How to ruin a book

1. Take a bunch of people no-one cares about, an English actor who's better than this but obviously thinks it will be a leg-up to Hollywood. Make Ford not at all memorable, or mad.

2. Take out all of the best jokes, especially about tea.

3. Change the lesser jokes and lines to American-speak, because no-one will understand "a girl who Arthur totally failed to get off with."

4. Change the plot in an attempt to make it more exciting. In this way you can tempt a Hollywood Heavyweight to play a role, even if that role didn't exist in the book. Who cares, right?

5. Make it a romance.

6. Completely fail to understand the concept.

7. Don't Panic?  You are joking, right?

And yes, it took me three years to see this film, and I wish I hadn't.

More Books

Not at all well today so spent most of it in bed. Hence a lot of reading:

I just finished:

Jade Throne and Black Powder War (Temeraire series)

After saying that I probably wouldn't read the rest, as you can see, I did. I'm still not in lurve with Laurence but I admit being totally in love with Temeraire. He's just such a "Jacobin" - and I suppose the American voice of the author coming out, preaching freedom to a Regency world as the American Colonies are forming their own world.  However I was delighted with the baby fire breather who is just gorgeously bloodthirsty in almost a Fred Quimby/Tom and Jerry way - "LET ME ATTEM!" and poor, darling Granby, who is quite my favourite human in the series, hanging on to her with desperation and obviously a little worried about how he's going to manage her. I adore that she's not much bigger than a large dog and willing to take on five dragons bigger than Temeraire all by herself.  And Tem says "I wasn't so silly, even when I was little" and Laurence declined to answer.... Also found it amusing that Temeraire had been "subverting" the eggs in the shell, and they are worried what kind of ideas he'd put in their heads. This was rather short sighted of them, I thought. Laurence KNEW that the dragonets learn in the shell, and there was much he could have done before hatching but didn't.

Also read Anansi Boys - which - I have to say, was - after Underworld my favourite Gaiman book so far. It's not a Keeper, but I enjoyed it. But please! Will someone tell Neil that he's got to STOP writing the same hero over and over and over? Bod is Fat Charlie is wossit from Stardust and Neverwhere.  Passive characters with no discernible character of their own. ymmv.