The book vs. the movie
Time magazine has an article in the December 5 issue about recent film adaptations and the books upon which they are based, including PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE — Winner: Book
CHALLENGES: Hello? It’s only, like, one of the most acclaimed pieces of literature ever (although director Joe Wright had never read it). Those who love it love it a lot. To others, it smells a bit like homework. Not to mention that this is the third adaptation, including one of those BBC behemoths.
HOW THE BOOK WAS BETTER: It’s hard to match wits with the woman who wrote, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” The movie doesn’t try. It opens on a sunrise. The book is much funnier, the dialogue much cleverer, the social satire more nuanced. Oh, and some Austenites are spitting mad because the movie ends with a kiss.
HOW THE MOVIE IS BETTER: There’s a lot more of the grit of everyday life in 18th century rural Britain that was commonplace to Austen but is new to us. Animals wander through the house. There’s mud everywhere. Also, it ends with a kiss.
DEFINITIVE VERSION: The movie. Calm down: I’m kidding. The book, of course. But is there such a thing as too much Mr. Darcy?
Thanks to our Janeite Spy for the tip!
