P.S. I Love You Book Trailer

P.S. I Love You Book Trailer

Post #6: Is genre fiction less "worthy" than Literary Fiction?

Personally, I do not think that genre fiction is any less “worthy” than Literary Fiction. Sure, the writing may not be as artistic but that does not mean fiction genre books are unworthy.

Schools teach Literary Fiction because they think it will prepare students for the real world, little do they know that half of the students do not even read the books assigned to them. They opt to use Spark notes instead. Why? Because the majority of Literary Fiction books are outdated and do not interest the typical high school student. If a good chunk of students are not reading the Literary Fiction books assigned to them then what is the point of assigning them?

Genre fiction books would be more beneficial than Literary Fiction books because they would still have the capacity to teach students valuable lessons, help students improve their writing, and promote a love for reading. If schools assigned books that students actually enjoyed then students would actually read them, instead of resorting to Spark notes. It seems to me like actually reading a genre fiction book would be more beneficial than just reading a summary of a Literary Fiction book.

Jodi Picoult said, “…a lot of the same themes and wisdoms I find in commercial fiction are the same themes and wisdoms as what I see lauded in literary fiction.”

I am with Picoult on this one; the themes schools want to teach through Literary Fiction can be found in genre fiction. The only difference is that in genre fiction the themes are easier to find. Themes in genre fiction books are more clearly stated, themes in Literary Fiction books are hidden amongst big words and abstract metaphors.

Do not get me wrong, I do not think that Literary Fiction should be completely eliminated from school curriculum. I think that reading Literary Fiction can be beneficial and strengthen a student’s understanding and wisdom of the word. I just think that genre fiction is also beneficial to students and should be integrated into the curriculum as well. An even mix of Literary Fiction and genre fiction would be the ideal solution; it would ensure that students had an understanding of literary classics but also a love of reading.

Post #5: Adapting My Book

One of the difficulties a filmmaker would face when turning the book P.S. I Love You into a movie is a large part of the book is Holly’s, the main characters, thoughts. It would be difficult for a filmmaker to show all of Holly’s emotions and thoughts. Another difficulty filmmakers would face when adapting the book is the book contains a lot of flashbacks. It would be hard to include all of them but most of them are significant to the story.

Necessary Scenes

One scene in the book that would be necessary to put in the film is Gerry, Holly’s husbands, death scene. In the book this scene was not very long and it was a flash back but I think it is necessary because it would illustrate Holly and Gerry’s relationship and it would help the audience see how strong Holly is. In this scene Holly would flashback to when her husband past away. It would be a short scene but it would show Gerry in the hospital barely able to hold on and Holly reassuring him that it was okay to let go.

Another scene in the book that would be essential in the film is part when Holly opens the first letter. The book is all about the letters Gerry wrote Holly after he passed and it is a turning point in the book. The film would need to show Holly looking at the letter in shock as it dawned on her that it was actually form Gerry. It would need to show Holly crying tears of joy because Holly had a positive reaction to the letters.

Lastly, I think that the part of the book when Holly celebrates her 30^th birthday party would be necessary to keep in the film. Holly’s birthday party is the first time Holly really goes out since Gerry’s death. It is essential because it shows how Holly is really trying to move forward and stop grieving. This scene is also a fun scene that was enjoyable to read. It introduces Holly’s friends, Denise and Sharon, which are my favorite characters in the book.

Unnecessary Scenes

One scene in the book that I would cut from the film is when Holly first leaves the house after Gerry’s death to get her haircut. This scene was very descriptive in the book but it was completely irrelevant to the story. Holly getting her haircut had nothing to do with the rest of the story and it was one of the most boring parts of the book.

Another scene I would cut from the book is when Holly has dinner with her family. Holly goes to her parent’s house for dinner for a family reunion since her younger sister, Ciara, is back in town. This scene describes Holly’s family is so much detail. Holly explains who she is close to in her family and who she isn’t close to and the dinner scene shows the tension that exists in her family. This scene has nothing to do with Holly or her relationship with Gerry which is the whole point of the book. The scene was very long and boring and completely unnecessary to include in the movie.