The Movie Was Better

What’s more important: gripping plot or gorgeous prose? That’s right, I’m diving into the big question of good writing vs. good storytelling. A well-written book with a killer plot is—chef’s kiss—sensational. But it’s really hard to do both.

Heck, it’s hard to just do one of those things well. 

(Of course my current novel in progress is perfect in every way. You’ll see just as soon as I get around to finishing it.) 

But lately I’ve been thinking about which I prefer, and I realize that I can forgive a meandering or lackluster plot if the writing sings. But popular opinion seems to rest squarely in the plot camp. Certainly plot is what gets you those movie rights. 

Since I like pain I guess, I’m fond of reading a book before a related movie comes out so that I can walk into the theater (remember those?!) with a treasured vision and then spend several hours feeling superior and disappointed in equal measure. I even own a T-shirt that says “The Book Was Better.”

Sometimes though, the film (or TV show) really is better. Classic examples include Fight Club (and I’ll fight anyone who disagrees) and Jurassic Park. There are also plenty of great books that have been made into excellent movies (Bridget Jones’ Diary, The Princess Bride, and High Fidelity all come to mind, but there are many great examples. Share some of your favorites in the comments if you’d like.)

A few years ago I checked Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan out of the library in anticipation, and wow, what a stinker. 

Here’s a sample: “I hate to point out the obvious, but here's this tiny bird that's been trying to get through a huge bulletproof glass wall. A totally impossible situation. You tell me it's been here every day pecking away persistently for ten minutes. Well, today the glass wall came down.” 

Yikes yikes yikes.

I almost wasn’t sure if I’d see the movie after I got through that mess. But I did and I loved it so much. I saw it a couple of times in the theater, once by myself. 

Did I mention that I love movie theaters? There are few pleasures in life greater than checking out of the outside world for a couple hours in a dark box, bathed in silver screen dust—especially if you’re supposed to be doing something else, like job hunting or Christmas gift shopping. 

Recently, I picked up “The Duke and I” by Julia Quinn, which is the book behind the wildly successful Netflix show Bridgerton. I was unprepared for the thinness of the characters, the unnecessary tirades of exposition, the modern dialogue while Prince George is basically in charge of England (i.e. Regency Era… you know, Jane Austen times).

Here’s something that’s said in The Duke And I: “And if you say that's because you lot barged into her home like a herd of mentally deficient sheep, I'm disowning all three of you.” 

Now imagine reading that line in a Jane Austen novel.

I’ll wait.

Ok fine I’m a book snob.

But also I rarely read mainstream romance novels, so as far as I know, Ms. Quinn’s works are some of the best of the bunch. Consider that the only real tension available to this genre is “will they or won’t they” (Spoilers: they always will. Always.) and I don’t envy romance authors. If it’s not a modern romance, the couple can’t, um, consummate until they are married, and so the author has to get these folks to a priest tout suite! But since readers are expecting at least two and a half hot and heavy scenes separated by descriptions of dresses and a couple of mild disagreements that occasionally turn into duels, something else has to keep the couple apart because nothing is more boring than two people who love each other being allowed to just do that. 

Are you bookmarking this? This is very practical advice for how to write your own Regency romance novel.

Ms. Quinn is obviously a talented storyteller. And she has unique ideas for keeping the will-they-or-won’t-they fresh, but frankly, I didn’t appreciate her genuine plot skills until I saw the show on Netflix. Somehow the dialogue is less terrible when really beautiful people say the words. I need to cast hotter characters for my imagination.