It's gonna make a great film adaptation. Read for 2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge: a book by a woman in STEM. And Annie should be protected at all costs. So I’m glad to say that after the film adaptation of my novel Tell it to the Bees was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2018 I wasn’t weeping, but applauding. I liked the three main characters, but the other people in the story were so well written, too. Liberties must be taken for a film adaptation to work: novels and film scripts are like comparing apples to oranges. we stan, we stan. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. by 2009. I’ve read a lot of lesbian literature but this is by far one of my favourite books ever! It felt wrong and too forward for someone who came across as quite "limp". The movie didn't do Jean's character arc justice. See 2 questions about Tell it to the Bees…, 100 Best Lesbian Fiction & Memoir Books Of All Time, Contemporary Romance Rewrites 'Pride and Prejudice' with an Astrological Twist. In Michael Crichton’s novel Jurassic Park, almost everyone dies, whereas almost everyone survives in Spielberg’s film. Jean would have lost her livelihood as a GP – and Lydia would have lost custody of her son. May 21st 2009 You’ll find the corpses of many novels left to rot in the hinterland of film adaptation – and plenty of novelists weeping over them. However, while I applaud the adaptation of my novel, and I was moved by the final kiss (two beautiful women together, proud and public, while people tut and stare), I am not in love with the ending. This bittersweetness is a straight person’s finale. Tell it to the Bees is a beautifully written story based in the 50s that ebbs and flows realistically from multiple points of view. An impossible love at the time. Type “lesbian endings” into a search engine and you’ll find out. — Something went wrong. But they wanted them to have a divided happiness – one of them can have the happiness of staying in the town to have a fulfilling career; and the other can have the future happiness of finding love in a more tolerant place. Please try again. He’s an emotional barometer for what’s going on between all the adults. But hang in there. If you are looking for a sweet, well paced romance that you disappear into for a while, you'd be hard pressed to find a better story. Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2019. Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2019. People, and in particular lesbians, have got angry, and wondered aloud why the girl can’t be allowed to get the girl. I agree. It’s a love story between two women: a doctor, Jean (Paquin), and a factory worker, Lydia (Grainger). The movie was fantastic but nothing happened in the book for 185 pages! Aberdeen , Aberdeenshire, What Makes a Good Digital Home Visit? The film has changed much of my original story. And mostly, in the novelists’ eyes, for the worse. The film adaptation (directed by Annabel Jankel, script by Henrietta and Jessica Ashworth) captures much of the spirit of the novel, with expressive performances from Holliday Grainger and Anna Paquin. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2019. I wish we got a little more interactions from the time they fell in love, especially that we spent a big part of the book (around 1/4) without them even meeting one another. Read it in one sitting- meant to start it before bed and maybe read a chapter, turn in early for a 9am lecture- finished it in two and a half hours (thereabouts) utterly enraptured. Of course it has. Throughly enjoyed it. A secret love which has a whole town talking... and a small boy very worried. There’s something about books written like they belong in the 50’s or 60’s (whether or not it’s actually set there) that really doesn’t suit me. Is it ridiculous to say I can't even write a proper review because I loved it so much and it touched me so deeply? [Why did the movie, based on this book, deviate in so many substantial ways from the book, which is excellent? I bought this book after watching the movie because I saw the ending for the movie was different than the book. Of course, given the time period, there are parts that made me very sad and very angry. apparently there are two fiona shaws out there in the world (the author of this book and the actress known for her role in the harry potter movies) and BOTH of them are doin gay shit! And, most significantly, the ending has been changed. Charlie tells his secrets to no one but the bees, but even he can't keep his mother's friendship to himself. It’s so incredibly difficult to find a romance novel between two woman of excellent quality. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. A truly wonderful story of the complexities and simplicities of human emotions and lives and the intermingling consequences conjured from them. And the reversed film ending of Jodie Picoult’s bestselling novel, My Sister’s Keeper, is a spectacular piece of film-making hubris. There’s the bitterness and indolence of spirit of Lydia’s husband Robert and his doting vitriolic sister Pam, the physical sickness and traumas suffered by Lydia, the joyful energy – and at the same time misery – of Lydia and Robert’s eight-year-old son Charlie, and the professional integrity of GP Dr Jean Markham which is tested to its limits. Events have been invented and characters given very different parts to play at key points in the story. THEN the story gets going but it still isn't that engaging. I love immersing myself in books but this one just isn't grabbing me...lovely story, noring book telling the lovely story. I set Tell it to the Bees in 1950s Britain. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2019. A changed ending is nothing unusual. The Well of Loneliness (Wordsworth Classics), Gentleman Jack (Movie Tie-In): The Real Anne Lister, The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics: Feminine Pursuits. There were times where I had chills, felt on the verge of tears and also a steely reserve for these two women to find the happiness they’re owed. Lydia, Jean, and Charlie have stayed with me long after I finished reading the book. But, again I say, "Hang in there." It’s not that fictional lesbian love stories should always end happily. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. That was such a crucial moment in the book for Jean's character development, choosing to help Pam, this woman she so despised, for the sake of Charlie and Lydia. I was lucky enough to have done that as a child but gosh is it uninteresting to read about! Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2020. Also, as a fan of solid writing and beautifully descriptive turns of phrases Shaw kept my interest to the last page. It’s a love story between two women: a doctor, Jean (Paquin), and a factory worker, Lydia (Grainger). An improbable friendship marked by shared interests. I know it's a movie, but some of the added drama was distracting - I'm mainly talking about the rape scene, which I felt diluted the situation with Jean saving Annie. Birmingham, Copyright © 2010–2020, The Conversation Trust (UK) Limited, University of Aberdeen Festival of Social Science, Hosting Conversations About Ageing: What my Younger Self Should Know, Switched on for sound: how one device changed deaf children's lives forever, hated Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining. This is such a beautiful book, heart wrenching at times but beautiful nonetheless. So, so beautiful. i will never not be fuming that they changed the ending in the film to make this a tragedy. It's a wonderful story. Really enjoyed this. When her young son, Charlie, makes friends with the local doctor, Jean Markham, her life is turned upside down. Hollywood thinks we are the least important piece of the puzzle, and by and large authors have zero control over a film. Start by marking “Tell it to the Bees” as Want to Read: Error rating book.