Where the crawdads sing

[Scarlett]

We just watched it. Anyone surprised?

[Indigo Blue]

I haven’t seen it. Do you mean surprised by the movie or surprised that you watched it? What did you think about it?

[Acorn]

I enjoyed the book but do not plan to see the movie.

[Vintage81]

I’ve read the book and watched the movie. I liked both, but I actually came out of the movie thinking I enjoyed it more. Maybe because it had been a while since I had read the book . 🤷‍♀️ What surprised you @Scarlett?

[scholastica]

I enjoyed the book, but won’t see the movie after learning more about the author and the history of her family’s behavior.

[Scarlett]

2 hours ago, Indigo Blue said:

I haven’t seen it. Do you mean surprised by the movie or surprised that you watched it? What did you think about it?

The ending surprised me. But I am not that great at figuring movies out. Lol 

I liked it a lot. 

[Scarlett]

47 minutes ago, Vintage81 said:

I’ve read the book and watched the movie. I liked both, but I actually came out of the movie thinking I enjoyed it more. Maybe because it had been a while since I had read the book . 🤷‍♀️ What surprised you @Scarlett?

The ending. The Who did it. 

[Scarlett]

It was a movie I really wanted to see in the theater but Covid was ramping up so we waited and watched it on Prime last night. 

[alisoncooks]

I hated the book, lol. 
I’m not sure how closely it adhered to the book. 

[Scarlett]

51 minutes ago, alisoncooks said:

I hated the book, lol. 
I’m not sure how closely it adhered to the book. 

I am thinking of reading the book.  What did you hate about it?

[scholastica]

56 minutes ago, alisoncooks said:

I hated the book, lol. 
I’m not sure how closely it adhered to the book. 

I love the book for how well constructed it is. It is extremely difficult to write that way and she did it masterfully.

[Grace Hopper]

Honestly, I found it fairly predictable. 

[KrissiK]

1 hour ago, alisoncooks said:

I hated the book, lol. 
I’m not sure how closely it adhered to the book. 

You know, I did, too. I always hesitate to say that because everybody else loved it and sometimes I think there’s something wrong with me because I didn’t love it at all. I put it down pretty quickly. I don’t know what it was. I just didn’t care. About the main character, the story…. any of it.

[Scarlett]

8 minutes ago, Grace Hopper said:

Honestly, I found it fairly predictable. 

Lol. Maybe I was just trying to make it more difficult than it was.

[Grace Hopper]

Just now, Scarlett said:

Lol. Maybe I was just trying to make it more difficult than it was.

You know, I do think the movie tries to make it look like it could have been someone else. But I read the book first, and felt all along there was really only one way it could go and have the ending be justified based on the way the characters were constructed. 

[Vintage81]

1 hour ago, alisoncooks said:

I hated the book, lol. 
I’m not sure how closely it adhered to the book. 

There were things about the book that I didn't care for either...I really didn't love the main character. I felt like the movie version of her was better. 

The whole "whodunit" part in the movie is not explained as well in the movie as in the book, but it's enough to get a basic understanding. 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I enjoyed the book when I read it. I so desperately wish I could be a nature girl like that (without the abuse, of course). I also enjoyed the movie but enough time had passed between my reading the book and the movie that some of the details had faded from memory.

Edited October 30, 2022 by Granny_Weatherwax

[lauraw4321]

I enjoyed the book, although it was predictable. But I was horrified when I read about her family’s involvement with a murder in Africa and it made me kind of hate the book. 

[Lady Florida.]

I had no interest in reading the book and probably wouldn't have seen the movie if some friends hadn't invited me to join them. They all read the book but I just went because 2.5 years of not being with friends was getting to me. I needed an outing. 

I thought it was just okay and it didn't make me want to read the book. Yes, I was surprised by the ending. 

 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I just read about the controversy and, yes, it does color my enjoyment of the book and the movie. 

[J-rap]

I haven't read the book or seen the movie but have heard a lot about both and was interested.  I hadn't heard about the controversy though, so now I'm curious and already disappointed. 

It reminds me a little of the book, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy.  I loved the book but then learned unsettling things about the author.

Same for mystery author Anne Perry, who helped kill her best friend's mother when she was just a teen, I believe.

 

[Lady Florida.]

Just now, J-rap said:

 

Same for mystery author Anne Perry, who helped kill her best friend's mother when she was just a teen, I believe.

 

I started reading some of her books years ago. Then I read about her and couldn't finish the series I was reading. It's too creepy that her books are murder mysteries.

[Scarlett]

Much of literature and all kinds of art would be off the table for me if I thought too much about the artists and authors.  
 

I still can’t tolerate watching Angelina Jolie in anything.  

[J-rap]

3 minutes ago, Lady Florida. said:

I started reading some of her books years ago. Then I read about her and couldn't finish the series I was reading. It's too creepy that her books are murder mysteries.

I agree, so very strange and creepy.  I heard that one of her books was loosely based on her life back then.

[J-rap]

Just now, Scarlett said:

Much of literature and all kinds of art would be off the table for me if I thought too much about the artists and authors.  
 

I still can’t tolerate watching Angelina Jolie in anything.  

Agreed.

Edited October 30, 2022 by J-rap

[Storygirl]

I didn't like the book, so I haven't seen the movie. I really didn't like the ending, but there are also other things about the story and structure that I didn't care for. Half story about a nature girl, half court trial -- the two parts of the book did not work together well enough for me. I suspect the twist ending is what spurred the popularity of this book.

[Scarlett]

21 minutes ago, Storygirl said:

I didn't like the book, so I haven't seen the movie. I really didn't like the ending, but there are also other things about the story and structure that I didn't care for. Half story about a nature girl, half court trial -- the two parts of the book did not work together well enough for me. I suspect the twist ending is what spurred the popularity of this book.

It was a strange story for sure.  A lot was left unanswered but that often happens when books are made into movies.  

[Indigo Blue]

What is the controversy with Angelina Jolie? I’ve never heard anything. 

[Scarlett]

41 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

What is the controversy with Angelina Jolie? I’ve never heard anything. 

She was reportedly  involved in the break up of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston.  

[Catwoman]

1 hour ago, Scarlett said:

She was reportedly  involved in the break up of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston.  

Well, Angelina Jolie has done a lot of very good things in the years since then and her children seem to adore her, so I don't have anything against her. I'm not excusing her behavior back then, but in my opinion, the vast majority of the blame for the breakup of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's marriage goes to Brad Pitt, not Angelina Jolie. Sure, Angelina shouldn't have slept with a married man, but ultimately, Brad was the one who was married and it was his responsibility to not have an affair. 

I felt very sorry for Jennifer Aniston because of the public way everything happened, but I also felt a little sorry for Angelina, too, because she was always portrayed as the horrible home wrecker, while Brad Pitt seemed to almost get a pass on all of it, like he was the poor, innocent victim of Angelina the scheming seductress. I found that to be absolutely sickening. I don't care what Angelina looked like or even if she tried to seduce him; Brad should have said no. He should have been faithful to his wife despite the temptation -- and if he really couldn't resist Angelina's charms and really believed he was in love with her, he should have filed for divorce from Jennifer Aniston before he acted on his feelings for Angelina. There's no excuse for what he did. 

 

Edited October 30, 2022 by Catwoman
Words. They need to go in order.

[Scarlett]

51 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

Well, Angelina Jolie has done a lot of very good things in the years since then and her children seem to adore her, so I don't have anything against her. I'm not excusing her behavior back then, but in my opinion, the vast majority of the blame for the breakup of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's marriage goes to Brad Pitt, not Angelina Jolie. Sure, Angelina shouldn't have slept with a married man, but ultimately, Brad was the one who was married and it was his responsibility to not have an affair. 

I felt very sorry for Jennifer Aniston because of the public way everything happened, but I also felt a little sorry for Angelina, too, because she was always portrayed as the horrible home wrecker, while Brad Pitt seemed to almost get a pass on all of it, like he was the poor, innocent victim of Angelina the scheming seductress. I found that to be absolutely sickening. I don't care what Angelina looked like or even if she tried to seduce him; Brad should have said no. He should have been faithful to his wife despite the temptation -- and if he really couldn't resist Angelina's charms and really believed he was in love with her, he should have filed for divorce from Jennifer Aniston before he acted on his feelings for Angelina. There's no excuse for what he did. 

 

Yeah, I don’t have much interest in seeing any of them.  But not all bad behavior by artists affects me the same way, so there’s that.  Maybe it happened around the time my 26 year marriage blew up due to infidelity, who knows.

But I also don’t buy the idea that the woman who slept with a married man is not responsible.  She is also responsible for what she does.  Many marriages might survive if more people were willing to say no to being the other woman or other man.  

[Catwoman]

6 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Yeah, I don’t have much interest in seeing any of them.  But not all bad behavior by artists affects me the same way, so there’s that.  Maybe it happened around the time my 26 year marriage blew up due to infidelity, who knows.

But I also don’t buy the idea that the woman who slept with a married man is not responsible.  She is also responsible for what she does.  Many marriages might survive if more people were willing to say no to being the other woman or other man.  

Oh, I agree with you that single people shouldn't be sleeping with married people; I just think it's unfair that Angelina Jolie got the brunt of the blame for Brad Pitt cheating on Jennifer Aniston. Realistically, if it hadn't been with Angelina, it probably would have been with someone else -- yet when you saw the tabloid headlines at the time, Angelina was being blamed for the whole thing, like she had lured Brad away from Jennifer and it was almost like the tabloids were saying he couldn't have possibly have resisted her.

I thought it was so crazy that he basically got away with cheating on his wife because the other woman was just so darned irresistible and her evil sex appeal was totally to blame for Brad not being able to control himself. Ummm... no. He was married. He had a responsibility to be faithful to his wife. He was not an innocent victim here. 

So I guess what I'm saying is that Angelina definitely shouldn't have gotten involved with Brad, but in the end, Brad was the one who was primarily responsible for the breakup of his marriage to Jennifer. (And really, who knows what kind of lies Brad might have been telling Angelina about his marriage? He's a pretty good actor, and it wouldn't be too farfetched to imagine a guy who wants to cheat on his wife to have a lot of convincing stories about how his wife doesn't understand him, and how they're about to get divorced, etc., just to get a woman to have an affair with him.)

 

 

[DawnM]

I just watched the movie and enjoyed it, not knowing there was any controversy with the author.   I now see that she and her husband are wanted for questioning regarding the  murder of an alleged poacher in Zambia.   I still liked the movie.

[bookbard]

1 hour ago, DawnM said:

I now see that she and her husband are wanted for questioning regarding the  murder of an alleged poacher in Zambia.

wow, I hadn't heard that.

I read the book and couldn't understand why it was such a bestseller. It was predictable, I saw the ending a mile off, and it felt a bit 'paint by numbers' (moving from one trope to the next). I wouldn't see the film.

If anyone wants a really good movie, I really enjoyed David Copperfield on Netflix. Keep in mind it doesn't follow the book 100%, it actually reminded me a bit of the way they did Little Women (the most recent one). Dickens fits in with the evil authors theme too!

 

[livetoread]

I read the book and liked it - didn't love it. My favorite part was how the author wrote about the natural surroundings. So beautiful. The plot was decent-kept me reading but not riveted. Interesting character but not so interesting I'm thinking about her long after reading. The ending didn't surprise me because it fit with the character of the person who did it, but I wasn't sure if the author would have the guts to make it turn out that way. Probably won't pay to see the movie but would watch it if it showed up on Netflix someday and there isn't anything else better on my list. So yeah, wouldn't rave about it, but liked it fine.

Edited October 31, 2022 by livetoread

[DawnM]

2 minutes ago, livetoread said:

I read the book and liked it - didn't love it. My favorite part was how the author wrote about the natural surroundings. So beautiful. The plot was decent-kept me reading but not riveted. Interesting character but not so interesting I'm thinking about her long after reading. The ending didn't surprise me because it fit with the character of the person who did it, but I wasn't sure if the author would have the guts to make it turn out that way. Probably won't pay to see the movie but would watch it if it showed up on Netflix someday and there isn't anything else better on my list. So yeah, wouldn't rave about it, but liked it fine.

It is coming to Netflix mid-November.   I had some Amazon digital credits and was able to get it for very cheap and didn't want to wait.

The only issue I had with the movie is that it really didn't seem like any place in NC and was much more Louisiana like.   And they kept talking about taking trips to Asheville like it was just a short distance from the beach. 😂

[Grace Hopper]

7 minutes ago, DawnM said:

It is coming to Netflix mid-November.   I had some Amazon digital credits and was able to get it for very cheap and didn't want to wait.

The only issue I had with the movie is that it really didn't seem like any place in NC and was much more Louisiana like.   And they kept talking about taking trips to Asheville like it was just a short distance from the beach. 😂

Totally! I enjoyed the book for the setting, having spent much of my youth in Louisiana marshes! For me it was the setting and characters like the boat fuel/bait station owners that were nostalgic to me. 
 

I enjoyed the story but some things overlooked, definitely in the film: the effects of humidity on paper, and mosquitoes. 

[Pawz4me]

58 minutes ago, DawnM said:

 

The only issue I had with the movie is that it really didn't seem like any place in NC and was much more Louisiana like.   And they kept talking about taking trips to Asheville like it was just a short distance from the beach. 😂

Ditto

[Guest]

I’m listening to this book currently for book club. So far, I think the descriptive prose is excellent, but the story itself - three star. It feels hard to care about the main character. I almost quit the book at first, but I chalked it up to book hangover because I had just finished The Handmaid’s Tale. But I listened to it while cleaning house and decided to continue. 

[DawnM]

3 hours ago, Grace Hopper said:

Totally! I enjoyed the book for the setting, having spent much of my youth in Louisiana marshes! For me it was the setting and characters like the boat fuel/bait station owners that were nostalgic to me. 
 

I enjoyed the story but some things overlooked, definitely in the film: the effects of humidity on paper, and mosquitoes. 

Right?   My husband said, "Oh look, a picnic and sleeping on the beach and NO mosquitoes!

[SquirrellyMama]

Enjoyed the book and the movie. I can't say I like the ending, but it really is the only one that makes sense. 

Re: Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie. I read an interview with Pitt published while he was married to Aniston that foreshadowed his divorce. I don't remember the question but part of his answer was about being married until it wasn't fun anymore. I remember telling my husband that their marriage was not going to last with that attitude. 

[katilac]

On 10/31/2022 at 9:29 AM, DawnM said:

The only issue I had with the movie is that it really didn't seem like any place in NC and was much more Louisiana like.    

I can't compare to NC but the descriptions were indeed very Louisiana-like. Which made it hard to get into the book, because it was very hard to suspend my disbelief enough to buy into the plot of a very young child surviving in the marshes on their own. If you repeatedly leave a 6-yr-old alone in the marsh for days on end, the book is going to be very short because that child is going to die 😄

Maybe Louisiana just has much meaner wetlands. 

Edited November 2, 2022 by katilac

[Guest]

6 hours ago, katilac said:

I can't compare to NC but the descriptions were indeed very Louisiana-like. Which made it hard to get into the book, because it was very hard to suspend my disbelief enough to buy into the plot of a very young child surviving in the marshes on their own. If you repeatedly leave a 6-yr-old alone in the marsh for days on end, the book is going to be very short because that child is going to die 😄

Maybe Louisiana just has much meaner wetlands. 

OMgsh, yes!! From the day I first heard the title to currently (I have not finished the book yet), I constantly have to remind myself this is NC, not LA. This story feels Deep South every minute. To the point where I’m trying to understand why the author did that. Was there another popular book out at the time that was LA, so she wanted to seem separate? Was she worried people would question how she could speak about LA unless she had lived there? 
 

 

[Indigo Blue]

I didn’t know the setting of this story is in NC. I haven’t seen the movie or read the book. I’ve only seen the movie trailer, and, just from looking at that,  I would have never thought “NC”. 

[Grace Hopper]

Well I don’t know why I didn’t look it up before now but I just had to go and do it. Guess where the movie was filmed?

Louisiana. Mostly Houma area and New Orleans. I knew things looked familiar! Kaya’s marsh house scenes were filmed on the banks of Lake Pontchartrain in Fontainebleau State Park. I used to take my kids to that park as our local playground.  My extended family is scattered across the north shore. Good grief. 

https://www.countryandtownhouse.com/travel/where-the-crawdads-sing-filming-locations/
 

I wonder why Owens didn’t just set the story there to begin with? Louisiana I mean. 
 

[Farrar]

I haven't read it or seen it (and I won't now that I've read these things about the author - I mean, good grief, don't write a novel justifying your murder). But my mother spent forever complaining to me about the sense of NC geography in the book (she had to read it for a book club) and how it made NO SENSE at all. Like, I guess it has people going from really far apart places in like half an hour and describing swamp moss on trees in areas where that just isn't a thing.

Edited November 2, 2022 by Farrar

[Grace Hopper]

@katilacas far as a youngster growing up alone - I think in that mid century era, an orphaned 12yo boy could probably live on his own with a community of fellow marsh dwellers - like the bait shack owners, but more than just them. But not a 6yo girl. Too many bootleggers, snakes, alligators and bears (in the Atchafalaya Basin, anyway). Call me sexist but that’s how I see it, much more realistic that the boys in that story were cruising around in their own flatboats at young ages. They could more easily get jobs around shrimp boats, etc. But the notion one could grow up from a very young age isolated in a dangerous environment, well I guess there have been stories of such things over the years but just pretty far fetched. 

I think the biggest reason I liked the book was that Kaya wrote field guides. I would have loved to make a vocation of doing that! (Hmmm probably belongs in the other post about women and careers.) One of my dds complaints about the film was that everything was just too clean. No stain of swamp mud. No mildew. No spiderwebs, not big ones, anyway, like the swamp actually has. Owens gave us Lothlorien when it’s actually more like Mirkwood. But if you grew up there….

Well now I’m homesick. 

[livetoread]

3 hours ago, Grace Hopper said:

No spiderwebs, not big ones, anyway, like the swamp actually has.

I camped at a state park near Wilmington NC during the summer and hiked on the trails around it. One went through a very swampy, wetlands area and it was so spooky. It was very shaded and dark with lots of dead trees and huge orb weaving spiders with their huge webs over the dank water. Shiver. I learned to walk swinging a long stick in a circle in front of me to knock the webs down because when you've felt those strands on your face and neck after seeing those huge spiders your heart is never quite the same, lol.

[East Coast Sue]

On 10/30/2022 at 10:32 AM, Grace Hopper said:

Honestly, I found it fairly predictable. 

Me too