Books and the Big Screen

This is a sample article that I submitted last year as part of my Journalism portfolio. The briefing was to create a business rationale and sample articles in a group, for a digest magazine. Our project was called 'MUD' (Midlands University Digest) and the idea was to combine the best of student publications from across the Midlands, covering a wide range of topics including Entertainment.

 

The age old debate gets another bashing.

On a rare Sunday evening alone with no family visits planned or sickeningly close deadlines, my husband and I decided to take a long awaited trip to cinema.  Knowing there was no chance that I would willingly sit through the unappealing sequel ‘Wrath of the Titans’ and I knowing that he wouldn’t stay conscious during ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’, we decided to compromise with ‘The Hunger Games.’

            We were both pleasantly surprised by the time the end credits rolled, it was easy to see why the film had smashed box office records.  The basic plot, if you haven’t seen the film is that in a post-apocalyptic world, where North America once existed, is now the country Panem.  Other than The Capitol, the technologically and economically advanced metropolis, the country is divided into 12 Districts where ordinary people live in a state of poverty.   Every year, a boy and a girl from each District are selected via lottery to fight until the death in The Hunger Games, a gruesome reality TV show broadcasted across the country.  The winner earns extra food for their district for the following year.  As big science fiction fans, we found this concept of a post-apocalyptic society fascinating although altogether quite unrealistic. 

            During our animated debate of the film on the journey home, I decided to search for reviews on my iPhone.  I was disappointed but unsurprised to find that ‘The Hunger Games’ was an adaptation of a teen novel.

Yet another book has been unleashed into the world via a mega-movie franchise and yet again, there are bound to be hoards of fans complaining that it’s nowhere near as good as the book, which is so often true.  However after reading a couple of discussions on fan forums, I found that this wasn’t really the case.  Many critics have actually praised the film for being, and dare I say it…better than the book.

If I know that a film has been adapted for the screen from a novel, I will make an effort to read it before I see it.  I will never be able to read a book after seeing the film and not be able to imagine the settings, the characters appearance and personality without having the images from the film at the forefront of my mind.  A film adaptation is obviously one persons (or a group of people) manifestation of how they visualised the story.  The case being unfortunately that I find myself unable to picture my own vision of the text without the director’s interpretation popping in my mind.  Hence my disappointment upon discovering ‘The Hunger Games’ origin, all I want to do now is read the book but I know that as good as the book may be, I will only be disappointed. 

Despite the masses of complaining fans, and the disappointed prospective readers like myself, you can’t blame authors for jumping at the chance to have their carefully crafted words adapted for the big screen; it could make them millions, just look at JK Rowling and the success of her Harry Potter series.  In the relatively impecunious book world, writing books that become films is a clever way of making money, not only by earning profits from the film but it can also boost the sales of the original book.

Some authors will openly admit to writing their novels intending it for it to end up in cinemas.  Emily Rhodes, writer for The Spectator, notes in her article “Books vs. Films, Ishiguro vs. Greene” of author Grahame Greene’s intentions as a novelist:

            “’ ‘When I describe a scene, I capture it with the moving eye of the cine-camera rather than with the photographer’s eye – which leaves it frozen … I work with the camera, following my characters and their movements.’”

In her article, Rhodes goes on to say how unsurprising it is that so many of Greene’s novels have been reincarnated as films.  Here is a writer whose talent and good business acumen, are earning him an attractive income.  Peruvian author, Mario Vargas Llosa, does something similar with his 1973 novel ‘Captain Pantoja and the Special Service.’  This was written in a cinematic style, and was adapted into a film only two years after publication and co-directed by Vargas Llosa himself.

In her comparison, Rhodes also addresses Kazuo Ishiguro who, in complete contrast to Grahame Greene has declared that when writing, he is always attempting to write something that is impossible to film.  He argues that a book, unlike a film, gets inside a readers head and allows them to develop the story on their own terms, a point of view I happen to agree with.  By reading a novel, you’re able to visualise locations, flesh out characters, form instinctive opinions and sometimes attachments to characters.  For me, the beauty of a book comes from its layers, and how a reader reacts to it each time they read it.  Every time I read a book more than once, I learn something new that I didn’t see the first time.  ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ by Arthur Golden is a prime example of this; I have read it twice and the second time around I learnt so much more than the from my first reading and I know I haven’t finished it yet, it’s going to take a few more attempts before I really grasp some of the subplots.  Whereas with the film adaptation, as aesthetically wonderful as it is, I feel that I have seen it once and that’s all I need to do. I don’t feel any differently about the story or characters, all I see is one person’s manifestation of something we have both read.

            Seven out of ten Best Picture Oscar Winners in the 1940s were based on novels and today is no different with the addition of graphic novels being thrown into the mix.  In recent years, cinemas have seen an explosion of comic book characters being adapted for films; Spiderman, Fantastic Four, Hulk (twice!) and Iron Man to name just a few.  So now graphic novelists and comic book writers are facing the same fate as many novelists, and with another audience of fans to attempt to please and possibly disappoint. 

Like Kazuo Ishiguro, there are some writers in the comic book industry who prefer to avoid the contagious Hollywood franchise bug.  Alan Moore, author of ‘Watchmen’ is possibly the most notorious.  He and artist Dave Gibbons produced a twelve part series of comics which were later combined to create a graphic novel.  In 2009, it was adapted into a film, much to Moore’s aversion.  Like ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’, Moores ‘Watchmen’ is an in-depth and multi layered novel that addresses so many themes and issues such as our dysfunctional society.  Again this is something that needs to be read more than once, in order for the reader to really understand and see all the intricate subplots that Moore and Gibbons have weaved into the panels of images.  Being very much aware of his own masterpiece, Moore has publicly detached himself from the film adaptation, declaring that it simply isn’t the same as the novel and in no way does it justice. Having seen the film and fallen asleep through sheer boredom, I was reluctant to read the novel when it was assigned to me on a Popular Texts reading list last semester.  I eventually submitted to the task and could see Moore’s frustration with it; the film adaptation was ambitious but failing to grasp the depth of the characters and political backdrop.  If it weren’t for the book being assigned to me, would I have even read it? Probably not, which begs me to wonder how many other people have been discouraged from the text after having seen the film, whether it be ‘Watchmen’ or otherwise.

I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Hunger Games’ as a film and I eagerly await the following two instalments.  As yet though I am undecided in whether to read the novels, firstly because they’re pigeon-holed ‘Teen novels’, a term which simply gives me nightmares in the form of the Twilight saga.  And secondly because I cannot bear to be disappointed again by a film I enjoyed on face value.

For now though, I shall plough on with my personally assigned summer reading list; Interview with a Vampire, Cold Mountain, Children of Men, Practical Magic and The Godfather are but a few and yes…they were all turned into films. 

I'm an Editor! (sort of)

It would appear as though I have failed in maintaining my blog...again.
However I didn't fail my second year of university- Yay! I completed the year with two A's, four B's and a C, not bad if I do say so myself.

Although I've still had no luck on the work experience front, I've even applied for a few paid freelance writing jobs but to no avail. It might not be so frustrating if prospective employers would just let me know that I've been unsuccessful, rather than just leaving me hanging in this limbo-land of uncertainty.

Never one to sit around twiddling my thumbs between shelf-stacking shifts, I have made the most of my time off over the summer. Aside from spring cleaning and sorting out my household junk into eBay listings, I have become involved the student newspaper.

As mentioned in my previous posts, I wrote a couple of features for Cry Wolf before, but due to students being unaware of its existence, the new Student Union President has decided to relaunch it with a new name and team.  The previous editor Gema, was managing the whole thing on her own and the lack of support added to its demise.
But this time, we have five section editors and we're currently on the look out for an Editor in Chief.  I am the co-editor of the Culture section alongside another student, Lucy. Our section covers Food & Drink, Literature, Theatre and Art & Fashion.

My experience in these areas is covered in the following ways; I eat and drink daily, I read...a lot. I went to the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (to see Aladdin) and I wear clothes.
Thus far, its been a challenge, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it and I can't wait for it to be launched.

I've recently had feedback from my Journalism project, which I received a B for. The comments from my lecturer were fair and constructive, and are really going to help me in my new role. I'm still assembling my team of writers and  photographers and this Saturday I am attending my first Asian Arts event in Wolverhampton which is the subject of my first feature.

I'm really excited to see it published on the finished website and be part of a project that will hopefully continue for many years after I graduate. I'll stop now before I start singing and dancing about it, I think I've spent too much time listening to the SU President, our self-proclaimed 'Dreamer.'

Fingers crossed it will be successful and toes crossed that the President will let us have T-Shirts!

Answers on a Postcard please?

A few months ago, when the editor of Cry Wolf entered our journalism classroom and blew me away with enthusiasm and grand ideas, I thought "This is exactly the kind of motivation I needed! I must be more proactive in choosing my career when I graduate"

Since then, I've tried to read more news, have more of an opinion on current affairs and to generally write more, even if its just emotional wafflings in my journal.
I decided to apply for work experience at Tindal Street Press in Birmginham, raved about by lecturers as the big dogs in publishing outside of London. I think this is mainly because most of my lecturers have been published by Tindal Street Press and trying to plug their own work while they're teaching.

Anyway I was rejected. Rejected. I dont think I have ever been rejected by something I really, really wanted before, I was devastated. I may have even cried a little bit.
It may sound a little bit arrogant but I'm 24 years old, I've worked in a variety of jobs, I very rarely get turned down for jobs and when I do its for jobs I didnt particuarly want in the first place.  I've worked in management, I'm brilliant at interviews, my experience usually speaks for itself.

I thought in order to build a portfolio and gain experience in the industry, the first thing to do would be to get some valuable work experience in a reputable company. But it turns out, my application wasnt strong enough and I didn't show enough specific interest in the company or a particuarly literary strand. But...I dont know which literary strand I want to work in, thats why I want to do work experience, so I can learn about it from the inside.
I understand that being the only big publishers in the Midlands, they are overwhelmed with applications so they have to be selective but still doesnt make it any less disappointing.

I've written a couple of articles for Cry Wolf recently but the majority of people just arent aware of its existence, so I'm not sure whether I'm wasting my time or not.

On Friday I attended a Journalism lecture about Gonzo journalism which was fashioned by Hunter S. Thompson, author of  'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.'
In all honesty the lecture just baffled me, I spent the whole 2 hours thinking of Gonzo from the muppets because the lecturer failed to give a definition of the term.  Then she asked us to write a feature article in the style of Gonzo about two candidates in the Student Union elections.

Today I decided to go over my lecture notes and read some of my fellow students interpretations of the assignment to see if I had the right idea in mind and I was bowled over.
Jasmine and Sam were the only students so far to have posted their articles in the Journalism forum and they were both brilliant. Jasmine's was funny and insightful and she wasnt afraid to let her vulnerability shine through in her writing.
Sam's was also funny but in a more Middle-Class, intellectual way with references to politics and apparently well-known journalists who I've never heard of. Both were well contstructed, flowed well and got to the point.

They have put me to shame, I'm now doubting my abilities, my style, my talent (if I actually have any) and I thought "No wonder Tindal Street rejected me, I'm no good."

I don't know what I'm going to do now. Do I carry on writing at this mediocre, average level, always knowing that these are the people I'm going to have to cope with? Do I try harder and fail in the process? Should I simply resign myself to the fact that I will work at Asda, stacking shelves for the rest of my natural life?
My husband, much as I love him doesn't understand my problem. He rarely reads and when he does its usually a book about species of birds or plants or a gamekeeping/ shooting magazine. I wish I could talk to someone who could give me an answer, who could say "This is the job for you, you'll be brilliant at it so now just do XYZ and you'll be eternally happy with a decent amount of money."

Charmian Hussey

This is an article assigned to me by the editor of CryWolf about an author called Charmian Hussey.

http://www.wolvesunion.org/news/article/6911/Hussey-A-Howling-Success-and-Inspiration/?skin=newspaper&template=newspaper-article

Thoroughly Marvellous Millican

This is a review that I wrote of a Sarah Millican gig I attended with my husband on 4th February at Wolverhampton Civic Hall:

http://www.wolvesunion.org/news/article/6911/Thoroughly-Marvellous-Millican/?skin=newspaper&template=newspaper-article

Not at all Marvellous

A book review of "A Tiny Bit Marvellous" by Dawn French.

This is the story of Mo Battle, a child psychologist approaching fifty who doesn’t understand her own teenagers.  The story is told in the format of a diary with the entries being written in turn from the perspective of Mo, her eighteen year old daughter Dora, and her sixteen year old son Peter.  The storyline and general character base are an interesting depiction of modern family life and have the potential to be developed into an insightful and enjoyable read.

However poor character development, prose and narrative are the biggest let downs here. I didn’t expect the next great British novel from Dawn French, but I did expect some humour. 

Dora, I imagine is based on Harry Enfield’s exaggerated teenager Kevin, Peter who is supposed to be obsessed with Oscar Wilde came across as arrogant and irritating and Mo, for a child psychologist, she seems to have absolutely no awareness of anyone around her.  The only characters who had any depth and interest to them were the overlooked and neglected Husband and Grandmother, not just by the co-protagonists but by the author too.

The diary format, I personally felt was lazy.  It failed to show any interaction between the characters, which when writing about the relationships in a family, should have been considered an important factor.  An omnipotent, third person narrator would have suited this story much better.

Overall this was a boring, lazy use of cliché with an ending that could have saved the novel but was finished in too much of a hurry.  Dawn French should either quit while she’s ahead or take some writing classes.

CryWolf

It's been a while again! I've been completely out of the writing loop over the last few months and I didnt get around to writing any of my reviews...Shame on me! However I do have a valid excuse, my Wedding which is taking place this Sunday and has kept me extremely occupied over the summer.

However, my creative juices are flowing and I'm ready to let them pour out. This week I took my first step into the real world of journalism and I attended a meeting for my University's online magazine; CryWolf.
The editor Gemma, is exactly my cup of tea and her enthusiasm and passion for journalism has made me very eager to join in.
I've a few ideas rattling around my head for some feature articles but to begin with I think I'm goin to start with a restaurant review, which is currently an uncovered section of the magazine.

Gemma only recently decided that she wanted to become a journalist and already she has built up a massive portfolio that she's hoping will get her on the journalism ladder once she graduates.

Fingers crossed for her and also fingers crossed for me!

http://www.wolvesunion.org/crywolf/