I’m going to assume that if you’re a woman currently between the ages of about 31-45 you’ve seen the 1990 Cher/Winona Ryder film Mermaids. If you haven’t – WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? GO RENT THAT ISH RIGHT THIS SECOND!
[ahem]
What I mean to say is that this movie was amazing. Well, maybe not amazing, but it was amazing at the time. It had very little to do with Cher, and instead focused on her young daughter, played by Winona Ryder before she started shoplifting and having songs written about her personal hygiene.
A lot of people who’ve seen (and loved) the movie had no idea that it was a book first. I had no idea that it was a book first until my fourth or fifth re-watch when I saw the tiny little script saying that it was based on the book of the same name by Patty Dunn.
I decided then that I had to read this book.
So, um…fast forward about 20 years and I finally found a copy (thank you Open Library!).
It’s a super short book, not even 200 pages. If you’ve seen the movie, I Double Dog Dare you not to read the entire book as if it’s being narrated by Ms Veronica ‘Heather would never use the word myriad’ herself, Winona Ryder.
I know that I did.
And that’s the problem, I think, with reading a book that’s based on a movie you already love. It’s difficult (if not impossible) to separate the two.
I wonder if this is the same problem people have with LotR after watching PJ’s bastardizations adaptations?
REGARDLESS, I still found myself able to enjoy the book on its own, even if I was singing Jimmy Soul to myself the entire time.
This is very much a coming-of-age story (even if I loathe that term from the very core of my being), but you’ll find yourself empathizing with Charlotte and wishing that Mrs Flax would JUST GET HER SHIT TOGETHER ALREADY. It’s totally worth the few hours you’ll spend on it.
Promise.
Go find yourself a copy of this book (but not from the link up there, cos I want Heather D to get it next), and listen to the thing I’m going to link to below.
I just found this today, and it makes me so happy (plus, CHER, SO IT ALL TIES IN TOGETHER! Sometimes, I swear I’m the most awesome).
You’ve seen this movie, right? If not, you’re planning on reading the book, then watching it, right? RIGHT?!
