Read, Watch, Love

I enjoy reading novels and then watching the films based on them. But I'm often left feeling that one doesn't measure up to the other.

A wonderful exception is The English Patient. I absolutely loved Michael Ondaatje's book -- its layered story lines, compelling love affairs, flawed characters, beautiful but dangerous settings and situations. I even liked the endings that weren't tied up perfectly -- and I'm a girl who likes a happy ending.

So I was excited but a bit hesitant to watch the film version starring Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas. The movie was different than the book, but equally stunning and moving.

Neither the novel nor the film is brand new -- they came out in 1992 and 1996, respectively. But if you haven't read and watched them yet, I'd definitely recommend checking out both.