Loved the movie but was disappointed with the book
I found the book in the children's section of the public library. It is written on perhaps a 6th grade level, and isn't nearly as good as the movie.
shareWhat's the name of the book? I am curious about it.
shareThe book the film is based on is called Father's Arcane Daughter by E.L. Konigsburg. It was out of print for many years, but is now available again under the new title, My Father's Daughter.
The film version is mostly faithful to the original, with some differences that don't matter much, and one big one that does. In the novel, Caroline was kidnapped and presumed killed when a fire fight between the police and the kidnappers ruptured a gas line and there was a terrible explosion. The film's plane crash is easier to explain. But in the book, Winston never opens Caroline's letter, which is a very important change. The author of the screenplay used it to prompt the flashback sequence, which makes sense in the movie.
Like all of Konigsburg's books, this one has a lot of depth -both in the characters and the psychology. Given how Hollywood usually deals with novels, we really couldn't ask for a better adaptation. But the book is still better. It's one that you'll want to discuss after reading, so buy a copy for a friend too.
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