Thursday, January 12, 2012

book talk: adaptations

I am a lover of book adaptations on film. I don't know about you, but I tend to feel like they're a different species than the book, so I'm interested, rather than horrified (um, usually) at the differences between my interpretation and the production company's.

So, when I got  the mini-series adaptation of Charles Dickens' Little Dorritt for Christmas, I was excited to see what it would be like. 


Screenwrite Andrew Davies did not disappoint. (I mean, since he is the genius behind this classic, this one and this one, it is hard to imagine he'd "miss"...) As dishy as it was Dickensian, this mini-series kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters which Dickens wrote with such cheek become real in their quirky, complicated ways, and you truly root for them. Even, and maybe especially, the ones who have more obvious flaws. 


Another thing I really like about this story is the fact that money plays a much more complicated role than usual. It is a story about debt vs. financial freedom, but not in the same way as you'd see/read in say, Jane Austen. Money is not the "solver of all problems," and I really appreciated that. 


Mystery, romance, colorful characters, and a fantastic cast, this mini-series is worth a watch. Just be prepared to get sucked in, and maybe plan for a few marathons, because you'll want to know what happens next! (at least I did)

2 comments:

Miss Bibliophile said...

I loved Little Dorritt! Bleak House from a few years back was also really good, and I there's a new adaptation of Great Expectations coming out on PBS later this spring. I agree, these Dickens adaptations are a nice change of pace (but still equally addicting) from all of the Austen adaptations.

nic said...

Oh, Miss B, you have such great taste:) And I have to agree with you; Dickens is a nice change of pace, indeed!

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