Directors of book adaptations have choices to make other than the movie itself. They need to choose actors, how to direct the movie, and even music. What most people don't understand is the challenge of making the movie close to the book. Other than following the plot, the directors need to figure out how to match the book in regards to controversial topics. For instance the adaptation of American Sniper had a lot of controversy over the making of it. The movie had to follow the book and Chris Kyle needed to be the same. Some people were angered over how Chris Kyle was portrayed in the movie. Many adaptations, especially war, get these same arguments. Unbroken is another movie with some other controversial subjects on the directors choices.

The article I read was a blog from the Huffington Post. It discussed the choices Angelina Jolie had and what she left out of the adaptation. The author mentioned how Louie had many problems after life normalized. This detail was in the book, but the movie does not show these problems. Louie went through what no human should go through and it was a miracle he came out alive and in the condition he was in. People that have gone through circumstances similar to this are never the same. Angelina's choice to not include these problems angered veterans that understand what he went through. The movie shows Louie becoming free and everything is happy again which almost always is not the case.

Another choice the director made was to make the movie more about Louie and his will and determination. Louie is in the midst of World War 2 and there is a lot going on around him. The book focuses on Louie and his character, but it also talks about what is going on around the pacific with the war. I believe that this was a good choice the director made. There are many other movies that cover the war in the Pacific so it was fine that the movie focused solely on Louie.

5 Reasons why Fans of James Bond will love Silverfin

1. Creepy Mystrious plot
The book starts out with a young kid going up to a lake to fish. The lake is fenced in and nobody has been allowed to enter for years. Nobody knows why the owner is so mysterious. Immediately the book starts out giving the reader something to ponder about. This is exactly how the James Bond movies start out too.

2. Attractive Girl in Plot
Every James Bond fan can attest to the fact that the movies would not be the same without a beautiful actress helping Bond save the world. In Silverfin the same pattern occurs. As James investigates a potential suspect he meets a pretty Scottish girl that offers help. She even saves James from certain death at the end of the novel.

3. Lots of Spy Investigating
In the movies Bond constantly uses his spy skills to solve mysteries. He uses his various talents and gadgets to find out who and what the culprit is up to. In Silverfin James May mot have the gadgets, but he still has the talent. He finds his way through an impassable fence, slides past evil henchmen, and sneaks into a castle fortress.

4. Crazy Evil Villian (spoiler alert)
The bad guy in Silverfin is a man named Lord Hellebore. He has the same crazy ideas that the villains in the movies have. He has some plan to someday take over the world, but then James Bond shows up. Hellebore almost succeeds in his plan, but Bond ruins it all. In the end the villain's ambitions are what causes their demise and Silverfin is no exception to that.

5. Action!
What the James Bond movies do so well is include action, but not so much to the point where it's sickening. That's what fans love about the movies. Silverfin is exactly the same in this way. Yes, there is plenty of action, but it gets balanced out by dialogue, mystery, and setting. When there is action it is thrilling and just as exciting as the movie. Fans of James Bond will love how this book uses that.

Post #5 Truth in Memoir

In order for a book to be non-fiction I believe the whole book must be true. Little details may be stretched because the specifics about stories may be hard to remember. This is especially true for authors who right about events in their life. As long as the details don’t affect the plot or the characters in a major way, then it’s fine to have little “made up” details. People want to read non-fiction because the stories are “real” and they can help other people in their own lives. One example is The Glass Castle. This book is about the struggles a young girl went through her whole life and eventually reached a life sustaining career. People will read these because they think they are true. They read it and think if this person went through all this maybe I can. When people find out that some of these non-fiction books aren’t true then they may feel heartbroken and lied to. Half-truths are not okay either. If half the book is true, then the book is just fiction instead of non-fiction. Even if the book is a good story, they should not call it non-fiction.

I feel it was okay for Frey to bend the truth the way that he did. The problem was the way he presented his book. He had people believing that the whole book was true word for word. What he should have done was let people know that some parts were a little made up. Some people might have gotten a little mad but in the end as long as it was a good book most people would have been fine.

Post 4: Adapting American Sniper

Post 4: Adapting American Sniper

If I was in control of adapting American Sniper there would need to be certain elements included in order to make the movie resemble the book. The adaptation would have to be a film. One of the most important decisions that I would have to make is getting the landscape exactly how the book describes it. Chris Kyle is fighting in Iraq throughout the majority of the book. This means that the film would have to be filmed in a sandy, dry area with little vegetation. Also with that environment I would need an urban area. Most of the fight scenes are in the city. The way the cities are described are they have very dense areas with a lot of brittle looking buildings. The streets would have to be messy with rubble and garbage, too. Having this environment exactly like the book will help people visualize the conditions Chris fought in at Iraq.  Another very important aspect I would have to include is a soundtrack that matches the theme and events of the book. The soundtrack would have to include exciting, thrilling songs to keep people on edge during the fighting scenes. Also, I would have to include sad songs because there are some very tragic parts throughout the book. Lastly, I would include inspirational music that make people feel proud for their country. This music would be directed more towards Americans since they are the target audience and the book is about an American soldier. The third most important element to include are scenes where Chris and his wife are together either talking over phone or while he comes back home. Taya, Chris's wife, plays a major role in the book. She is what Chris is fighting for and she is the person who helps Chris with his problems when he comes back home.

What is a Book?

What is a book? When people hear the word "book" some people may think of a collection of paper pages with a story written on them. Others may just think of a writing that gives them a feeling of being in a whole new world or story no matter what form it is in. I believe a book is simply a collection of writing written for the purpose of the writer to express thoughts or show a story in a literary form. No matter if it’s online, on a device, on paper, or read aloud, it is still a book. Nancy Jo Sales believes it is the physicality that makes a book a “book.” She also says that book will not disappear. I agree with this. Many people would rather read a physical book than read one on a kindle, including me. The reason why people may agree with Nancy is that people don’t like change. For hundreds of years books have been written on paper. Now we have technology that can be on and people don’t like this because times have changed. This doesn’t mean that they aren’t books anymore. Kindles, IPads, and internet books are just different forms. Still I like reading a book that is written on paper better than on a screen. I focus more and I can see how far I have come in the book by the stacks of pages I already read. I also feel a sense of accomplishment when I see a thick book that I completed rather than just a number on a screen. Victor LaValle states that books are merely just an item that is mass-produced. He says it’s not the book itself that makes it special, but it’s the idea of the book that should cherished. I agree that books are mass produced, but I still have worn down books that I have read multiple times. The book feels special to me because it has been around for so long. I also agree that the idea of the book is more special though. With some books I don’t really care if I get a totally new one, but some are actually special to me and I would rather keep it than buy a new one.

Post #1 Why I Read

I read books for many reasons. The main reason is reading gives me a feeling unlike anything else in the world. When I get into a book I feel like I am really there and I get feel the emotions of the characters in the book. Movies can’t give you the same feeling. I also read because it is educational and I learn new things. Books teach me new words, phrases, facts, and sometimes life lessons. I apply many things that I learn in books to my life. Reading even helps me with my writing in classes. They can teach you proper grammar and new vocabulary terms. Not only do books teach you grammar, but they can also teach you historical facts. I love to learn about Greek, Roman, Egyptian, European, and Asian history. Many non-fiction and realistic fiction novels dive into these types of histories and those are the ones I like to read. I also like to use my imagination and read fantasy novels. These books bring you into a new world and I love to immerse myself in them. Overall I believe reading improves intelligence and can help you in many aspects of life.