I started another edit of book 9 of The Demonata yesterday. This has been the most troublesome book of the series, by far. I'm trying to achieve the balance between imparting a lot of facts (which the book has to do) while keeping it pacy and entertaining at the same time. I came up short on previous drafts, but each one has been a bit better, and I've got some fresh angles to come at it from this time. Editing is normally quite easy for me, involving mostly tinkering about with what I've already written, trimming it down or sharpening it up slightly. But sometimes I have to re-write scenes or create new ones, and I never actively enjoy that. When I'm doing a first draft I fall into a certain mindset -- I know the book is going to take time, that I can't rush it, and I'm happy to take things day by day, page by page, churning out the words. I'm normally fairly patient when working on a first draft, content to put in the time it takes to write such a large amount of new material. But when I come to the editing process I like to move faster, to get into the flow of the story, to try and see what readers are going to experience. When I have to write new material, that slows me down, and I know I'm going to have to do another, extra edit to get back into the flow of the book -- which is frustrating!!! It has to be done -- if a scene isn't working, it has to be fixed -- but in a way I begrudge having to do it. It's like part of my brain is screaming at me: "We already did this part of the work! What the hell are you up to?!?" I'll be fine once I'm done, and I'm sure I'll be very pleased when I come back and do my next edit, having (hopefully!!!) sorted out the problems in the book. But right now I'm a bit grumpy. Ah well -- that's all part of a writer's lot! If work was TOO easy, I suppose it would get a bit boring after a while ...

Lots of you have emailed me to congratulate me on the movie news. Many thanks to everyone who's written. I have read all the emails coming in, but haven't been able to respond to many -- the new book must take precedence!!!

Saw a great film called Little Children yesterday, starring Kate Winslet. Not a kid's film, to be sure, but a very thoughtful, thought-provoking, funny and moving tale about how complicated adult life can be. Also saw the last episode of the first half of season 6 of The Sopranos. I can't wait to tear through the final few episodes, but I'm going to make myself wait for a while, to savour the anticipation. So today I started watching season 3 of Deadwood. Westerns were never like this when I was a child!!!!!

Remember that BIG news I mentioned last week? Well, here it is!!!!

It's been a long time coming, but I'm delighted to be able to announce that the Cirque Du Freak movie is due to begin filming in February 2008!!! This is the official announcement from Universal, the company making the film:

"Cirque du Freak" by Darren Shan – Movie Announcement

The "Cirque du Freak" series of bestselling children's novels by Irish author Darren Shan has been acquired by Universal Pictures and will be adapted for a motion picture of the same name.  The film is due to begin shooting in February 2008 in New Orleans under the direction of Paul Weitz (About A Boy, In Good Company), and will star John C. Reilly (Gangs of New York, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story) as Larten Crepsley; Josh Hutcherson (Bridge to Terabithia) as Steve Leonard; and newcomer Chris Kelly as Darren Shan. Weitz is adapting some of the storylines from the novels for the screen.  He and Lauren Shuler Donner (X-Men) will produce for their production companies, Depth of Field and The Donner's Company.

There's not much more for me to add, except -- whoopee!!!! There's no telling how the film will turn out, but I think it's in very safe, capable hands, and I'm really excited about the cast so far. I've seen Josh Hutcherson in a number of films (most recently R.V. with Robin Williams), and I've been a BIG John C Reilly fan since I saw him in Boogie Nights -- he never seems to put in anything but an excellent performance.

No release date has yet been set for the movie, so ignore any online rumours you might come across. As soon as I know anything more about that, and about other cast members, I'll include the info in the Shanville Monthly -- I plan to keep fans regularly updated over the next few months. You can also look up Cirque Du Freak on IMDB -- that's where you'll be able to find details about the crew.

I know a lot of you have been dreaming of a Cirque Du Freak movie for a number of years -- I've received emails and letters about it virtually every day since the first book was published back in January 2000! Now, at last, the dream is poised to become a reality -- hurrah!!!!! I hope you're all as psyched about the news as I am!

Of course I know, equally, that some of you aren't keen on a movie adaptation at all! All I have to say to you guys is -- tough!!!! Naw, seriously, my attitude to movie adaptations is the same as Stephen King's -- sell the rights to your stories freely, keep out of the movie side of things once you sell the rights, and keep your fingers crossed!!! King's books have probably been the source material for more bad movies than any other writer's -- but at the same time there's been The Shining, the original version of Salem's Lot, Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption. If I was Stephen King, I'd happily put up with a dozen stinkers if it meant being able to be associated with any one of those four films.

You never know how a movie adptation will fare. Lots of great books have been turned into terrible films, and likewise some bad books have been turned into great movies. It's a lottery. But as someone who loves films, I think it's worth taking the risk. If Cirque Du Freak becomes a great movie, I'll be there in a cinema with the rest of you, lapping it up. I love seeing my stories get to places I never thought they were, and seeing other creative minds play about with them. In Japan the manga adaptation has far surpassed my expectations, and I get a great buzz when I read each new episode, seeing my story re-interpreted and served back to me as something new. In a way, because I never actually read any of my books once they see print, reading the manga is the first time I've been able to experience the story the same way you guys have, as something fresh and surprising.

I'm hoping the movie will go as well as the manga, that they'll produce something that does the books justice, that recreates the story in a different way. It will be VERY different to the books in terms of structure and pace, but that's fine -- a good film SHOULD reinterpret and add something new to the mix. I see no point in making a film that JUST does what the book does -- in that case, nothing new is brought into the world. I WANT Universal to play around with the books and find a new way to tell the story. You never know -- they might find a BETTER way!!!! And if they don't? If the movie disappoints? If it goes the way of Eragon or The Dark Is Rising? Well, what if it does?!? I don't subscribe to the "A bad movie ruins a good book" theory -- that's just childish nonsense!!!! Raymond Chandler was once asked if he thought a bad movie had ruined his book -- he laughed, pointed to a copy of the book on his shelf, and said "The book's right there. It hasn't changed in the slightest. It's just as good as it always was."

And Chandler was right. The movie is something different, an aside, a project in a separate medium. I'll be watching developments with interest, hoping for the best, but I'm not overly concerned because, no matter what happens with it, THE BOOKS ARE STILL THERE. I know some fans don't make that distinction, that they can turn against a book if a bad film comes along. But to me that's like turning against a good song just because some crap band covers it. The Beatles have been covered by loads of awful bands over the decades, but that doesn't spoil the original songs, not as far as I'm concerned. Those songs will always be special -- if you don't like a particular cover, you simply ignore it. I take the same view with books and movies -- if someone comes along and makes a bad film out of a book I love, that doesn't turn me against the book -- I simply ignore the film!!

But hopefully I won't have to ignore Cirque Du Freak. I'm impressed by the quality of the people involved with it, and I know they're talking to other actors of a very high quality, so I've got a pretty good feeling about it. I think it could turn out to be something special. We won't know for sure until it's released, but I'm feeling a lot more positive than I might have been. The more I think about what John C Reilly might do with Mr C, the more intrigued I become. He might not be what a lot of you were expecting, but then a good movie always throws out a few surprises -- back in the early 1970s, most movie folks thought Al Pacino was completely wrong for the main lead in The Godfather -- but I don't hear too many people moaning about him now!!!!!

Oh, one final thing, to those who have been complaining about the movie being set in America. Why shouldn't it be?!? Cirque Du Freak was NEVER set anywhere specific. Some people have been saying it should be filmed in Britain -- but that's only because in their imaginations the books were set there. When I wrote CDF, I wanted it to work for readers all around the world -- if it became successful, I wanted it to be a book that ANYONE could read and relate to, ANYWHERE in the world. That's why I kept it vague, and never mentioned any country or city names. I've always been happy for publishers in different countries to give it their own slant, to use their own slang phrases, currencies, etc, to make it seem as if the story is set in THEIR country. It sounds corny, but I wanted the books to "belong" to the world. With the movie, that level of vagueness wasn't a possibility -- it HAD to be set SOMEWHERE. Even if they didn't give the places a name, people would be able to identify the setting by the accents. I know Universal considered using actors from other countries, and still are for many of the parts, but I wasn't surprised or disappointed when they opted to film it in the States and chose Americans for the leads -- I think that was always going to be the case.

Anyway, as I've said, I'm VERY excited about this, and I'll be keenly following the progress of filming (and reporting back to you lot as often as I can) over the coming months. We're moving into a whole new field with this, and for better or worse, I think it's going to be an interesting experience for all of us ...

Had a quiet Sunday. Went for a drive and to visit a Christmas store, did some stuff on the web, and watched a film -- Castle in the Sky, by Japan's fabulous Hayao Miyazaki. One of his earlier films (1986), it started a bit slowly, but built impressively, looked absolutely gorgeous, and was quirky and inventive. Like most of his films, this one comes VERY highly recommended! After that we went in to town with my friend Kenny to see the RTE 2FM 2moro 2our. It's basically three bands on a tour of Ireland, sponsored by RTE 2FM. This is the third tour, and we saw the first, which was really good. The bands didn't impress me too much this time, although one of them -- the woefully named Ham Sandwich -- were quite good. Still, it was a nice night out, and we didn't get back home and to bed (after a guilty trip to Abrakebabra!!!!) until 02.00.

Slept in late this morning and didn't do too much later, apart from answer emails, watch more of The Sopranos and Twilight Zone. Also saw the recent documentary about Wal-Mart, and how poorly they treat their employees -- fairly shocking to see a company getting away with behaviour like this, but corporate greeds runs rife throughout the world, I think, and here it seems to be at its purest and vilest. I also posted my notes for Demon Apocalypse to my web site at last. I think the notes for this one are particularly informative, as far as trying to explain how I put books together when I'm working on a series, BUT I don't recommend you read them unless you've read Demon Apocalypse, as they contain MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS!!! The link for those who've read the book is: DEMON APOCALYPSE NOTES

atest edit of Book 8 of The Demonata. I ploughed through more than 60 pages, which is quite a lot, but not unheard of for me. I always zip through the last third of book 8 at high speed -- it's a really fast-moving, action-packed stretch that sucks me in every time. I'm very pleased with how the book stands -- now to tackle the more troublesome book 9 again ...

I sometimes get asked how I feel when I finish a book. A lot of people have this notion that authors write a book in a frantic daze, one feverish edit after another, and then ... just ... draw ... to ... a ... stop ... and punch the air, light up a cigar, sit back and bask in the glory of a job well done. Well, I'm sure there are writers who work that way, but I'm certainly not one of them. For me it's a series of "finishes". Completing the first draft is a biggie -- an unifinished first draft is like a huge mountain, waiting to be climbed, and until you get to the last line you can't say for certain that you'll make it all the way to the summit. but I know my job has just begun, and that I'll have to go through the book another 6 or 7 times, over 2 or 3 years. So I can't, y'know, get actually excited about it. It's a bit like if your team scores a goal in the first ten minutes of a match -- it gives you a great buzz, but you know there's a LONG way yet to go, and only a fool celebrates so early. Subsequent finishes are kind of like scoring more goals in a one-sided match -- it's a bit like Brazil playing Luxembourg. Once the first goal goes in, you KNOW that more will follow, so although each edit ("goal") brings pleasure, it's not like scoring the winning goal in the last minute of a cliffhanger of a match. By the time I get to the very last edit, I feel a bit tired of the whole thing -- I've put a lot of work in, I'm usually proud of what I've achieved, but I know the job is drawing to a close and I'm busy looking forward to the next book (in fact I'm always busy working on the next book!!). Seeing it in print is always nice, but there's never a point where I cut loose and go on a wild celebratory spree.

Writing for me is a long series of small pleasures, not wild joys. When I publish a book, I don't get the feeling that a lottery winner gets when they win big. I suspect most other writers are similar. But in the long run, satisfaction is far better, I think, than exhilaration. Winning the lottery only gives you a short burst of joy -- you might live happily off the proceeds for the rest of your life, but you'll only have a few days of giddy, disbelieving euphoria. With writing, there isn't so much excitement, but the smaller thrills and pleasures can be spread out over months, years, even decades. We live in a society which pushes the notion of immediate, big-time buzzes -- you're a "success" if you achieve FAME! NOW!! WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING TO EARN IT!!! The media glorifies short-term stars, builds them up swiftly, fans the flames of their success for a while, then drops interest in them just as quickly. You need to ask yourself, what will make you happier in life -- having a brief burst of fame and riches when you're young, then living off nothing but memories for the rest of your life? Or working hard and getting to enjoy the rewards of your achievements (even if they're only modest rewards) through your thirties, forties, fifties, sixties??? I think it's pretty clear what I think, but I'm not arrogant enough to believe that my view is superior -- maybe it IS better to soar high and briefly, and burn out quick. It's always personal -- each one of us must decide what matters, what will bring us pleasure in life. What works for one person won't for another. All I'm saying is, don't let the media's obssession with temporary fame turn your head. Thing through your goals and choices. Do what WORKS for you -- not what is EXPECTED OF you. Define the terms of what YOU think is success, then go and try and achieve them, no matter what everybody else thinks, no matter what dreams others are chasing. We get one shot at this life, people -- do you want to live it YOUR way, or just go along with what other people have decided is the flow?

Edited a bit more of Book 8 of The Demonata, but it was a day of various distractions -- mostly on the internet -- and I didn't get as much done as I meant to. But I'm not too worried -- I'm well ahead of my publication schedule and winding the year down. I plan to keep my hand in, editing, right through to the end of the year, but I'm not going to push myself too hard. I've had a busy, productive 2007, and I think I've earned the right to have a few lazyish days in the final month or so!!! I always like to ease up a bit towards the end of a year -- the occasional break from work can make you appreciate it all the more ...

Haven't been able to announce the BIG news yet, because of certain factors I have no control over. It looks like it will be mid next week before I can trumpet it around. But some of you have managed to find out about it already, by scouring the web. Feel free to discuss it with others if you're one of the few in the know -- this is a nice, lull before the storm sort of time. I imagine the message boards and other fan sites will be hopping aggressively once the news becomes common knowledge ...

I hope you all have a fun, relaxing weekend. I might be out for quite a bit of it, so if you don't hear from me until Monday, worry not -- I'll be having a good time!!

Edited another 40+ pages of Book 8 of The Demonata. The trimming was less drastic than yesterday, though I still found plenty of ways to tighten things up. Watched another episode of The Sopranos. My friend Pa popped down for a visit -- he's a cool musician and you should definitely check out his MySpace page if you haven't already. (He's one of my Top Friends, so you can find the link on my main page.) I watched the film Green Street (known in the States as Hooligans). Better than I thought it would be, though unfortunately it lapses into the hysterical mode that most films about football hooliganism fall into. It's a bit like those old movies set in mining towns years ago -- there was always a tragedy down the pit at some stage. Similarly, with recent films about football hooligans, there are some core staples -- the young thugs coming up against the older geezers, a BIG showdown fight between rivals -- that crop up all the time. Of course that's part and parcel of what footie hooliganism is all about, so you can't entirely escape it -- but it's a pity film-makers don't look for more original ways to tackle the subject.

Replied to 20 fan letters after watching the film. I picked up a load off of Pablo during the week, which will take me a while to get through, though anyone who's written to be before early November should get a response before Christmas (though I can't make any promises!!!).

Some BIG Darren Shan news broke in the media today. I was hoping to send out an email about it myself, but I haven't been given the all-clear yet, so I've had to wait a while. But if you're keen enough, and do some canny web surfing, you should be able to beat me to the punch and find out for yourself before I make the news public ...

Started re-editing book 8 of The Demonata today. This is probably the last edit I'll do solo, i.e. before my editor gets back to me with her notes about it. I started by cutting out most of the opening chapter!! A lot of it was recap, telling about things that had happened in earlier books. I always find it helpful to include a summary of what's gone on before when I'm starting a later book in the series, as it helps me refresh events in my own mind. But as I move closer to the final edit, I usually cut out most of the recaps, as they're not really necessary, and in fact can be downright annoying for fans -- "Why is he telling us things we already know? Does he think we're so stupid we can't remember what happened before?!?" It's essential, when working on a series, to provide just enough info for newcomers (and those who might not have read the older books in quite a while) to be able to follow what's going on. But "just enough" is usually all you should include. Sometimes a bit more is needed, but you should always be wary of including too much background filler. Write plenty for yourself - as I did with the early drafts of book 8 - but be prepared to slice it down when you're coming closer to your final edit.

One of the good things of doing an edit quite soon after another (I did an edit of book 8 only a few months ago) is that it helps you spot the flaws quicker. I find that if I leave a story for several months or a year, it's a pleasure to return to it, and sometimes I treat it a bit too respectfully. Having working on book 8 such a short time ago, I'm a little irritated returning to it now, so I want it to flow as smoothly as possible, so that I don't have too much to do on it next time round. Being a bit irritable, I'm quick to spot sections that aren;t working or need to be cut or severly rewritten. It's quite satisfying cutting out material in this state of mind, almost like punishing a naughty child -- "You offend me, foul line, so I shall banish you from this book forevermore!!!!!" Writing a book is a labour of love, but sometimes you have to ... not exactly hate ... but feel a bit p****d-off at it. Books need knocking into shape, and it's easier to slap a book about if you have the hump with it and are looking to kick its literary ass!!!!!!!

Enjoying season 1 of The Twilight Zone. Though dated, most of the episodes stand up remarkably well, and they have surprisingly high production values -- good actors, decent sets, professional camerawork, skillful scores. I thought they might be a bit of a chore to sit through, but so far I'm having a whale of a time! Also saw The Devil Wears Prada. VERY different, of course, but to my surprise I actually liked it. I've no real interest in fashion (as anyone who's met me at a signing or event will have noticed very quickly!), but this was a fun look into a world I'd otherwise never get anywhere near. That's one of the things I like most about movies -- they can take you places you'd not think of going. It went off the boil near the end - too sappy - but for the most part it held my attention and made me smile. And who knows -- maybe some of that fashion sense will rub off, and next time you see me on the road I'll be decked out in the season's latest hot clothes ... dahling!!!!!!

Reading through Jonathan Carroll's blog today (as I do almost every day -- it's the only blog I check out regularly), I came across an interesting quote by the poet Rilke, who was responding to a fan who wanted to know how to make sense of the great dilemmas of life:

"Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for answers, which could not be given to you now because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer. Perhaps you do carry within you the possibility of creating and forming, as an especially blessed and pure way of living: train yourself for that. But whatever comes, with great trust, and as long as it comes out of your will, out of some need of your innermost self, then take it upon yourself, and don't hate anything."

I forwarded this (and the rest of the blog entry) to Bas's aunt Mary, a Carmelite nun -- I just felt she'd be interested. Later she responded with the following quotes:

'There is no such thing as an answer, but if one can stay in front of the question, if one can stay open to the fact that there is always a question and there is always a new situation: in other words there are no pills, there are no given answers; that one has to be really open to confront something as if for the first time, now - the present.  And it's not yesterday and it's not tomorrow but it's today.  The question is right now and it's a question of life.'
I often get asked about my beliefs. Do I believe in a God or gods? In reincarnation? Am I an athiest? My answer has always been a very polite "None of your business!!!" I don't think a writer's beliefs should matter to his/her readers. I'm not looking to express my beliefs through my writing (unlike, say, C S Lewis with the Narnia books). I'm happy to let my characters believe in their own things, to explore their views of life and the universe with them. Sometimes some of those views coincide to some extent with my own. Sometimes they're entirely different. Anyway, as I said, I've always been fairly blunt about telling people I don't want to discuss my beliefs. But those few quotes have made me re-think my position a bit, and not being one to willingly offend people (and I know some people DO take offense when I'm secretive about my beliefs, being of the mindset that if you don't pin your religious colours to a mast, you're somehow being dishonest with them), I think in future, when asked, I will smile enigmatically and answer in my most profound whisper:

"I believe in questions."

Finished my latest edit of Book 7 of The Demonata today, which I was very happy about. I feckon there will be one more thorough edit (when my editor comes back with detailed notes), then a couple of more tidy-up drafts -- and that will be that!! Time flies by so quickly when you're working on a book. I started the first draft of Book 7 back in May 2005. I knew I had 3 years to work on it, which seemed like more time that I could ever possibly need, yet here I am now and it's almost time to put the baby to bed!! You have to be VERY patient to be a writer -- nothing happens quickly in this business! The trick to getting your head around it and not getting frustrated is to never think about all the time the book is going to take before it gets published. I know, when I first sit down with a story, that it will be years before it sees print -- but I don't focus on that. I don't even think about it. I just get on with the current job at hand (finishing the first draft), then set it aside for a while and don't think about it. Next time round, I do the same, focus on doing my editing, then set it aside again and don't think about it. Before I know it, 3 years have passed and BANG -- it's history!!!! Writing can be scary if you stop to think about all the time and effort and problems involved in taking a book or story all the way to print -- SO DON'T THINK ABOUT IT!!! If that seems facetious, it's not -- I think that's the best bit of advice I could ever give. It might not seem like much if you're just starting out and thinking "Three years? No way!! That guy's just slow -- I'll get my work published in a month or two, tops!!!!!" But those of you who are serious about being writers, take note -- the waters of writing are riddled with dragons, but they can only cause you problems if you CHOOSE to focus on them. If you look away and ignore them, they cease to really exist ...

Started watching the original series of The Twilight Zone last night, the one from 1959. Saw the first two episodes. They're dated, obviously, and nowhere near as creepy as the best shows from the series, but still pretty good even judged by today's standards. This is the first time I've sat and watched the originals. I saw lots of the episodes made in the 1980s, but the older ones weren't readily available when I was growing up. I'm looking forward to immersing myself in the "fifth dimension" over the next few weeks and soaking up lots of crazy plots and situations -- hopefully they'll help spark off some fresh ideas of my own!!! (Not that I'm running out of them! But you can never have too many ideas if you're a writer!!!) I'm also looking forward to hearing the famous theme music -- it wasn't on the first couple of episodes ... In fact, the music is largely what brought me round to the series. I've had it on my shelf for many months, but in Orlando recently I went on the Tower Of Terror ride, and I grinned when I heard that spooky tune, and thought, "That reminds me -- I must start watching the series when I get back home ..."

Saw Spiderman 3 tonight. I wasn't expecting much - almsot everyone who told me about it said it wasn't as good as the first two films - but I enjoyed it for the most part. It was half an hour too long, and it probably didn't need three villains, and some of its more patriotic touches (such as Spidey bouncing across the face of a flag) were ridiculous -- though I think they might have been meant to be taken ironically -- well, I laughed at them anyway!!!! But, for the most part, it was pretty cool. My favourite bits were when Peter was being bad -- personally, I LOVED the sight of Spidey kicking ass and killing people (even though the two he supposedly killed both turned up again later in the film)!!!!!!! If I ever made a Spidey film, I'd have cannibals eat his girlfriend, and I'd then have Spidey track the cannibals down and eat them all, one by one -- now THAT would be the coolest superhero movie EVER!!!!!!!!!!

Night night folks -- sleep tight!!

I've been sleeping late ever since getting back from Florida mid-week. Most mornings I haven't been getting up until after 10 -- and today it was after 10.20!!! Normally I rise at or before 9, but I've felt exhausted since getting back, not just after all the roller-coasters, but from spending much of the last seven months travelling, either on work or hols. It's nice to spend some real time at home, not having to worry about packing a bag or having all my travel documents in place. A bit boring, obviously -- but nice!! Also, since I'm editing, I don't have to be quite as strict in my work routines as I normall am. I can afford to sleep in for a while, so why not?!? That's one of the perks of working for yourself!!!

Edited a bit more of Book 7 of The Demonata when I finally rose. My plan is to finish it off tomorrow, then move on to books 8, 9 and 10 again -- it's not very long since I last did an edit of them, but if I do another now, while I'm "in the zone", I think they'll benefit. The last four books are very tightly knit together, and I like working on them as a unit -- that way I can make sure everything ties together neatly and not get confused. The first six books of the series were the set-up -- the last four are when it kicks into high gear and all the plot threads gel and ignite an explosion of ideas, story-lines and action scenes. It's hot stuff, and I'm working hard to ensure it's as sharp and tight-knit as I can get it before the books start rolling out to you lot next year!!!

Forgot to mention the other night that I finished season 8 of Frasier. While it wasn't quite as superb as the very best seasons, it was still mighty impressive, and I enjoyed it far more than I thought it would. There are signs that it's beginning to run out of fresh ideas, but so far it's still one of the finest sitcoms of the last 15 years. I'm also well into season 6 of The Sopranos -- as usual, it oozes class, albeit of a sleazy, vicious kind!!! Finally, I saw the film of The Thief Lord today, and I'm afraid I was decidedly underimpressed. I haven't read the book, but I know it has lots of fans, so I guess this is one of those cases where a movie failed to do justice to its source material. It didn't look like it had a big budget, and the cast and dialogue were mostly fairly wooden. Some nice ideas and bright scenes, but for the most part it was dull as dishwater.