As Leila said in her post, I have conflicting feelings about the upcoming film adaptation of Ender's Game. My nervousness exists on several levels. I'm almost apoplectically excited, and I'm simultaneously terrified they'll botch the job. But these cast pictures sure do give a person reason to hope. Petra, Alai, Bean! Whaddya think?
If I'm being perfectly honest with myself, I've done a shamefully poor job of addressing my love for Cat Sebastian 's books around these parts. I've certainly noted each time her beautiful stories have appeared on my end-of-the-year best of lists, see: The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes , basically every book in The Cabots series , and of course We Could Be So Good . And the pull is, quite simply, this: nobody is as kind and gentle with their characters and with their hearts than Cat Sebastian. Nobody. I haven't always been one for the gentler stories, but I cannot overstate the absolute gift it is sinking into one of Sebastian's exquisitely crafted historicals knowing that I get to spend the next however many pages watching two idiots pine and deny that feelings exist and just take care of each other as they fall in love. I wouldn't trade that experience for the world. Not this one or any other. Only two things in the world people count by months. H
CUTE kids! Bean is adorable! Ender looks like a mini Elijah Wood. Yes, the casting looks great, but I think it's time for a re-read since I can't remember half of these characters. Good thing it's coming up for book club! :)
ReplyDeleteP.S. I agree... I'm scared. Keeping fingers crossed they don't ruin it. I have the same feeling about The Book Thief which it's being rumored about becoming a movie too. Very scary.
I know! Bean . . .
DeleteReading EG for the first time was a very visceral experience for me. It's ingrained in my memory. I really am SO excited.
And THE BOOK THIEF movie? YIKES.
I'm with Suey. It's time for a re-read. I haven't read this book since it appeared as an optional summer read before 9th grade Honors English began. THEN I think I can form a better opinion on what I wish/hope/want for the movie. Here's hoping.
ReplyDeleteYou read it long before I did then. But I came late to the game. *fingerscrossed*
DeleteTodd and I are both nervous, but cautiously optimistic. The Ender/Bean series are one of our all-time favorite book series.
ReplyDeleteCard has been working on turning it into a movie for years, and it sounds like he's being very careful that the movie does the book justice. Here's hoping!
Kristi, Aaron and I love them as well. He's the one who got me to read EG in the first place. The whole series is great.
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ReplyDeleteSuch high expectations here. SO easy to be let down with a film adaptation of one of my all time favorite sci-fi books. So yeah, mixture of excitement and caution. Kids look great and Asa can act. Bean is adorable and spot on. Thanks for keeping us appraised of the progress
ReplyDeleteKim, it is. I know. The expectation game can be a brutal one. But I really was encouraged by the pics. They look awesome.
DeleteI just finished a reread (audio version) and I think that first time is always the best. I'm kind of excited, except the author had some commentary at the end and stated a movie would be hard to adapt and audio is one of the best ways to experience the book. But Bean and Petra look amazing - I hope it turns out well!
ReplyDeleteMelissa, I really can't imagine being the author of a book being adapted to film. I don't know how I'd sleep at night!
DeleteThis was THE book of my childhood. I've probably reread it more than any other novel. After years of rumors about a movie, I hope they do the book justice.
ReplyDeleteJoLee, that makes me smile. You will be an authority on whether or not the film lives up.
DeleteI'm totally nervous as well, and trying not to get my hopes up. Personally, I didn't like Asa Butterfeild in Hugo, and that has me extremely hesitant about his role in Ender's Game.
ReplyDeleteHeidi, probably best to go in with contained expectations. I haven't actually seen Hugo. My husband and son did and they really liked it. But Ender is an utterly different role, to be sure.
DeleteThis is a book I hold near and dear as well, although I was one of the few that loved Speaker more than EG. excited about much of the casting, although I have yet to see Hugo myself so I can't comment on the choice for Ender. A little concerned about Viola Davis as Anderson, though--not because of her, but because that character (a man in the book!) needs some callousness. I think they're casting her to ride the train of her popularity after The Help, and casting like that makes me cranky.
ReplyDeleteJolie, I think SPEAKER is the best book in the series for sure. I'm so glad he wrote it. I haven't seen The Help yet, as I haven't read the book yet. So hard to go ahead and dive into those massively popular mainstream books. But it's on my shelf and sometime I'll have to see what the fuss is about.
DeleteI know what you mean about avoiding the massively popular books! Luckily I read The Help before it was too huge so I didn't have the internal hurdle to get over--although sometimes the reverse problem happens, and a book I loved early on becomes massively popular and then I find myself questioning if it was really as good as I remember...because if the masses love it, maybe it's not really good. Perverse of me, I know!
DeleteTruthfully, I listened to The Help, and that's really my recommendation--all that dialect works great I audio form, but is painful to read. (in my opinion). So if you've got a long car trip, give it a go then.
Oh, and psyched that you loved Speaker! Hooray! It doesn't get the love it deserves.
Looks awesome! I understand and share your nervousness. I also enjoyed the shoutout to The American President. Well done. =)
ReplyDeleteCam, yay! I was wondering if anyone would pick up on that. That line always makes me snicker.
DeleteOh, wow. Love the cast pictures. Looks promising, as books to movies go.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Fingers crossed.
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