It's going to be a tough one and you are going to find out why if you read on.
THE BOOK
I'm not going to beat about the bush, I am not a massive fan of this book. I liked how it touched on 1950s politics of Ireland lacking jobs, women still being cast in the mould of mother/caretaker/house wide and racism was also brushed upon. Those were, I have to say, the best bits of this novel. They gave what is essentially a love story some depth, some gravitas, something to get my teeth into.
However, that's basically where my enjoyment ended. I really couldn't get on board with the voice CT had adopted. You could tell that this was a bloke trying to write a story from a woman's perspective and it was irritating. I didn't like the whole love story aspect being the most dominant bit. It irritated me. I think that should have been in the background, not the fore!
Overall, it's a holiday read of a book and it's really not for me.
THE FILM
I'm afraid to say that I wasn't total enamoured with the film either. There were some corkers in the cast, Mr Broadbent and one Ms Julie Walters were cracking and really suited their roles. Also, I liked the humour that was injected into the film, that whilst present in the book on occasions, wasn't as laugh out loud funny as the film made it.
Also, I liked the fact that the film was a lot shorter than the book.
What I didn't like was how the politics was missed out completely. The film basically kept the love story and ignored everything else. Yes, I can see how maybe the politics side wouldn't sell as well, but I think it would make this film far more appealing.
CONCLUSION
So, on that note, I have to say that I think I preferred the film to the book. However, I'm not in love with either...to put it mildly!
Cheers
BG
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