This is what I read over the past couple days on the subway. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink is a short, quick, easy...yet profound read. I saw the movie, naturally, and was so taken with it that I had to read the book. Sidenote: I find it interesting how many Oscar-nominated and Oscar-winning movies were based on books, but, I digress... I loved the movie so I bought the book on a whim; mostly because it's really small and light and fits easily in my purse for subway travel.
I have to admit to actually liking the movie better this time around. I credit that to Kate Winslet; her performance was astonishing and she embodied more of that character's thoughts, feelings, desperation, shame, and uncertitude in her portrayal than Schlink revealed through his words. Winslet naturally stole the show movie and became the character we could not forget; in the book, the boy is the driving force (moreso than the movie) and he is the one we can't stop thinking about.
The book is still definitely penetrating and absolutely worth reading. I just couldn't get over Kate Winslet's performance and so am a little biased. But, please, do yourself a favor and do both; watch and read this magnificent story.
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I also bought this book on a whim, for my WWII reading challenge, but haven't read it yet. I am knee deep in Gone With the Wind, which will take me the rest of my life to finish! I purposefully did not see the movie...not yet. I will wait until I've read the book. Sometimes seeing the movie first can mess up my reading experience!
I think reading the book first is definitely the way to go! It just didn't happen that way for me because I wanted to have all the best picture films watched before the Oscars =) I hope you're enjoying Gone With the Wind! I'm actually related to Margaret Mitchell! Maybe there's a writer hiding in me somewhere... ;)
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