, after a while, you won't even notice it - in fact it really suits the mood of the film. I highly, highly suggest only watching this after you've read the book, though; it's one of those books which, whatever your tastes, I think everyone should read. It's that good.

Hitchcock's adaptation of du Maurier's work didn't stop here, either. The Birds (1963), probably his most famous film next to Psycho, is based off one of du Maurier's short stories. I think it's safe to say Hitchcock was a du Maurier fan, just stay away from his adaptation of Jamaica Inn!

I'll be back to discuss the 1997 miniseries soon!