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The Lovely Bones (2009): Film vs Book
Film · 2009 · Directed by Peter Jackson · Starring Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz
About the film
A girl who has been murdered watches her family from a dreamlike place between worlds as they try to go on without her.
How close is it to the book?
Loosely based on the bookThe film concentrates on bright, fantastic images of the other world and shortens the family's grief and the long patient search, which the book handles with more care.
Read or watch first?
The novel is more about loss and recovery and is worth reading for its quieter emotion.
What the book gives you
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
A tender, original story that approaches grief with a surprising amount of warmth and hope. It touches the heart.
Who will like it: Readers who want a moving, unusual story about family, loss and love that lasts.