Book Review!

Hey gang,

So... tomorrow apparently equals a week from now. Sorry for the delay, but if it's any consolation, in the mean time I have read another book. I'm not going to review, it, however. My original plan was to review "Wonder Boys" by Michael Chabon and I plan to continue that course. I did read "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. As good as that book was, I don't really have the willpower to think about it (it's REALLY depressing).

So...

Wonder Boys was an excellent read, even if it sadly took me FOREVER to finish. Michael Chabon's style is very engaging, and there were more than a few times where I had to sit back and simply marvel at well put-together the prose was.

The plot, centering around a mid-life crisis plagued author/professor torn between 2.5 romantic interests, was also very enjoyable. Chabon does an excellent job of painting characters, their flaws, and giving them voices.

Finally, I liked that the book was set in western Pennsylvania. I don't know the area well, but it seemed well-portrayed and part of the fun of a good book is getting a feel for places you haven't been.

After I finished the book, I decided to see if Netflix had engulfed the rights to show it through their "Watch Now" feature. They had. I decided to give it a whirl. Needless to say, as with any adaptation, I had my gripes. Katie Holmes is annoying in any context, and in this one, her irritating nature shown through even brighter. Even though her character in the book was my least favorite, she somehow went above and beyond and made me want to punch her in her stupid Joey face even more. On the other side, I thought that Sara Gaskell was perfectly cast by Frances McDormand. Michael Douglas was a middle of the road choice (I would have preferred Alec Baldwin, frankly). Robert Downey Jr.? Always a good choice, and I felt that this was no different. There were obvious gaps in the screenplay that were frustrating as well- a complete neglect to the Passover portion of the story, the Vernon Hardapple mix-ups, etc., but all in all, it was a decent adaptation. The movie, I'd give a solid "B."

The book, however? I would rate it at least A-. A solid read, and further proof that Americans can still produce SOLID literature.

With that breath, I will note that I have moved on and accross the pond to a Nick Hornby novel, "Slam." Hopefully I'll finish it before it gets fit for the big screen, but I have a tendancy of being crappy. Wish me luck!