Rating: 4 out of 5
I saw the movie first. Perhaps, then, I was corrupted, but I was expecting more. I am not saying that the movie was better, but I think some things it approached better. The book was overall quite a bit darker and more thought-provoking as well as more detailed in what Wade Watts had to go through. There is also a lot more contribution from the people around him which makes it a more equal work for everyone involved.
In general, what’s not to like — the ’80’s had a lot of good music and not few great films either. In the movie, these make for the soundtrack while the intrepid reader must make their way to YouTube, Spotify, or a similar service to get the full immersive experience — I hope that the audiobook authors managed to make it more so, but I’m not too certain of it. Nevertheless, even for the most remote from popular culture, something of the era must have sunk in, prompting feelings of nostalgia when working their way through this book.
That is, no doubt, one of the things which makes the book popular. The unexpected darkness worked for me as well and very much helped build suspense. The so-so love story between the main characters never really grew naturally and it often seemed as Wade needed a distraction — from the writer’s point of view — though of course the counterpoint is that these are very much children who are playing these events out.
Overall, go and take a look…
