Fünf
Book Title: "Tamara Drewe"
Author: Posy Simmonds
Page Count: 136
First Published: 2007
Rating: superfunk - golden - sweet - blah - superblah- blergh - goatfood
I watched the movie recently and liked it very much, but I though that for an adaption of a book by Thomas Hardy, even though I never read it, it was terribly cheerful. So I couldn't resist buying the graphic novel it was based on, and, I KNEW it, it was far less cheerful. I also bought "Far from the Madding Crowd" by which the graphic novel was inspired, but right now I'm too phlegmy to put up with a classic. So, here goes.
In "Tamara Drewe", the eponymous heroine returns from London to the farm which she inherited from her mother and stirs up the village and the nearby writer's retreat. She brings with her her rock star fiance who, in his turn, stirs up the village youth. After a lot of cheating and tricking and stuff, in the movie, all is well - even the crazy fangirl gets together with the rock star. In the graphic novel, not so. She gets him, all right - he seems fascinated by her, but she is too young - and then she dies. Much more Hardy that way, isn't it? And there's a famous author who constantly cheats on his very loving wife, and he too had to die, both in film and novel - but the wife does not get her HEA, as she does in the film. People in general stay more alone, which also smacks more of Hardy. Interestingly, Hardy is mentioned much more in the movie. Then there's the fact that all the women are played by much thinner actresses, and the main male character, instead of being quite fit, is played by someone flabby and fat, though you still buy that he gets the girls. I'd rather not get into this, to be honest, make of it what you will.
So, while the movie was very amusing and actually worth multiple watchings because of the laughs and quirky characters, the graphic novel goes that one step further and adds not only theatrical, but human tragedy. Oh, and also, I loved the way it was designed. All the pictures are in colour, very beautifully drawn, and while there are some speech/thought bubbles, most of the narration is actually blocks of text interspersed with the pictures, which is much more to my taste.
Author: Posy Simmonds
Page Count: 136
First Published: 2007
Rating: superfunk - golden - sweet - blah - superblah- blergh - goatfood
I watched the movie recently and liked it very much, but I though that for an adaption of a book by Thomas Hardy, even though I never read it, it was terribly cheerful. So I couldn't resist buying the graphic novel it was based on, and, I KNEW it, it was far less cheerful. I also bought "Far from the Madding Crowd" by which the graphic novel was inspired, but right now I'm too phlegmy to put up with a classic. So, here goes.
In "Tamara Drewe", the eponymous heroine returns from London to the farm which she inherited from her mother and stirs up the village and the nearby writer's retreat. She brings with her her rock star fiance who, in his turn, stirs up the village youth. After a lot of cheating and tricking and stuff, in the movie, all is well - even the crazy fangirl gets together with the rock star. In the graphic novel, not so. She gets him, all right - he seems fascinated by her, but she is too young - and then she dies. Much more Hardy that way, isn't it? And there's a famous author who constantly cheats on his very loving wife, and he too had to die, both in film and novel - but the wife does not get her HEA, as she does in the film. People in general stay more alone, which also smacks more of Hardy. Interestingly, Hardy is mentioned much more in the movie. Then there's the fact that all the women are played by much thinner actresses, and the main male character, instead of being quite fit, is played by someone flabby and fat, though you still buy that he gets the girls. I'd rather not get into this, to be honest, make of it what you will.
So, while the movie was very amusing and actually worth multiple watchings because of the laughs and quirky characters, the graphic novel goes that one step further and adds not only theatrical, but human tragedy. Oh, and also, I loved the way it was designed. All the pictures are in colour, very beautifully drawn, and while there are some speech/thought bubbles, most of the narration is actually blocks of text interspersed with the pictures, which is much more to my taste.