Category: Book adaptations

Television adaptation: ‘The Underground Railroad’ by Colson Whitehead

The adaptation of ‘The Underground Railroad’ is now available on Amazon Prime Video. Photo: amazon

Colson Whitehead is the author eight novels and two works on non-fiction, including “The Underground Railroad,” which received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Carnegie Medal, the Heartland Prize, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Hurston-Wright Award, and was longlisted for the Booker Prize. Whitehead’s “The Nickel Boys” received the Pulitzer Prize, The Kirkus Prize, and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. He is a recipient of a Whiting Writers’ Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a MacArthur Fellowship. “The Underground Railroad” has been adapted into a TV series for Amazon by Barry Jenkins and is now available for viewing on Amazon Prime Video. It chronicles a young slave’s adventures as she makes a desperate bid for freedom in the antebellum South and stars Thuso Mbedu and Aaron Pierre. (amazon, 2021)

Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. An outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is on the cusp of womanhood—where greater pain awaits. And so when Caesar, a slave who has recently arrived from Virginia, urges her to join him on the Underground Railroad, she seizes the opportunity and escapes with him.

In Colson Whitehead’s novel, the Underground Railroad is no mere metaphor: engineers and conductors operate a secret network of actual tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Cora embarks on a harrowing flight from one state to the next, encountering, like Gulliver, strange yet familiar iterations of her own world at each stop. As Whitehead brilliantly re-creates the terrors of the antebellum era, he weaves in the saga of our nation, from the brutal abduction of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day. The Underground Railroad is both the gripping tale of one woman’s will to escape the horrors of bondage—and a powerful meditation on the history we all share.

It is a fictional “alternative reality” story of people attempting an escape from slavery in the southern United States in the 1800s. In reality, “The Underground Railroad” was a network of abolitionists, hidden routes, and safe houses that helped enslaved African-Americans escape to freedom in the early to mid-1800s. In the novel and the series, it is an actual railroad complete with engineers, conductors, tracks, and tunnels.

Photo: google

First impression: There are a total of ten episodes, all released on May 14, 2021. After watching the first, I doubt I will watch the rest of the series. I love historical dramas, but this one has too much graphic violence for me. I have not read the book, so my opinion is based solely on the first episode of the television series. While I understand the director/producer wanted to make the African American slavery experience as real as possible on screen, for me the whipping and burning alive scenes of a slave who attempted escape were too graphic. These topics are not new to me, I have read and watched other films about them, but I think I will skip this one. If the use of gratuitous violence does not bother you, this is an interesting series on the subject of slavery.

Movie adaptation: ‘Those Who Wish Me Dead’ by Michael Koryta

The movie adaptation of Michael Koryta’s ‘Those Who Wish Me Dead’ will be out on Friday, May 14, 2021. Photo: google

Michael Koryta is The New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including “The Prophet.” His last three novels, “The Ridge,” “The Cypress House,” and “So Cold the River” were all The New York Times notable books and nominated for several national and international awards. Koryta’s work has been translated into more than twenty languages. A former private investigator and newspaper reporter, Koryta graduated from Indiana University with a degree in criminal justice. His 2014 book “Those Who Wish Me Dead” has been adapted into a movie of the same name and will be released in United States on Friday, May 14, 2021 in theaters and on HBO Max. It stars Angelina Jolie and  Nicholas Hoult. (amazon, 2021)

In “Those Who Wish Me Dead,” when fourteen-year-old Jace Wilson witnesses a brutal murder, he is plunged into a new life, issued a false identity and hidden in a wilderness skills program for troubled teens. The plan is to get Jace off the grid while police find the two killers. The result is the start of a nightmare. The killers, known as the Blackwell Brothers, are slaughtering anyone who gets in their way in a methodical quest to reach him. Now all that remains between them and the boy are Ethan and Allison Serbin, who run the wilderness survival program; Hannah Faber, who occupies a lonely fire lookout tower; and endless miles of desolate Montana mountains. The clock is ticking, the mountains are burning, and those who wish Jace Wilson dead are no longer far behind.

Book adaptation: ‘The Stranger’ by Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben’s ‘The Stranger’ is now a Netflix original series. Photo: google

Harlan Coben is a #1 bestselling author and one of the world’s leading storytellers. His suspense novels are published in forty-five languages and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries, with seventy-five million books in print worldwide. His Myron Bolitar series has earned the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards, and many of his books have been developed into Netflix series, including his adaptation of “The Stranger,” headlined by Richard Armitage, and “The Woods.” “The Stranger” tells the story of a secret that destroys a man’s perfect life and sends him on a collision course with a deadly conspiracy. The television adaptation is available on Netflix and stars Richard Armitage, Siobhan Finneran, and Hannah John-Kamen. (amazon, 2021)

The Stranger appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a bar, or a parking lot, or at the grocery store. Their identity is unknown. Their motives are unclear. Their information is undeniable. Then they whisper a few words in your ear and disappear, leaving you picking up the pieces of your shattered world. Adam Price has a lot to lose: a comfortable marriage to a beautiful woman, two wonderful sons, and all the trappings of the American Dream: a big house, a good job, a seemingly perfect life. Then he runs into the Stranger. When he learns a devastating secret about his wife, Corinne, he confronts her, and the mirage of perfection disappears as if it never existed at all. Soon Adam finds himself tangled in something far darker than even Corinne’s deception, and realizes that if he does not make exactly the right moves, the conspiracy he has stumbled into will not only ruin lives, but it will also end them.


Movie adaptation: ‘Nomadland’ by Jessica Bruder

The movie adaptation of ‘Nomadland’ by Jessica Bruder will be released on Friday, February 19, 2021. Photo: amazon

Jessica Bruder is an award-winning journalist whose work focuses on subcultures and the dark corners of the economy. She has written for Harper’s Magazine, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Bruder teaches at the Columbia School of Journalism. Her book “Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century” is a non-fiction book that explores a phenomenon of older American workers traveling the country like “nomads,” campers in tow, in search of employment, many of whom were adversely affected by the Great Recession. It is the inspiration for the Chloé Zhao’s 2020 Golden Lion award-winning film starring Frances McDormand and is scheduled for release simultaneously in theaters and digitally on Hulu on Friday, February 19, 2021. (amazon, 2021)

“Nomadland” tells a revelatory tale of the dark underbelly of the American economy―one which foreshadows the precarious future that may await many more of us. At the same time, it celebrates the exceptional resilience and creativity of these Americans who have given up ordinary rootedness to survive but have not given up hope. From the beet fields of North Dakota to the campgrounds of California to Amazon’s CamperForce program in Texas, employers have discovered a new, low-cost labor pool, made up largely of transient older adults. These invisible casualties of the Great Recession have taken to the road by the tens of thousands in RVs and modified vans, forming a growing community of nomads.

Movie adaptation: ‘The Reincarnationist Papers’ by D. Eric Maikranz

The movie adaptation of D. Eric Maikranz’ ‘The Reincarnationist Papers’ will be released in May. Photo: google

D. Eric Maikranz is the author of “The Reincarnationist Papers,” the electrifying debut novel that introduces readers to the Cognomina, a secret society of people who reincarnate with total recall of their collected past lives. As a world traveler, he was a foreign correspondent while living in Rome, translated for relief doctors in Nicaragua during a cholera epidemic, and was once forcibly expelled from the nation of Laos. He has worked as a tour guide, a radio host, a bouncer, and a Silicon Valley software executive. The Reincarnationist Papers is the electrifying book that introduces readers to the Cognomina, a secret society of people who possess total recall of their past lives. It is the basis for the Paramount Pictures movie Infinite, scheduled for release in May 2021, and starring Mark Wahlberg and Dylan O’Brien.

In “The Reincarnationist Papers,” discovered in an antique store in Rome at the turn of the millennium, The Reincarnationist Papers offers a tantalizing glimpse into the Cognomina, a secret society of people who possess total recall of their past lives. Evan Michaels struggles with being different, with having the complete memories of two other people who lived sequentially before him. He fights loneliness and believes his ‘condition’ is unique until he meets Poppy. She recognizes his struggle because she has the same ‘condition,’ except that she is much older, remembering back seven consecutive lives. There is something else she must share with Evan – she is a member of a secret society of others like them. They are, in effect, near immortals – compiling experiences and skills over lifetimes into near superhuman abilities that they have used to drive history toward their own agenda on a longer timeline. Through Poppy, Evan is invited into the Cognomina but he must decide if he can face their tests before entering this new mysterious society as their equal.

Guy Clark documentary Without Getting Killed or Caught to premiere at 2021 SXSW

Without Getting Killed or Caught will premiere at 2021 SXSW Film Festival. Photo: google

Without Getting Killed or Caught is a remarkable documentary film about the mythical, complicated relationship between legendary songwriters Guy Clark, Susanna Clark, and Townes Van Zandt, and the art it inspired; a film with enough charm to create new fans of Clark and his music and enough depth to appease long-time followers. Without Getting Killed or Caught—which will make its virtual World Premiere at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival March 16-20—was produced and directed by longtime Americana music producer and executive Tamara Saviano and filmmaker Paul Whitfield. The film was originally scheduled to debut at SXSW in 2020 before the pandemic shuttered the festival, and for those not already attending SXSW 2021, stay tuned for additional information on public screenings with Kessler Presents, YETI, SiriusXM Outlaw Country, and more. (IVPR, 2021)

Without Getting Killed or Caught is the true story of Guy Clark, the dean of Texas songwriters, who struggles to write poetic, yet indelible songs while balancing a complicated marriage with wife Susanna, and a deep friendship with singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt, on whom Susanna forged a passionate dependence. Clark, who died in 2016, wrote and recorded unforgettable songs (“L.A. Freeway,” “Desperados Waiting for a Train”) for more than forty years. His lyrics and melodies paint portraits of the people, places, and experiences that shaped him, and no one inspired Guy more than his wife, painter, and songwriter Susanna Talley Clark, and their best friend, fellow songwriter Townes Van Zandt. 

Narrated by Academy-Award winner Sissy Spacek, Without Getting Killed or Caught follows Guy, Susanna, and Townes on their journey from obscurity to reverence: Guy, the Pancho to Van Zandt’s Lefty, struggling to establish himself as the Dylan Thomas of American music, while Susanna writes hit songs and paints album covers for top artists and Townes spirals in self-destruction after writing some of Americana music’s most enduring and influential ballads. Based on the diaries of Susanna Clark—the film tells the saga from Susanna’s point of view—and Saviano’s 2016 book “Without Getting Killed or Caught: The Life and Music of Guy Clark,” which No Depression called “an intimate, affectionate, sometimes sad, often hilarious, and vibrant chronicle of one of our most memorable artists.”

 The film uses Clark’s songs, family photographs and archives, vintage film footage, and radio talk shows on which Clark appeared solo and in tandem with Van Zandt. The real emotional impact, though, comes from Susanna’s pained remembrances, taken from her private journals and secret audio diaries, as well as taped conversations that Susanna made of the trio and of the “salon” that regularly gathered around them—all serving as witnesses to this seemingly fated intersection of love, art, and tragedy.

Television adaptation: ‘Behind Her Eyes’ by Sarah Pinborough

The television adaptation of ‘Behind Her Eyes’ will behind streaming on Netflix on February 17, 2021. Photo: amazon

Sarah Pinborough is the award-winning, The New York Times and internationally bestselling author of “Behind Her Eyes” and “13 Minutes.” She has written YA and adult thriller, fantasy, and cross-genre novels and her works have been translated into numerous languages. She is best known for “Behind Her Eyes,” a thriller about a singer mother who gets caught up in the middle of a twisted circumstance that makes her question the sinister conspiracy behand a stranger’s marital relationship.  It was adapted into a British psychological television series of the same name and will stream on Netflix beginning Wednesday, February 17, 2021. It stars Simona Brown, Eve Hewson, Tom Bateman, and Robert Aramayo. (amazon, 2021)

In “Behind Her Eyes,” Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she is thrilled she finally connected with someone. When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar who says the kiss was a terrible mistake, but who still cannot keep his eyes off Louise. And then Louise bumps into Adele, who is new to town and in need of a friend. But she also just happens to be married to David. David and Adele look like the picture-perfect husband and wife. But then why is David so controlling? And why is Adele so scared of him? As Louise is drawn into David and Adele’s orbit, she uncovers more questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong. But Louise cannot guess how wrong―and how far a person might go to protect their marriage’s secrets. Sarah Pinborough has written a novel that takes the modern-day love triangle and not only turns it on its head, but completely reinvents it in a way that will leave readers reeling.

Television adaptation: ‘The Stand’ by Stephen King

The new adaptation of Stephen King’s enormously popular ‘The Stand’ premieres on CBS All Access on December 17. Photo: google

Stephen King is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels.  His books have sold more than 350 million copies, and many have been adapted into films, television series, miniseries and comic books.  One of his most popular works, “The Stand” is a post-apocalyptic dark fantasy novel that centers around a pandemic of a weaponized strain of influenza that k8lls most of the world’s population.  It was adapted into a miniseries in 1994 and a now a new miniseries will be released on CBS All Access starting Thursday December 17 with new episodes releasing weekly.  Cast includes Whoopi Goldberg as Mother Abigail, Alexander Skargård as Randall Flagg and James Marsden as Stu Redman. (Wikipedia, 2020)

In “The Stand,” the lethal strain of influenza is accidentally released when there is a security breach in a secret U.S. Department of Defense laboratory in northern California.  A security guard, Charles Campion, manages to escape the facility before it is locked down and takes his family out of the state.  His car crashes in Texas and bystanders and ambulance workers become infected. The army tries to contain the virus by isolating the town, but it eventually spreads across the country and the global pandemic nearly kills everyone in a month’s time. The few survivors, united in groups, establish a new social system to adapt but eventual confrontations emerge.

Movie adaptation: ‘The Witches’ by Roald Dahl

The newest movie adaptation of Roald Dahl’s ‘The Witches’ will be available for streaming on HBO Max. Photo: google

Roald Dahl was a Welsh novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter and wartime fighter pilot. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. He has been referred to as one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century. He is best known for “James and the Giant Peach,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Matilda,” “The Witches,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and  “The BFG.” “The Witches” features the experiences of a young British boy and his Norwegian grandmother in a world where child-hating societies of witches secretly exist in every country. The second feature-length adaptation of the novel stars Ann Hathaway, Octavia Spencer and Stanley Tucci and is directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis, Kenya Barris and Guillermo del Toro.  It will be available for streaming on HBO Max on October 22 with a theatrical release in selected theaters on October 28.

“The Witches” is set in Norway and in the United Kingdom where the witches are ruled by the extremely vicious and powerful Grand High Witch. An unnamed seven-year-old English boy goes to live with his Norwegian grandmother after his parents are killed in a tragic car accident. The boy loves to listen to his grandmother’s stories, especially the ones about real witches.  According to her, witches are horrific creatures who are out to kill human children and tells the boy how to recognize them. The Grand High Witch has just arrived in England to organize her worst plot ever but when the grandmother, a self-professed former witch hunter, and her young grandson find out about her evil plan, they must work together to defeat the witches.

Television adaptation: ‘A Wilderness of Error’ by Errol Morris

The television adaptation of Errol Morris’ ‘A Wilderness of Error’ premieres on FX on Friday September 25. Photo: google

Errol Morris is an American film director of documentaries and former private detective. His documentaries have repeatedly appeared on many ten best lists and have been honored by the National Society of Film Critics and the National Board of Review. Morris has received five fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Guggenheim Fellowship and a MacArthur Fellowship. His 1998 documentary The Thin Blue Line is considered the best and most influential documentaries ever made. “A Wilderness of Error: The Trials of Jeffrey MacDonald” reexamines the case of Jeffrey MacDonald, the Green Beret physician accused of killing his wife and two daughters in their Fort Bragg home on February 17, 1970 and convicted on that crime on August 29, 1979. MacDonald has been in federal prison since 1982. A five-part television documentary true crime series based on the book will premiere on FX on Friday September 25, 2020.

In “A Wilderness of Error,” Errol Morris examines the nature of evidence and proof in the Jeffrey MacDonald murder case.  According to amazon, on the morning of February 17, 1970, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Jeffrey MacDonald called the police for help.  When the officers arrived at his home they found the bloody and battered bodies of MacDonald’s pregnant wife and two young daughters. The word “pig” was written in blood on the headboard in the master bedroom. As MacDonald was being loaded into the ambulance, he accused a band of drug-crazed hippies of the crime.

Errol Morris has been investigating the MacDonald case for over twenty years. “A Wilderness of Error” is the culmination of his efforts. It is a shocking book, because it shows that almost everything we have been told about the case is deeply unreliable and crucial elements of the case against MacDonald simply are not true. It is a masterful reinvention of the true-crime thriller, a book that pierces the haze of myth surrounding these murders with the sort of brilliant light that can only be produced by years of dogged and careful investigation and hard, lucid thinking.