In defense of a film adaptation

Emily Temple was not thrilled to hear that a beloved novel was being made into a movie.

Many of you readers can probably empathize, whether you assume Hollywood will just screw it all up or whether you think the book’s style just won’t work on screen.

Temple had the latter concern when she heard that We the Animals by Justin Torres was coming out as a movie, but she’s happy to report her fears in this case weren’t founded.

She writes about what factors went into making it such a successful adaptation — in fact, the ideal adaptation — at Literary Hub. 

We the Animals, a 2011 bestseller, tells the story of three brothers whose idyllic childhood is interrupted by their parents’ regular abandonment of them.

The movie hits theaters this Friday.