This is part 4 of my Based on the Book series and also a book review for the 2014 version of Sisters Book Challenge. When Kati gave me my list of ten books for the year, there were so many good choices and I wanted to read them all at once. Instead, I broke the list down into manageable pieces and decided to read 1 selection a month. My choice for March matches perfectly with my discussion of books and their movie counterparts.
For every Sound of Music {swoon}, there is a Seven Brides For Seven Brothers {ugh!}. Not every musical is created equal. For me, My Fair Lady sits neatly in the swoon category. However, I had never read the play on which it was based, Pygmalion
(affiliate link) by George Bernard Shaw. I snapped it up for free on my Kindle and started reading it in the van while waiting for Brian to run an errand.
In the beginning, I found it hard to read. While a story fills in details and uses creative imagery, a play states it directly. Instead of describing how a character may be standing, a play simply says [Character] standing upright by the desk with her hand on the corner. It took some getting used to.
The other thing that surprised me was how bare-bones the play was compared to the movie musical. It shouldn't have surprised me, given that the play was short, but I kept waiting for certain plot points from the movie that never happened. And I hope this is not too much of a spoiler alert, but the ending of the book and the ending of the movie are complete opposites. All through the play, I thought I knew how it would all turn out in the end, but I didn't know at all!
Have you ever read a play? Maybe Shakespeare? What did you think? Did you find it awkward or did you love it?
For every Sound of Music {swoon}, there is a Seven Brides For Seven Brothers {ugh!}. Not every musical is created equal. For me, My Fair Lady sits neatly in the swoon category. However, I had never read the play on which it was based, Pygmalion
(affiliate link) by George Bernard Shaw. I snapped it up for free on my Kindle and started reading it in the van while waiting for Brian to run an errand. In the beginning, I found it hard to read. While a story fills in details and uses creative imagery, a play states it directly. Instead of describing how a character may be standing, a play simply says [Character] standing upright by the desk with her hand on the corner. It took some getting used to.
The other thing that surprised me was how bare-bones the play was compared to the movie musical. It shouldn't have surprised me, given that the play was short, but I kept waiting for certain plot points from the movie that never happened. And I hope this is not too much of a spoiler alert, but the ending of the book and the ending of the movie are complete opposites. All through the play, I thought I knew how it would all turn out in the end, but I didn't know at all!
Have you ever read a play? Maybe Shakespeare? What did you think? Did you find it awkward or did you love it?
Come back next week when I discuss a list of books I want to read before they are made into movies.
I had to read a few plays in high school and college, but I've never read any of my own choosing.
ReplyDelete