The film of Where the Crawdads Sing, has opened to mixed reviews. I have to say, judging by the trailer, I’ve yet to see the whole, the film does not conjure up the book for me, which is of course one of the dangers of adaptations for readers.
I love the book, and I love it when readers compare my novel, Sometimes a River Song, with Crawdads. (There are even those who say they prefer River Song!) Because of this I find myself wondering how, in a fantasy world where Sometimes a River Song is a best seller, I would react to a film adaptation of my work. I find the answer is – not easily and not well.
I have to admit I’m something of a control freak. My protagonist Aiyana lives in me, in my writer’s imagination, soul and spirit, just as Kya does when I read, Where the Crawdads Sing. It is almost as if they transcend human form which means I’m looking for something mysterious and magical in their representation, something that goes beyond the ordinary. Likewise in the filming of place, for these are both novels of place.
It’s a tall order for a film maker to make a successful, even transcendent adaptation but I’ve seen it done, most recently with Sally Rooney’s Normal People, where Sally Rooney and Alice Birch worked together to adapt the book into a television script directed by Lenny Abrahamson. Delia Owens, author of Crawdads also worked on the film, and that, along with other recommendations from friends who enjoyed it, seems reason enough for me to suspend my final judgement until I’ve seen the whole thing.
Perhaps I’m fortunate as an author in not having my work adapted. What if the film doesn’t do the book justice? What if it feels wrong, fails to capture my vision? Perhaps the sales and the money would compensate. Maybe not
At times like these, when Where the Crawdads Sing, is in the news, or I see a copy of the book or a poster, I’m left wondering why two markedly similar books (I should add mine was written first) have had such markedly different fates. To explore this more, read Ali Bacon’s fascinating insights into the world of publishing and marketing – Sometimes a River Song sings but will it fly? Of Crawdads and River Songs
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