Who here has read it, or seen a movie of it, and what did you think?
When I was a kid, I saw a miniseries of it. I guess it was on public television, because the IMDB says, if it’s the one I’m thinking of, it was produced before I was born. Anyway, I loved it, and read the book. Actually, not cover to cover, but just skipping around looking for the lovey bits. Then a few years ago, I found a copy of the 1990 version in a bargain bin and snagged it. Pretty terrible (Sean Bean didn’t detract from it, but it was beyond saving) and I thought perhaps I’d been exaggerating the quality of the earlier series.
But a while ago, I stumbled across some clips from the 2001 version on Youtube. Vast improvement: better photographed, better acted, and overall much tighter than the 1990 version. I’m currently in the midst of reading the book, and when I’m finished, I’ll borrow the DVD from the library. So I’m eager to discuss it with others.
I will say this from what I’ve read so far. John Ridd has a real “voice”: a bit self-deprecating and ironic. Also, after reading about his first meeting with Lorna, as children, I’m wondering if we might be holding Twilight to too high a standard. I mean it’s, “Hi, I’m John thanks for saving me d’you like me, d’you like me? Well, I like you too can I come back and see you, huh, can I, I’ll give you a puppy!” (Literally, he offers to bring her a dog.) Now, I’m not defending Stephenie Meyers as a writer, but LD is supposed to be classic literature, and we have the same trope of a guy instantly obsessed and putting a girl he doesn’t even know on a pedestal, while at the same time acting like a total dork.
(And don’t worry about spoiling anything; I remember the gist of it.)
