Book v. Film: An Education

Maybe I mentioned it, or not, but a few weeks ago I lived out a dream of mine: my department sent a few people to a publishing vendor fair. This means all kinds of publishing houses, from Penguin and Random House to smaller art, medical, and religious presses, showed up at an Embassy Suites to talk shop and give away books. It was much better than my already crazy expectations, and I left with 3 shopping bags full of advance copies, unproofed galleys, and things I had waited literally months for in stores (R. Crumb's The Book of Genesis)...all for free. So if you need new reading material, hit me up. No way can I finish these on my own!

Back to Book v. Film. It's been a busy semester, and this tiny little book has been the only thing I've read from my haul so far. An Education is very short (172 pages) and reads quickly. The movie version is based only on a few pages from this book, and frankly the movie seems boring for that reason. The 150 pages not dealing with the cradle-robbing affair (see below) are super engrossing, and Lynn Barber is relatable and funny. The majority of the book is about Barber's climb through publishing and journalism in London, starting with her job at Penthouse at its start in the '70s, and ends with a long and--really--breathtaking reflection on her marriage and family. I give An Education my very highest recommendation. I'll even let you borrow my copy!

We've all seen the trailers for the film version of An Education, or heard the actors on Fresh Air, or seen something related to the Oscars hyping it up. Peter Sarsgaard is an adult man having an affair with a 16-year-old schoolgirl in England in the early '60s. YAWN! It won't be out on DVD for another week, and like I said, I'm not too crazy about watching it. I will, for the sake of this beloved blog feature, but I might not like it...but then, I said the same thing about the book. Wink!