Which is better: the book or the movie?

 By Trina Boice


This blog was started by several authors who love to write and talk about writing.

Who doesn't want to write an epic novel that inspires generations and movies?

"Call me Ishmael" is probably one of the most famous first lines of a novel. You were probably forced to read it in high school.  If not, then you may have noticed it in this weekend's box office hit "In the Heart of the Sea."

Below is my movie review of Hollywood's latest attempt to live up to an incredible book.  How did they do?

In a Nutshell:     1820. A giant, vengeful whale.  A ship.  A determined captain.  Man vs. beast.  Imagine Entertainment and Director Ron Howard create a visual masterpiece with unbelievable cinematography, sailing you to the “edge of insanity.”

This seafaring yarn graphically illustrates how Herman Melville’s famous novel Moby-Dick came to be.  While the screen definitely captures your attention, the storytelling has movie critics disappointed.  I was entertained and intrigued, as well as disgusted and exhausted. 

As always, the book is better than the movie, but these special effects are innovative and effective.

Uplifting theme: 

• “Can man bend nature to our will? – Captain Pollard  (Benjamin Walker)
• Persistence and tenacity will see you through.
• Integrity is worth more than reputation or money.

Things I liked:

·         THOR!  If you’re not in awe of the giant whale, then you have handsome and studly Chris Hemsworth to stare at.

·         Believe it or not, I actually like it when there are water spots on the camera lens.  That tells me there was real water in the scene and not just CGI.  Then again, some of the scenes made me wonder if the water spots were CGI!  If so, nice detail!  The water scenes are so well done that sometimes you even feel like you’re going to get splashed on.

·         The scene with the blood raining from above was disgusting and extremely powerful.

·         I liked learning more about Melville, the author of Moby-Dick, and played by Ben Whishaw.

·         How did they get some of those amazing scenes?  Drones? 

·         Interesting camera angles.  I also love how the camera goes under the water and back above the water seamlessly.  Great underwater scenes.  You might feel like holding your breath.

·         I thought the whale pins were cool.  In order to earn one, young Tom Nickerson (Tom Holland) is told that “you have to thrust a killing lance into one of the largest beasts to grace this earth.”

·         I love the mention of Nathaniel Hawthorne.  Tom Nickerson asks “Have you read Hawthorne, Mr. Melville?  There’s a writer, great writer.”  Apparently, Herman Melville was quite taken with Hawthorne and even dedicated Moby-Dick to Hawthorne whom he compared to Shakespeare and called a genius.

·         Great sound effects, although sometimes a bit too loud.

·         I’ve always liked Charlotte Riley and wonder why we don’t see her more often.  She was really great in Ridley Scott’s medieval drama “World Without End.”

·         I’m always impressed with characters who rise above their temptations, like Cillian Murphy’s character, Matthew Joy. His resolve to not drink alcohol, even when things got tough, was inspiring and not seen often enough in movies.

·         I love that they included a quick shot of the words “My name is Ishmael” on the screen, which is the first sentence in the book Moby-Dick.

Things I didn’t like:

·         See it in 3D if you can, unless you get motion sickness.  You might get sea sick watching some of the scenes.  Just close your eyes for a few seconds and you’ll be fine.

·         Some scenes have so many loud noises between people yelling and waves crashing and boats creaking that you can’t quite understand what anyone is saying.

·         Animal activists will find many of the scenes unnerving.

·         I’ve never understood how all those sails and ropes work, but it’s always fascinating to watch sailors work it.

·         The scene that shows the ocean view from Owen’s house looks terribly artificial, but all of the other CGI scenes were very believable.

Interesting lines:

·         “Sometimes, the fewer questions one asks, the better.”   - Matthew

·         “I’ll come back as quick as a summer’s eve.” – Owen

“Just come back.” – Peggy

·         “Without you, the world plunges into darkness.” – Pollard senior

·         “Monsters, are they real or do the stories exist to respect the sea’s dark secrets?  The question both vexes and excites me.” – Herman Melville

·         “The whale?  So, it’s true?” – Melville

“Yes.  Too much is true.” – Nickerson

·         “The devil loves unspoken secrets.” –  Melville

·         “No right-minded sailor discards what might save him.” – Owen Chase
*    "We will surely perish out there." - Captain Pollard
       "We might also survive."  - Mr. Chase

Tips for parents:   

• The sailors draw a picture of a topless woman.
• Some profanity.
• Several intense scenes with lots of blood and guts. 
• Skeletons of dead guys might frighten young children.
• Explain to your kids that a “greenhorn” is the old-fashioned way of saying “newbie”.

Sailing definitions:

Doldrums: an equatorial region of the Atlantic Ocean with unpredictable and often no winds

Port side:  left-hand side of a ship

Squall:  a sudden violent storm

I always do all the “talking” in these reviews, but I want to hear what YOU liked and didn’t like!  Please comment below!

The Stranger She Married

Review by Rachel Rager

I am amazed at how the act of reading helps me as a writer. When I read well written books, I want to be a better writer and I try to incorporate new writing techniques. I think it was Nicholas Sparks who said that the best way to be a better writer is to read, read, read!
I’ve heard of Donna Hatch’s book, The Stranger She Married, for at least a year now and am just barely getting around to reading it. I am so sorry it has taken me so long! I really missed out on a great story for a very long time! Donna Hatch is not only a gifted writer but a master storyteller. Her story is full of adventure, intrigue and deception! What better elements are there for a romance book? (I loved this book and am very excited to finally own it!)

When her parents and only brother die within weeks of each other, Alicia and her younger sister are left in the hands of an uncle who has brought them all to financial and social ruin. Desperate to save her family from debtor's prison, Alicia vows to marry the first wealthy man to propose. She meets the dashing Lord Amesbury, and her heart whispers that this is the man she is destined to love, but his tainted past may forever stand in their way. Her choices in potential husbands narrow to either a scarred cripple with the heart of a poet, or a handsome rake with a deadly secret.
Cole Amesbury is tormented by his own ghosts, and believes he is beyond redemption, yet he cannot deny his attraction for the girl whose genuine goodness touches the heart he'd thought long dead. He fears the scars in his soul cut so deeply that he may never be able to offer Alicia a love that is true. When yet another bizarre mishap threatens her life, Alicia suspects the seemingly unrelated accidents that have plagued her loved ones are actually a killer's attempt to exterminate every member of her family. Despite the threat looming over her, learning to love the stranger she married may pose the greatest danger to her heart.

Tasty Words

By Trina Boice

I haven't eaten a hot dog since I was a Freshman in high school. That's when I was required to read the book "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair. The assignment was for my U.S. History class to supplement our study of the industrial revolution.

The morbidity of the working conditions at the turn-of-the-century mixed with the corruption taking place inside the meat packing factories were exposed by Sinclair and resulted in a public outrage that surprised even the author himself. Foreign sales of American meat fell by one-half. It was said that Sinclair bitterly admitted his celebrity rose "not because the public cared anything about the workers, but simply because the public did not want to eat tubercular beef."

Is the chemical aftertaste the reason why people eat hot dogs or is it some kind of bonus? Now, intellectually, I know that hot dogs have come a long way since then and are perfectly fine to eat, but emotionally, because I still remember those disgusting images that the author conjured up for me in my mind I just can't force myself to partake. That's good writing. His book played a crucial role in the creation of what became today's Food and Drug Administration. That's great writing.

Upton Sinclair's words were especially persuasive because he wrote with passion. He chose a topic that he felt strongly about and intended to arouse within the reader a call to action. When he began writing the novel, he was quoted as saying "Hello! I'm Upton Sinclair, and I'm here to write the Uncle Tom's Cabin of the Labor Movement!"

Sinclair's novel was finally published after five rejections, becoming an immediate bestseller. It has been in print ever since 1906. For those of you who are writing with great dreams of changing the world, just remember Upton Sinclair and the hot dog. Keep submitting your manuscripts and keep writing with passion!

May the BBQ of life only roast your hot dogs and never burn your buns.