Thursday, January 29, 2009

Cold Comfort Farm

Book: Cold Comfort Farm
Like/Don't Like: This is Very British. And I really love Very British sorts of things.

The movie adaptation of this book has been a favorite of mine for years. So much so that I had to get into a feud with Netflix because I accidentally sent back my copy of the movie instead of their copy of Gilmore Girls season 3 and they flatly refused to give it back to me. Big Jerks. I held onto the box for ages and a while back I came across it and got sad all over again that it was empty. So I found a used copy on Amazon and joy returned.

Re-watching the movie made me want to check out the book. I had a feeling it would be just as witty and hilarious. I was totally right. It's set in England in the 1930s where young Flora Poste has just lost her parents and decides to move in with some relatives on their run down farm in Sussex. She is set on fixing things up there so that she has material for her book she's planning to write when she's 50. She meets all sorts of kooky relatives living there and does her best at dragging them into the modern world. It has the same kind of feel as a P.G. Wodehouse novel, that tongue-in-cheek take on the era. Thoroughly enjoyable.

And as a note: if you're looking for a good example of how to adapt a book into film read this then watch the movie. Very faithful without losing any of the charm.

4 comments:

Valerie said...

I looooooooove this book. I once totally blew off an audition because I didn't want to stop reading this. Awesome.

Rach said...

I found this book at DI for 50 cents, and it was such a steal! I was hesitant to read it because I my love for the movie, but you're right. It's a great book and I thoroughly enjoyed it as well.

Jenny said...

Ooh, a book version? I've just seen the filmed and loved it. On my list...

Jenny said...

I can type. I meant, it was originally a book? Didn't know. I am illiterate today.