As our 3rd choice in our "novel to film" round, we read "The Witches of Eastwick" by John Updike. As we discussed at brunch today, this film definitely deviated from the film in enough ways to make it noticeable and I think that I preferred the version on film as opposed to the version in the novel. For one, the women in the novel are not sympathetic characters at all. They sleep with everyone in their neighborhood (single or married) and constantly neglect their children. They only use their powers to enact petty revenge on those who they are annoyed by. I felt like Updike was purposely making these women so vile that no one could identify with them. As though this was a snapshot of the evilness of women in general. Perhaps Updike had some serious issues with women. What do you think?
They definitely made the women more identifiable in the film and certainly more likable. I mean, who couldn't like Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer, or Susan Sarandon? And they also added a bit of humor, which I appreciated over the dryness of the novel. Did anyone else feel like the novel was dry?
What are your other thoughts on the novel?
2 comments:
I totally agree with you. I generally like stories (books or movies) with likable characters that end happily. I didn't like these women, couldn't relate to them, and I would hardly say it ended happily either. Especially not for poor Jenny!
The three witches were so obsessed with men, even though some were left by them and it's not like the men left in Eastwick were catches by any stretch of the imagination. And why would they chase after married men?
During the weekend, I wondered if the "witches" in the title was speaking of just the women's magical powers or if it was also a dig at their characters? That they were witches in fact and in character.
I also didn't like Updike's style of writing. I found it overwrought and too involved. I would get lost within the sentences, not sure what the point of it was. I also found his writing pretentious, he would use twenty words when ten would suffice. So it made me spend more time reading about these unlikeable women and their unlikeable actions.
I'm not sure I disliked this book as much as Paula and Tiffany, but I'm not really sure that I liked it either. Maybe my expectations were too high having read and enjoyed "Rabbit, Run."
That said, I found the book very dated. It felt very '70s and '80s and not in a good, nostalgic way. Rather, it was misogynistic and disconcerting how it portayed sex as the driving force of the witches.
After hearing Tiff talk about the movie, I am looking forward to watching it and seeing how it differs from the book.
Post a Comment