Ashley and Brittany went to the midnight showing of Ender’s Game and read the book for last month’s movie and book clubs! See their reviews below, then be sure to join us for November’s clubs!
Ashley’s Reviews:
Book: 3.5/5 stars
Because: People talked it up, but when I read it I wasn’t all that impressed. I think one of the redeeming qualities was the character development, though. It’s a good read, but there are some things Orson Scott Card did with his writing that bothered me a little. I’m such a book snob.
Movie: 4/5 stars for critical review; 5/5 stars for personal review
Because: All the elements of a good movie are there, but I can’t figure out what’s missing to keep me from giving it a 5/5 critically. Personally, I thought it was exciting and fast-paced. There were a few key details about Ender’s bullies that got left out of the movie, and that did bother me a little.
Recommending: I recommend the movie which I personally liked better in some ways than the book! If you haven’t read the book, you should love the movie. If you’ve read the book and can look at them as two separate entities, then you’ll like the movie too!
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Brittany’s Reviews:
Book: 4/5 stars
Because: I really liked the book. I thought it was intriguing and engaging, but I did find it to be a little too descriptive and not enough action. That’s not a bad thing, I’m just impatient.
Movie: 4/5 stars for critical review; 5/5 stars for personal review
Because: I, like Ashley, can’t quite figure out what was missing in the movie to give it 4 instead of 5 stars; however, it was dramatic and engaging and the acting was absolutely phenomenal! I would absolutely go see it again, even though I don’t like alien-type sci-fi. The emotion was real and the story line was gripping.
Recommending: I recommend the movie and the book. If you like the movie, give the book a chance. If you like the book, give the movie a chance. It’s always hard with movies that start out as books, but I really thought it was good!
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Reviews of other HGU Staff:
Jasmine: Liked it as a movie, didn’t like it as a movie of a book. I wish it had been better. 3/5 stars, I’d rent it again maybe. I love the book though!
David: It was my favorite book for a long time. I loved it in High School. I re-read it a little while ago and didn’t like it as much. Haven’t seen the movie yet. I probably won’t see it in theaters, just wait until it’s out for DVD.
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November Clubs!
Book: Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. Originally posted under a pseudonym (Victoria Lucas) in 1963. It’s a semi-autobiographical piece about a woman’s descent into mental illness, which followed what was likely Plath’s descent into depression. Plath committed suicide a month after the book’s first publication in the UK. Read by December 2nd, 2013!
Movie: Ashley’s pick! All the movies we select are available on Netflix. Watch and send in your reviews by December 6th, 2013!
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Have you read the book? Seen the movie? What did you think? If not, do you plan on seeing the movie or reading the book? Comment below!
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Featured Image: Roxanne Ready