Books & Films

As some of you may know, if I see a film advertised, or hear about one, and I discover that it was originally a book, I have to find that book and read it before I watch the film. I don't like to be told how something should be, I would much rather make up my own mind about it first and then see the way another person would describe / portray it. Others may prefer to do things the other way around, I suppose, but each to their own I guess!

Anyway, I have had my work cut out for me in the last few months. I have heard about loads of films that are coming out / have already come out that this applies to. (None of which I have read before, which is an amazing thing in and of itself!)

Firstly, there was 'Twilight', and now I am devouring the whole series. Then there was 'Dorian Gray' and 'The Time Travellers Wife', the first of which was quite hard going and the second, I haven't even started yet as I have so many others on the go at the moment.

Then there was 'Inkheart' and I am looking for the others in the trilogy now, and finally, there is 'Coraline'.

This one is a very short book - I read the whole thing at work yesterday! - and it would probably have made more of an impact on me had I been somewhat younger. Still, it is a good yarn, and the back cover made me smile. On it are recommendations by three of my favourite authors. They were as follows;

"I think this book will nudge 'Alice In Wonderland' out of it's niche at last. It is the most splendidly original, weird and frightening book I have read, and yet full of things children will love"
Diana Wynne Jones

"This book will send a shiver down your spine, out through your shoes and into a taxi to the airport. It has the delicate horror of the finest fairy tales, and it is a masterpiece. And you will never think of buttons in quite the same way again."
Terry Pratchett

"This book tells a fascinating and disturbing story that frightened me nearly to death. Unless you want to find yourself hiding underneath your bed, with your thumb in your mouth, trembling with fear and making terrible noises, I suggest that you step very slowly away from this book and go find another source of amusement, such as investigating an unsolved crime or making a small animal out of yarn."
Lemony Snicket

Ok, it didn't scare me quite that much, but anyway............................................!

The scariest story that I ever read was the one about the girl who always wore a black velvet ribbon around her neck. She never took it off, even though the boy who lived next door kept asking her to. Eventually they grew up, married each other and grew old. On her death bed, the old lady asked her husband if he still wanted to know why she never took the ribbon off. He said 'Yes', and so she asked him to untie it for her. He did..........................................and her head fell off.

*shudder* That one gave me nightmares for weeks!!!