Where The Crawdads Sing

[Jellywobblescobbles]

Has anyone else seen this yet? I just went on my own to watch it and loved it. Very beautiful film.. had leaky eyes by the end!

I really liked it too, had read the Guardian review beforehand so wasn't expecting much! I have been a victim of DA so was really choked up in some parts.

I read the book and loved the writing but hated the book overall. I disliked the violence and the stereotypes especially the racial stereotypes and the sexual violence. At the time I read it, I felt that raoe was beinv used as a literary tool and that it was written as a film rape sceen that is all too often gratuitiously added to otherwise good stories. I realise that I am bringing my own issues to this interpretation of it but I find it very hard to watch or read about sexual violence towards women. Reading your comments, I think I will give the film a miss.

I agree. I loved the descriptive narrative about the wild places, animals, sunsets, skies, frocks, journeys- but the actual storyline was slow, banal, and yes used stereotypes, tired storyline cliches, too much violence. I was sick hearing about Tate's curls, character development was poor. I was very underwhelmed

This is a beautiful film and yes I was very close to tears by the end

Watched this and have also read the book. Enjoyed the film, I liked that it largely stuck to the book but agree with PP that some important flashbacks were missing.

I don't usually like film adaptations but this was good. I still think the book was better!

Staynow · 25/07/2022 18:52

The reviews for the book on amazon were awful I found so I gave it a miss, maybe I'll read it after all.

I didn't read this due to the bad reviews, but I will do now.

DD has read the book and really wanted to see this film- we both loved it. Beautiful scenery and some excellent performances particularly from the young Kya. We only read the Guardian review afterwards and couldn’t believe how negative it was.

I really didn't like the book - found it tediously implausible- and having read the Guardian review, was not looking forward to the film at all.

I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't a cinematic masterpiece, but it only sagged a little in some places and overall was enjoyable enough.

I thought the book was ok and that the film was also ok. Definitely not as bad as the reviews implied. I did think Kya was too clean and well kept, especially her hands and finger nails, and it wasn't convincing that she would have been shunned by the local community for her "wildness". However the actress had a suitably ethereal quality and Chase was well-drawn too.

I really enjoyed the film. Like others I had hoped for just a couple of little flashbacks at the end, but it was tied up very quickly, which I guess is also what happens in the book. They missed out a bit in the court case as well that was in the book that I thought was quite significant (the men spotting her in the boat on the night in question).

I thought it was ridiculous that Kya never wore the same outfit twice, and that she was mostly wafting about in dresses, looking immaculately clean and tidy, hair just slightly dishevelled. There was a scene before she got the book deal where she was wearing a full face of makeup. She had a better wardrobe than me!

But overall I thought it was very good and was sobbing at the end!

Kya is the biggest mary sue going. So the girl that lives in the swamp, never washes and wears rags is beautiful and mysterious, enthralling every man she meets and automatically good at everything she tries? Yawn.

I wouldn’t take my 15yr old dd to see it. And I totally loved it. Really blew me away. But it is very brutal.

I agree.

Agree about the Mary Sue, agree about the lovely wildlife writing.

Hated the poetry, hated the ending, hated how it made a mockery of everything gone before.

Loved the book, loved the film.

I loved both the book and the film too. I’m glad the film was true to the book in the main.

Haven't read the book but went to see it with dh the other day, based on the trailer.

A bit far fetched and whimsical but we enjoyed it for the escapism value.

Kya had an amazing wardrobe, skin and hair for someone who was meant to be wild and feral. I get that some of it was donations from the church, but she was wearing Levi's for goodness sake with an array of pretty blouses.

I wasn't expecting that ending and gasped when the penny dropped.

In the book it explains how Jumpin’ and his wife give her the old clothes of their kids/grandkids and any donations they find, including nice shoes.

Also she doesn’t exactly live in a swamp, she has a house with running water, she’s hardly stig of the dump!

I read the book last year and saw the film yesterday. I enjoyed both and would recommend them both.
Obviously, due to time constraints, the book contains massively more detail than the film. But the gist of the story was kept for the film and I thought it was a good adaptation.

I loved the descriptive writing about the nature & the setting of the book. I feel a bit perturbed now I know the author is a naturalist wanted for questioning re a potential murder in Zambia, not planning on watching the film.

Loved it

Tbh anyone should cringe and flinch when they see a DV scene. I thought it was well done and not gratuitous.

Absolutely loved the film, cannot understand the negative reviews. I didn't read the book but the friends I went with said they loved the adaptation.

Huh?

Maybe some people don;t want to watch the DV scene- thanks for the heads up.
Not sure I will go to see the movie now.

Haven't read the book but just back from the cinema. I really liked it. The landscapes were lovely and acting good. I agree with the PP who thought Chase's character was well drawn - he was obviously unlikeable from the start but I liked that there were some bits and pieces sympathetic to him which made Kya's mixed feelings more believable.

I agree she's a total Mary Sue and the wafting about in a succession of perfectly fitting pretty dresses (well I suppose maybe shop lady altered them) with perfectly groomed eyebrows and armpits - even as a totally naive teenager- was a load of balls. The bit where she wakes up on the beach and gently brushes the soft sand from her dewy cheek - I have woken up on a beach and you don't look like that. She needed a farmer's tan, red face and sweaty pits now and again.

But if you suspend disbelief about that and some of the murder case plot points, it's good.

SPOILER ALERT*

SPOILER ALERT**

Why didn't Tate stand up and say that's my hat???? Obviously could have ended up in the dock himself but if loved her enough he would have risked it??? Could he really rely on the " fibre transfer could've happened when the hat was at her house" defence. Various people saw the fight and store guy picking up the hat to give back to him.