Meliana

She did have a bit of an attitude.

LilMouse

I started listening to the audio of this book. Got it from the library. Finished the second chapter and just got past the point of Harrison/Carrie breaking up.

It's interesting to see what has changed and what the book expanded on.

No mention of Franny and Zooey whatsoever, so I don't know what will happen with that.

Meliana

Interesting. Let us know how it differs.

LilMouse

Prof H is older in the book. He's described as being 40, and I don't think Colin was supposed to be 40. So that makes the relationship with Carrie even more disgusting.

I also don't get the impression that he's been diddling every student, but maybe I just didn't get up to that reveal yet in the book.

Carrie and Prof H dated for a whole semester. They'd make fun of other students in the class when together.

And the first time Carrie won't say the thing he wants her to say, he gets mad but he doesn't stop seeing her. It's the second time she won't say what he wants her to say that he calls her a prude and he breaks it off...mainly by ignoring her/ceasing his calls. She continues on in his class and he ends up giving her an A because he has to give her an A.

Oh, and he works up to his request. He doesn't ask her in the beginning of their sexual relationship to say what he wants her to say.


eta: also, three chapters in it doesn't say Carrie is from England. The narrator is American.

x♥xBeautiful_Butterflyx♥x

Sounds interesting...

LilMouse

Got a little bit more into it, and Carrie was born in England but moved to the States at the age of 2.

She's now reaching out to the engaged guy to trap him.

x♥xBeautiful_Butterflyx♥x

Okay...

LilMouse

I got past the part where it's said that if someone asks you what your middle name is it means they like you.

Prof H's middle name is Lance.

x♥xBeautiful_Butterflyx♥x

Haha, okay...

Meliana

Interesting, it sounds like the book is more considered, and the relationship is more complex than in the film.

LilMouse

Finished!

So...yea, the movie definitely turned him into more of a villain. Because while it's super gross that in the book, he's in his 40s and having a relationship with her, he also doesn't come across as a guy who is taking every student to his home and having relationships with them. It's clear he's just as....stunted as her. And he's a coward. Because when their relationship ends, it's said anytime they see each other on campus, he just walks past her without making eye contact. It's repeatedly said in the bedroom, he's selfish and doesn't know the first thing about pleasing a woman.

In the book, Carrie never gives him Franny and Zooey, he doesn't fail to return it to her, her dad doesn't need to barge into his home to get it back + then punch him. In fact, the dad never finds out she had a relationship with her English professor. Also, it says nothing about him having been fired from the university.

There's a scene where Carrie does call him up, but a machine answers with a woman's voice on it. So we're left to wonder, is it his wife? Or did he just move and that's the new owner?

The book expands more on Matt (engaged guy) and his fiancé. She sees Matt more in the book and the only reason she stops seeing him is because she catches him out to lunch with a third girl. And in the book, Carrie actually helps the fiancé find a job at the church Carrie is volunteering at - something the movie changed. The movie also took out her putting dating ads in the newspaper.

Um....what else. Carrie seems less mad at her dad in the book. She's also not as affected by her mom dying. The whole storyline of her dad getting remarried in the movie doesn't happen in the book.

The book does a great job of showing just how depressed she is and the social anxiety she has. I can definitely relate to the social anxiety. It's the main reason I like Carrie more than I dislike her.

The movie does do a MUCH BETTER job of building up the Cy and Carrie romance than the book does. I was 97% of the way through the book before they had a meaningful conversation. So I would say that was the biggest thing the movie improved on.

I do still love the movie. I am glad I read the book so it could fill in blanks. And I think the movie did a fantastic job of taking the feeling of the book and putting it on screen. It's one of the better adaptations. They were able to get all the important bits into...what, 90 minutes?

x♥xBeautiful_Butterflyx♥x

Thanks for sharing, Vic...

Meliana

Thanks for that. I'm not a fan of the movie, I find it annoying in many ways, but the book sounds far more reasonable and rounded to me.

LilMouse

You're welcome. I think eventually I'll get the e-book.

I did like how the movie gave Prof H more "screen time." Because if they hadn't made him more villainous, Colin would've disappeared after 2 minutes, 3 scenes. Unless it was a mini-series and then they could've devoted more time to their dates...but since they only had 90 minutes adding the whole Franny and Zooey fiasco was fine with me.

I also came across articles that said the producers / screenwriter asked the author for input, and she'd tell them to make it their own BUT she'd also give them notes based on what readers have said to her about the story over the years. So maybe over the years readers did see Prof H as more villainous / slu++y / lecherous than the book makes him out to be.

x♥xBeautiful_Butterflyx♥x