I finished reading Revolutionary Road a week or so ago. It was good. Then, I watched the movie.
I always do this to myself - read the book first knowing that the movie will never compare. However....
There is only one other book I have read that the movie stayed true to and that was High Fidelity - almost verbatim (admittedly, not hard to do). Revolutionary Road didn't stay as true obviously, it certainly had to leave a lot of the back story out, but the characters made up for it. Leonardo made up for it, as did Kate. The feel, the look of it all, made up for it. Justin Haythe and Sam Mendes picked every word and note perfectly.
I think I can honestly say that I enjoyed the movie more than the book. Wow, that felt weird to say. That feels sacrilegious to say, like I'm going to be struck down by the god of books (cause you know there is one).
I was afraid to read this book, thinking it would hit too close to home somehow, but it didn't hit home so much until I saw the look in Leo's eyes - maybe I'm just a sucker for a well played fucked up husband, but I was moved just a little. Both of them, husband and wife, are fucked up just enough to drive you a little crazy. You want to yell at them to just be honest with themselves already, for 'god' sakes. It's like watching the pretty girl in her underwear run upstairs into a closet to get away from the knife wielding freak while that skeery music plays ha ha ha ha he he he he (I always try and avert my eyes, and I'm such a jumper when the scary scene pops, it's embarrassing really. But, I digress).
Anyways, you should all watch it, if you haven't already, and tell me what you thought.
So now, I'm reading this other book The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews. I love this woman - she has this subtly dark and edible sense of humour that leaves you smiling at some bizarre but touching image, like this one where she writes about Hattie and her somewhat emo nephew:
Logan took a roach out of his pocket and stuck in his mouth. Hey, no, you can't do that, smarten up, I said. Give me that. I tried to grab the thing out of his mouth but he moved his head and then grabbed my wrist in mid-air and held it there for an improbable amount of time. And I realized he wanted to be holding my wrist or at least holding something warm and human so we drove awhile like that, him holding up my arm like it was a big fish he'd caught and he was eight years old and having his picture taken.
I read that and thought, huh? She has this way of making me smile... or maybe it's just me that finds that funny enough to smile and shake my head - as if she just nailed some point in my geeky inner self lifetime. I like that. I like her.

She kind of reminds me of a wiser Courtenay Love (oxymoron?) in this picture.
Anyways, I'm not done this book yet so if you've read it, don't blow the ending. But, I know
y'all haven't read it, cause she's
CANADIAN.... Whatever, go out and get it, you wont be disappointed.
k, that's it for your lit.er.ary nonesense summer book sharing session. Group hug?
