Movie Review: The Host

Ages ago I did a book review for Stephanie Meyers' book The Host and surprisingly it was a great book. It should have gotten the publicity that Twilight didn't deserve. Its a book I cannot shut up about.
Since it also had a film adaption I decided back when it first came out that I would watch it-despite my wariness. The movie Eragon has left deep scars on my soul.

First, I was not disappointed with the movie, it kept to the story line and I recognized various bits of dialogue from the book. But I also can see why it had already been knocked down to five dollars at Walmart. Besides Mel's quips it was very dry and slow moving. The in depth view we have to Wanda's emotions in the book couldn't be conveyed sufficiently in the film. Wanda/Mel had multiple scenes were they stared directly into the camera, it repeatedly seemed like they were breaching the fourth wall.

Several minor characters were cut such as Kyle's girlfriend and the soul who possesses her body. While I don't feel that the lack of these characters affected the overall plot I was disappointed not to see them. For a movie that ran a full two hours and some change I expected a little more detail.

Finally the last scene in the movie and in the book. It was so drastically different from what I imagined. I pictured the confrontation happening somewhere in the desert not in the middle of the city. I feel like that could be a fault on my part as a reader. I'll have to go back and read the book again to make sure I didn't overlook the setting. Somehow I know I did.

Still despite all that I'm still hoping for a sequel to the book and eventually the movie. I can't stand how open ended they both were. Twilight becomes a saga and The Host still remains a standalone? Nope. Not liking it.
 
Question: Does anyone else agree that an author's most successful book may not be their best work?

Threads and Flames by Esther Friesner

Genre: Historical Fiction
Publishing year: 2010
Publisher: Viking
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

It’s 1910, and Raisa has just traveled alone from a small Polish shtetl all the way to New York City. She is enthralled, overwhelmed, and even frightened, especially when she discovers that her sister has disappeared and she must now fend for herself. How do you survive in a foreign land without a job, a place to live, or a command of the native language? Perseverance and the kindness of handsome young Gavrel lead Raisa to work in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory sewing bodices on the popular shirtwaists…until 1911 dawns, and one March day a spark ignites in the factory. Fabric and thread and life catch fire. And the flames burn hot enough to change Raisa-and the entire city-forever. One hundred years after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (March 25, 1911) in New York City, the stories of love and life lost are still relevant, and the hope that can come from despair still resonates.

Review:

This is the third historical fiction novel I’ve read about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and it’s vying to be my favorite.

I love how the story starts in Raisa’s Polish shtetl and carries through to the trial of the factory owners. It shows us what life was truly like in the early 1900s. Raisa’s older sister Henda even believes her to be dead because the wrong letter reached her before the correct one could. This makes me extremely grateful for telephones and the internet. All those modern conveniences we take for granted.

There were some large time gaps after the fire we swiftly move through spring and summer and find ourselves right back in chilly weather. I think Raisa’s fifteenth birthday is skipped over as well, although I’m not certain.

The strongest factor of this book is the characters. Friesner did a wonderful job of bringing them to life. I envied Raisa’s ability to quickly befriend and comfort Brina, the child she saves from a bleak future in a New York orphanage. I’ve never been popular with small children, likely because I’m an only child and have only babysat a handful of times. Already I admire Raisa and as her tale unfolds that admiration grew. Each time she was backed into a corner or faced with an insurmountable problem she tackled it head on and overcame the odds. She’s one of the strongest characters I’ve encountered recently.

Gavrel the funny one.

“Now, let’s be honest, dearest,” Gavrel said to her. “I know I love you, but I’ve got no idea if you can cook. That’s why I’m eating all the good food I can get now, so that after we’re married, at least I’ll have my memories.” Page 337.

He is never without humor and in several instances, he boosts Raisa’s falling spirits and encourages her to strive towards her goals of becoming a teacher and finding her sister. I was on pins and needles when Raisa learned he had been working at Triangle on Saturday when that dreadful fire occurred. Rather than be at the synagogue, he chose to go to work so he could save money so that he could announce his plans to marry Raisa to his parents. This was an almost unbearable sweet gesture on his part and it seemed so tragic when he disappeared afterwards. I had to know what happened. Did he die? Was he comatose? Where the heck did he go? I was tempted to go to the end, but I held myself back. He had to be alive. He just had to be. That’s the way this book is written. It grabs you and doesn’t let go until you finish it. Bravo.

I only have one problem with this book. Gavrel. Which is almost funny because he’s my favorite character. Throughout the book he is strong and confident but in the end he almost breaks. We finally discover his flaw, and it bothered me. True it proves him to be more than a flat character but this made him seem weak to me.

Raisa was stronger than him and maybe I’m a tad old fashioned but it’s not right. Anyway this only dropped my rating by one point because otherwise it’s a terrific novel.

If you have an interest in historical fiction, especially pertaining to further reading on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, I would recommend Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix and Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch.