Im reading the novel..

[patricia39]

Most of the time, films can not give us the whole event as what had happened in the book. In this case, books are more loved to follow than films. I am reading now "The Doubtful Guest" by Edward Gorey. It is very good as it gives me a delightful classic with quirkiness.

[ykeleven]

I saw the film first. The book was great, but I like the film just a shade better. For me, the book definitely added to the film. It filled the gaps and answered few questions, and brought on even more questions. Still, I had a slightly stronger emotional reaction to the film than to the book. Mind you, I couldn't put the book down. I spent 14 hours straight and read it. The book was that good.

[sweetgirl]

Yes , it was good they both are upsetting because it's not the end i know it

[LastDarkness]

Im probably gonna get flamed for this....but you should never compare the novel to the film. This a general rule of scripts/movies, one of the first things you learn in script writing.

[Robin]

you should never compare the novel to the film.

i totally agree!

[gattoparde59]

Im probably gonna get flamed for this....but you should never compare the novel to the film. This a general rule of scripts/movies, one of the first things you learn in script writing.

I am afraid I don't understand this comment. Never? I understand that movies and novels are two different things, but never compare? If Johnajvide writes a script based on his own novel he is in effect making a comparison by doing so.

[sweetgirl]

Im probably gonna get flamed for this....but you should never compare the novel to the film. This a general rule of scripts/movies, one of the first things you learn in script writing.

i wasn't comparing, i was saying that that does not seem like the end of the book

[Aurora]

Im probably gonna get flamed for this....but you should never compare the novel to the film. This a general rule of scripts/movies, one of the first things you learn in script writing.

i wasn't comparing, i was saying that that does not seem like the end of the book

It's down to the author where and when the story ends, as I understand it there was even less of a resolution at the end of Handling the Undead. This was cleared up with the lengthy epilogue The Final Handling in the short story collection Paper Walls. But in reality there doesn't have to be a neat and tidy ending with all questions answered and plot points tidied up, that's something that we're used to because most (but by no means all) mainstream films do it.

[Wolfchild]

Im probably gonna get flamed for this....but you should never compare the novel to the film. This a general rule of scripts/movies, one of the first things you learn in script writing.

Yep - I'll flame you for it.

Well, not flame but... this would of course be that attitude of any screenwriter. Who wants to be constrained by the choices of someone else (like an author), right?

If you are just writing a screenplay loosely based upon the story of a novel, then a comparison between them may not be apt. However, if you claim to writing a screen adaptation of a novel, then a comparison is entirely and properly apt. The question of, "Which medium tells the story better, and in what ways, and why?" may be uncomfortable for the screenwriter, but for the reader/viewer it can be one of the most interesting questions. Particularly when one or the other form of the story has really engaged the audience - as this story has.

An example that springs to mind is the sci fi short story Who Goes There? (which was briefly discussed in this thread). The first film adaptation of this story, The Thing From Another World bore almost no relation to the heart of Campbell's original story. A comparison would be rather uninteresting. However, John Carpenter's adaptation of the story in The Thing, was a much more faithful recreation of Who Goes There?, and a comparison between them is highly interesting.

In the case of the story Låt den rätte komma in, we have two faithful adaptations (more or less) to compare to the original story. The fact that one of the adaptations was done by JAL himself only makes the comparison more interesting. A faithful adaptation by him of his novel requires that he be bound by his own choices. I could easily wish that every writer be bound by their own choices.

Perhaps it is true than when writing a script, slavish devotion to a novel is a recipe for disaster. In the broader sense however, I must insist that the questions, "Was the story told better here or there?", and "Was it the same story?", are questions that must inevitably arise form a serious interest in the story. And I think that sweetgirl (along a few others here) definitely has a serious interest in the story.

Hmm... I guess that wasn't much of a flame. I'll try to do better next time.

[sweetgirl]

i knew !!!!!!!!!!!! he was writing another one all authors cant leave us mindless of whats going on , they got to finish their duties