I read the book and the movie was better.

              Sergio Leone was best known for bringing us a bevy of classic western films, most notably The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly starring Clint Eastwood. However, Leone left us an often-overlooked gem of a movie called Once Upon a Time in America. I feel like this movie would have been more popular and stood the test of time if only the ending was not quite so ambiguous and unsatisfying. Fans of film noir and gangster films will overlook that because this movie is so visually appealing and does a great job in recreating a time set in the roaring 20’s when prohibition gave rise to many off color characters. One such character is named Noodles and portrayed by Robert DeNiro. Once Upon a Time… opens with Noodles waking up from a fugue like state and having to follow a series of clues left behind by his deceased friend who is played by James Woods through flashbacks.

              The plot is a little off putting because the narrative often seems choppy and can be confusing to follow with so many flashback scenes and intertwining subplots.  Regardless, I loved the movie and was excited to find out that the film was adapted from a novel by Harry Grey entitled The Hoods. As soon as I got a copy of Grey’s novel, I dived in and was shocked to find that the book and movie really did not have a lot in common. Aside from the time period, subject matter, and core group of characters there is very little that tethers the movie and source material together. The Hoods is a very unrefined story told in a much more direct and linear narrative through first person accounts of a street wise thug named Noodles. The book version of Noodles is almost an abstract version of the movie version of Noodles, and they almost seem like strangers more so than the same person.

              I would recommend both the book and the movie to any lover of gangster noir stories, but personally I think the movie was better than the book. And that is a peculiar notion to think that the movie can be better than the book. It is personally because there is a shameful pleasure in sounding like some literary intellect when I get to claim that book is better than the movie. It’s like some sort of arrogant badge of honor to point out to others that “hey! Look at me! I read!”  But I am certainly not the only one who reads and can interpret a story into something better than what was printed in a book. To prove my point, look at the movie Shawshank Redemption. The actual story it was derived from is not even close to being the captivating story the movie presents. Someone with a much greater imagination than me read the book and sat down to expand it into what some consider one of the greatest movies ever.

              So, does that mean I am telling you not to read the book? Instead, just find the movie? No way! I would say keep reading and never let the fact that the book was adapted into a movie deter you from reading it. Sometimes you’ll find that both film and book are equally amazing on their own. Mario Puzo’s The Godfather is a great reminder of that. Both book and movie are incredible in their own way, although if you read The Godfather you will find yourself having no sympathy for Luca Brazi when he sleeps with the fishes. I say all of this because sometimes I have a bad tendency to take liberties in wanting to sound smarter than I am while asserting that I read. That is not the point of reading at all, and if it were it would just be an obnoxious endeavor to read for the soul purpose of bragging. Books are to be enjoyed and shared, not used as weapons of personal gratitude.

              One of the most interesting things I have found about working in a library is the ability to see what other people are enjoying. I am never not amazed at the broad range of interests people in our community enjoy. I get to see all of these unique titles of music, movies, and books that people have requested come through our library every day. It is

humbling because I can see how narrow some of my own interests can be. Moreover, it is an awesome testament to how our libraries are the perfect conduit of community interests and needs. The lesson that I have learned is that diversity can be presented in a broader way than I ever thought. Sometimes our diversity can go as far as the types of stories we like to read, the knowledge we crave, the movies we love, and even the music we enjoy.

               Seeing this wide array of diversity within our community makes me proud of where I am from. Nobody can say that we are narrow-minded because I see the proof of the contrary every day. We are an amazing little community filled with curious minds and independent thinkers who crave more humanity through books and entertainment. We are a community that will enjoy the movie or choose to enjoy the book without concern of how the optics of their choice will be considered. We are an intelligent community that does not need any validation in reminding others if the book or movie was better.