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The Great Gatsby: Book vs Film

Adapting a book like The Great Gatsby into a film is both an incredibly difficult challenge and ridiculously easy. On the one hand, the novel, written by F Scott Fitzgerald and published in 1925, is one of the most beloved and well-known novels of the 20th century. People across the world have an idea in their heads of what Jay Gatsby should look like, what his house should look like, what his parties were really like. If you get it wrong, people will notice and tear the film to shreds. That said, The Great Gatsby is one of the few novels which truly lends itself to being adapted. Firstly, the novel itself is actually quite short, so a lot of what is written about in the book could – hypothetically – be left in. Nothing need be cut dramatically or altered. Secondly, the novel is unbelievably light on dialogue.

So much of what made Fitzgerald's novel so popular revolved around his exquisite prose, the innate detail in his descriptions of locations, outfits, mannerisms, people and all the little nuances of 1920s New York. It is all wealth and appearances but much of this is explained to the reader through the narrative rather than shown through dialogue and action. A young man is lured to New York to make his fortune and moves in next to the elusive Mr Gatsby, who he later learns has already been acquainted with his cousin Daisy before she married Tom Buchanan. For a story that revolves around Gatsby, it is worth noting that the man himself does not actually appear until chapter three, only adding, of course, to the intrigue behind his character.

May's Literary Adaptations

There's one major adaptation out this month but that doesn’t mean there’s only one film out worth seeing. From old school glamour to modern-day heartbreaking drama, there is something for all tastes this May. I'm so excited – it's going to be epic!

Friday 10th

Based on true events, Our Children is a heartbreaking tale of young love gone wrong. As a young couple get married and start having children, the mother is left to cope with the stresses of motherhood without any help and the pressures forced on her lead to her gradual descent into depression. A powerful and affecting film about what can happen when women have nobody to turn to.

Thursday 16th

The long-awaited Baz Luhrmann adaptation of The Great Gatsby finally arrives in cinemas this month. The man who brought us Moulin Rouge! and Romeo & Juliet returns to his vivacious and dramatic best with this adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel about America in the early 1900s. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Gatsby with support from Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton and Tobey Maguire. Flapper dresses at the ready, ladies!

April's Literary Adaptations

Shock horror - the adaptations out at the cinema this month are... well... notably absent! There is actually some originality in the cinemas this April. So, for a change, let's have a look at the home cinema releases that will be ready to add to your DVD/Blu-ray collection over the next few weeks. There are three pretty spectacular adaptations there that deal with mental illness, adventure and the complexities of being stranded at sea with a tiger.

The Silver Linings Playbook

Based on the immensely powerful book by Matthew Quick, the film adation of The Silver Linings Playbook has received numerous accolades for the script, directing and acting. The film, which starred Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, was the only film this year to be nominated in every major category at the Oscars. At its heart, this is a story that takes an honest look at the constant battle with mental illness but what makes it such a joy to watch (and read) is that there is love and humour in there too. An all round great.

March's Literary Adaptations

The literary adaptations are a little thin on the ground this March but there is still something to see at the cinema, no matter what your taste may be - from an alien invasion to a children's story. Of course there's also your standard romance if you like things a bit more straightforward.

Friday 1st

Another Nicholas Sparks novel has been adapted for the big screen - well they do sort of lend themselves to it! This time, the book in question is Safe Haven which follows one woman on the run who gets a little too comfortable in a small town only to discover she has to flee again because she has been found - but her new man is desperate to keep her safe. The film stars Julianne Hough, Josh Duhamel and Cobie Smulders. If you enjoyed Dear John, The Notebook, The Lucky One or any of Sparks' other adaptations, this may well be for you.

Friday 15th

The Paperboy by Pete Dexter may not be an incredibly well-known novel to many book-lovers but this film adaptation has certainly sparked controversy - especially thanks to a particular scene involving Nicole Kidman and urine. Reviews are divided but many agree it is one of Kidman's most impressive performances.

February's Literary Adaptations

February is the month of love ... what with Valentine's Day and shops filling up with chocolates and heart-shaped cards. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean the film releases will reflect this. Adaptations out in February include murder, witch hunts, zombies and a curse that will claim you on your sixteenth birthday. There is a bit of romance in there too though ... if you look really, really closely.

Friday 8th

Hitchcock stars Anthony Hopkins as the directing legend Alfred Hitchcock and Helen Mirren as his wife Alma. The film is based on the book 'Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho' by Stephen Rebello and follows the efforts Hitchcock went to to adapt Robert Bloch's novel Psycho into the film that would become his shocking masterpiece. Supporting cast include Scarlett Johansson, Toni Colette and Jessica Biel.

Moving away from the scarily real horror of Psycho, Warm Bodies sees Nicholas Hoult (Skins, About a Boy) play R, a zombie who stops eating brains after meeting Julie. R becomes more human the more time he spends with her and the pair try to find a way to do more than just keep going in a dystopian future where the zombie epidemic has forced the remaining humans into camps. This unlikely romance is based on the book by Isaac Marion and is thought-provoking and fun, with added brains.

Wednesday 13th

Vying for the new YA series to watch title - after the end of Twilight and with the incredible success of The Hunger Games - Beautiful Creatures is based on the first book in a series by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia. The story sees Ethan meet the new girl in town, Lena, and fall for her - only to learn that she is the latest in a long line of casters and victim of an old curse that will claim her powers for the light or the dark on her sixteenth birthday. There's peril, humour, romance and a mythical backstory. The film may just launch the two stars Alice Englert and Alden Ehrenreich to stardom and has the support of Emma Thompson and Jeremy Irons.

Thursday 14th

Valentine's Day this year will see a limited re-release of the Baz Luhrmann adaptation of Shakespeare's classic tragedy/romance, Romeo and Juliet. The intoxicatingly romantic Moulin Rouge! will also be in selected cinemas.

Friday 22nd

One of the most stand out pieces of literary fiction of recent years has to be the epic Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. The story is a complex interwoven plot that follows six different stories through six different eras, using different language styles. The film adaptation - a massively ambitious project given the complexity of the source text - has an all-star cast that includes Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant and many, many more.

What film are you looking forward to seeing this month? And what's your greatest romantic film to watch on Valentine's Day? Let us know in the comments...

MGM Buys Film Rights for Jojo Moyes' Me Before You

Earlier this week, the very exciting news arrived that MGM had bought the film rights to Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. How much involvement Jojo will have on the project remains to be seen, with the author tweeting earlier this week that she gets to be "'script consultant'. Which I think means that I get to make the tea and nod occasionally." (@jojoymoyes)

MGM’s president, Jonathan Glickman said, “Jojo’s book is frankly one of the most unique, emotional and engaging love stories written in recent years. We’re so thrilled to collaborate with her on creating a classic film romance that lives up to this exceptional novel.”

Me Before You was voted as the Novelicious book of 2012 so we are delighted to hear this exciting news!

Many congratulations to Jojo. Fingers crossed it all comes off and they do as great a job adapting it as you did writing it!

Source: Filmoria

Film Adaptations to Look Out For in 2013

2012 has been a great year for adaptations - with everything from classics like Great Expectations to Young Adult hits The Hunger Games and Breaking Dawn and modern favourites Silver Linings Playbook and The Lucky One.

It certainly looks like 2013 will be continuing the Young Adult theme, with the second Hunger Games book 'Catching Fire' reaching cinemas at the end of the year and a few potential new favourites heading for the big screen. There's still plenty in there for adults too with the new brilliantly dark take on Stephen King's Carrie and F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.

This year has begun with an adaptation of epic proportions. Already adapted from the original Victor Hugo book into the longest running musical in the world, Les Misérables is an incredibly beloved story. However, the musical side to it has never been adapted into a film - until now. Tom Hooper (The King's Speech) has brought together an insanely talented cast which includes Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried and Russell Crowe. The songs are sung live as the cast shoot their scenes and all the drama, action and emotion required from the production is evident. Hathaway and Jackman are likely to clean up come award season...

Les Misérables was released in the UK on 11th January. Check out my film review here.

December's Literary Adaptations

It's hard to believe we're in December already. 2012 really has flown by! But what a year it's been for adaptations. We've had classics like Anna Karenina and Great Expectations, coming-of-age tales like The Perks of Being a Wallflower and On the Road, comic fun from The Dark Knight Rises to Avengers Assemble and modern-day romances like The Lucky One.

The year is far from over though as the holiday season approaches. We've got two enormous blockbuster adaptations still to come along and some Cruise-filled action that's potentially, well, a bit of a reach.

 

Thursday 13th December

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Peter Jackson returns to Middle Earth after the tremendous success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy with a closer look at where it all began for Bilbo Baggins. Based on the book The Hobbit, written by J. R. R. Tolkien and taking some of what is mentioned in the Lord of the Rings books, this is the first of three Hobbit films - so get comfortable! Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen and Richard Armitage all star.

 

November's Literary Adaptations

By Amanda Keats

November's adaptations have their fair share of teen angst, vampires, werewolves, mental illness and secrets... and that's just Twilight! From a classic Dickens adaptation to a modern day blood-thirsty love triangle, November has it covered. And beyond the adaptations are some of the finest films to come out of this year's film festivals - finally available to the viewing public!

Friday 16th November

The final installment to the Twilight series arrives with The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part Two. The whole gang are back for this epic finale, based on the books by Stephenie Meyer - including Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning and Taylor Lautner. Fans who were disappointed by the fairly anti-climactic ending to the book might be excited to hear that the ending has apparently been altered for the big screen. Not sure how though...

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October's Literary Adaptations

There really is something for everyone to see this October - from the classic tales of playwright William Shakespeare, acted out on stage via the Globe theatre, to the quirky wallflower coming-of-age tale starring Harry Potter's Emma Watson. And let's not forget the return of Bond, James Bond.

Wednesday 3 October

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Based on the book by Stephen Chbosky, this is possibly the most fascinating of this year's adaptations in that the book's author not only adapted the screenplay but directed the film too! It stars Emma Watson and We Need to Talk About Kevin's Ezra Miller and looks to be a gorgeous coming-of-age story about a misfit wallflower and his two new friends. Welcome to the island of misfit toys!

Check out the trailer here

Wednesday 10 October

Globe on Screen: Much Ado About Nothing

October is an exciting time for literature and theatre fans with three of last year's performances at the Globe Theatre set to be aired on cinemas across the country. Made famous by playwright William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing opens on the 10th, starring Eve Best and Charles Edwards. Doctor Faustus - with Doctor Who's Arthur Darvill - is out on the 24th.

Check out the trailer here

Friday 12 October

On the Road

Based on the book by Jack Kerouac, On the Road follows two men and a woman as they travel across America, meeting many people en route. The film is directed by Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries) and promises lots of youthful passion, sex and stunning landscapes. The film stars Twilight's Kristen Stewart and Sam Riley. This film has done incredibly well at film festivals this year so expect great things from the young cast.

Check out the trailer here.

Special mention in October goes to the brilliant Ruby Sparks (out on 12th) which sees a young writer create the perfect woman only to have her show up at his house. It looks funny and totally endearing. At the end of the month, Daniel Craig returns as James Bond in Skyfall which - though no longer based on his books - is based on characters created by Ian Fleming. For Halloween, be sure to find a showing of the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which is out at selected Vue cinemas.

September's Literary Adaptations...

By Amanda Keats

 

7th September:

Anna Karenina

 
This new adaptation of the Leo Tolstoy classic sees Keira Knightley in the title role with support from Jude Law. It looks to be all grand costumes and stunning set pieces. A magical tour of deception, romance and lust. The film has been adapted from the original text by Shakespeare in Love screenwriter Tom Stoppard and is being directed by Joe Wright (Atonement/Pride & Prejudice) so hopefully, fans of the book will not be disappointed...

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Lawless

 
Based on the true account of author Matt Bondurant's grandfather and granduncles, this is a tale of bootlegging and alcohol during the Prohibition era in the USA. The film stars Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Guy Pearce, Gary Oldman, Jessica Chastain - OK the cast list is insane! It promises to be a wonderfully sexy and violent mix.

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19th September:

Now is Good

This gorgeous YA novel, written by Jenny Downham (originally titled 'Before I Die') opens with teenage Tessa considering how nice it would be to have a boyfriend she could hang up in her wardrobe and take out whenever she needed it. The story itself is about this young girl as she deals with a terminal diagnosis by thinking about everything she wants to do before she dies. The film stars Dakota Fanning as Tessa alongside Olivia Williams, Paddy Considine, Kaya Scodelario and Jeremy Irvine (War Horse). It's probably a safe bet to say you might need a few tissues!

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Win! Movie Tie-In Edition of Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Thanks to the lovely people over at Canongate Books, we at Novelicious have a gorgeous new movie tie-in edition of the beloved Life of Pi by Yann Martel to give away, ahead of the film's cinematic release in December.

The book, which won the 2002 Booker Prize, looks at what happens when a young boy named Pi is stranded at sea with a host of animals for company - including a 450-pound Bengal tiger. The film adaptation, directed by Ang Lee, certainly looks magical. 

If you want to get your hands on a copy of the book before the film hits cinemas at the end of the year, just comment and let us know why you'd like this book.

UK entries only. Open until next Wednesday (19th September).

After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wide, wild Pacific. The crew of the surviving vessel consists of a hyena, one zebra (with broken leg), an orang-utan, a 450-pound Royal Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker and Pi - a 16-year-old Indian boy. As the 'crew' begin to assert their natural places in the food chain, Pi's fear mounts, and he must use all his wit and daring to develop an understanding with Richard the tiger.

Now a major motion picture from Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee and Winner of the Booker Prize.

Dorothy Koomson's The Ice Cream Girls Ordered by ITV

We loved this book. It will make such a fabulous, gripping drama and we can't wait to see it as a three part series on ITV in 2013.

Dorothy is just so lovely and we send her our super duper congratulations. 

To find out more about the adaptation visit Dorothy's website here.

Our recent interview with Dorothy

The Ice Cream Girls

August's Literary Adaptations

By Amanda Keats

The Flowers of War (3rd August)

Based on the book by Yan Geling, The Flowers of War is an ambitious project by the Chinese film industry with Batman star Christian Bale at the helm. The story revolves around a westerner who finds refuge in a church with a group of young women during the Japanese attack in 1937 and attempts to lead them to safety by posing as a priest. 

Jackpot (10th August)

Jo Nesbø is quickly establishing himself as one of the best thriller writers of his generation. Following on from the success of previous adaption Headhunters, Jackpot looks at what happens after four men win big on the pools. The film promises to be terrifying and bloody.

Shadow Dancer (24th August)

With a script written by the book's author Tom Bradby, Shadow Dancer is set in 1990s Belfast when MI5 were doing all they could to bring down the IRA. Clive Owen stars as a policeman who persuades an arrested IRA woman to become an informant. Expect high drama.

Also out this month are the brilliantly ridiculous The Expendables 2 with, well, basically anyone who's ever been an action film star... and Liam Hemsworth, star of The Hunger Games. Pixar release Brave, their first animated feature to centre around a female protagonist with the vocal talents of Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson. For all the Colin Farrell fans there is also going to be a remake of the Arnie classic Total Recall, with support coming this time from Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale. For those not easily offended though, an absolute must is Ted, a film by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane about a teddy that comes to life and stays with his best friend into their adult years. It pays tribute to classic 80s cinema and is brilliantly clever.