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Title: The Man Without a Face (Keypoint Book) by Isabelle Holland ISBN: 0-06-447028-8 Publisher: HarperTrophy Pub. Date: 30 August, 1987 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.3 (27 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Better than the movie?
Comment: It seems almost a given that anyone reviewing a movie, based on a book that they have read, will like the book better. That is not the case here. Simply put Mel Gibson, as both actor and director, took the McCloud character deeper in his film than the book did.
For example we are allowed to see McCloud's passion for teaching, and the way his past has haunted him. The book left much of McCloud undefined concentrating more on Charles and his family. I would only mildly reccommend the book to fans of the movie because it is interesting to see how the screenplay was derived.
I do agree with one of the earlier reviewers who expressed a concern at the possible ways the relationship between McCloud and Charles could be interprated based on the book's dialog. Again, I like the movie's story line better.
Mr. Gibson chose to show us that it is possible for a man and a young boy to develop a friendship. He does show how people can, and often do, make judgements based on appearance. I can't help but think that rumors about the man without a face's past would've continued to swirl even if Chuck hadn't requested his help. That's unfair, but unfortunatly, that's life.
I have been guilty of saying to friends "read the book, it's better than the movie." This time, I'd suggest that your time will be better spent watching the film. A good story made better by the screenplay and the director, and some fine perfomances by the actors.
Rating: 5
Summary: Good reading- watch movie and then read
Comment: I bought the book because I liked the movie. I watched the movie several years ago and liked it then. I watched it again recently and it really hit home because the movie takes to heart the faulty assumptions people make about friendships... thinking they are all Freudian. In the movie, a genuine love (in the true, non-sexual sense of the word) develops between McLeod and Charles, the 14 year old boy. Gibson et. al. in the movie did a wonderful job of portraying the fact that it is not wrong for cross-generational loving friendships to develop. It addresses the prejudices people have about these relationships and I believe McLeod (played by Gibson) in the film shows true love by not dragging the issue out, which could easily damage the mind of Charles (all this is going along with the assumption that sexual contact did NOT occur in the movie- which most viewers are led to believe- especially if they have not yet read the book).
The book has its own merit and is good in its own sense. It is very easy to read (I read through in about 4 hours) and develops the characters well. I believe that Charles's relationship with his mother in the novel better fits the plot than the relationship in the movie. Each of the 5 main characters in the novel have well-defined needs, all of which are not developed in the movie. Charles's mother needs family and multiple social relationships. His older sister needs personality and control, while his younger sister (Meg) needs self-confidence and encouragement. The bond between Charles and Meg is accentuated by their mutual need and ability to fufill eachother's need for encouragement. While Charles slips at fulfillment occasionally, he does care for Meg (better displayed in the novel). Charles also needs a father-figure who truly cares about him (not out of obligation). Both his need for encouragement and need for a father-figure are met by McLeod, who he in turn provides needed companionship for.
The one thing I didn't like about the book as much as the movie was the way the "last night" scene was dealt with in the book. While the movie leads the viewer to believe that McLeod was a true, positive, non-sexual friend and mentor to Charles, the book leaves me thinking that there was more sexual attraction. I'm not going to try to say I know what the author was thinking or meaning by the "last night" scene. I do think that in the book there was attraction (shown by McLeod's quick negative reactions to moments when Charles showed son-like affection) and whether or not he really let his guard down when Charles's was down in the end is debatable since it is not explicitly stated (more so in the book that the movie). Read it for yourself and decide yourself. It could mean different things to different people.
I suggest watching the movie first because I like its portrayl of the relationship more. However, the book is good reading and will allow you to think more about the characters without turning you off as it could possibly do if you didn't watch the movie first.
Rating: 4
Summary: Very Mixed Feelings
Comment: "The Man Without a Face" is the story of Charles, a 14-year-old boy from a chaotic family that has given him little love and support, and Justin, a former teacher who became a hermit after losing his job subsequent to a car accident that resulted in a student's death. Charles desperately wants to flee his family and go to the boarding school that his deceased father attended, and he begs Justin to tutor him in preparation for the entrance examination. Justin, whose face was badly burned the car accident (but he is NOT the man without a face in the title, at least not to begin with; that is Charles', father, later supplanted by Justin), finally relents and sacrifices the lonely peace of his reclusion to help Charles.
This brief description fits the film by Mel Gibson as well as the book by Isabelle Holland. However, the stories diverge as they progress. In the film, the Justin-Charles relationship remains purely Platonic, although other characters in the film suspect otherwise, and an excellent theme emerges: men who Platonically befriend needy boys can be falsely accused of pedophilia. I volunteer as a mentor for a Court-run program for at-risk youth, and this factor seems to depress the numbers of men who will volunteer as mentors.
In the book, it is not at all clear that the relationship remains Platonic. Charles certainly experiences confusion about his relationship with, and feelings toward, Justin, and Justin does nothing to help clarify the situation or ease Charles' confusion. There is even a pivotal scene that can easily be construed as sexual, after which the Charles-Justin relationship deteriorates and changes significantly.
Both the film and the book treat the issue of the relationship in important ways, but also in quite different ways. Some Amazon customer-reviewers have expressed concern over the book being a how-to guide for pedophiles. I think that view is a bit overstated, although a pedophile, a victim of pedophilia, or a family member of a victim of pedophilia might see the book in this way, and a pedophile might be able to use the book in this way. The book can also be viewed as a case study in how confusing relationships can be for teens from chaotic families.
Technically, the book is well-written and it flows well. The characters are well-developed, and the plot is certainly complex and loaded with issues of import. The character of the book, however, is open to different interpretations.
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Title:The Man Without a Face ASIN: B00019073K Publisher: Warner Home Video Pub. Date: 24 February, 2004 List Price(USD): $19.97 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $17.37 |
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Title: No Promises in the Wind by Irene Hunt ISBN: 0425182800 Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group Pub. Date: 01 January, 2002 List Price(USD): $4.99 |
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Title: The Escape From Home (Beyond the Western Sea, Book 1) by Avi ISBN: 0380728753 Publisher: HarperTrophy Pub. Date: 01 October, 1997 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title:Abandoned ASIN: B00006LPHE Publisher: PICTURE THIS HOME VIDEO Pub. Date: 31 December, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.95 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $21.71 |
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Title: Seeing the Blue Between: Advice and Inspirations for Young Poets by Paul B. Janeczko ISBN: 0763608815 Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA) Pub. Date: 01 April, 2002 List Price(USD): $17.99 |
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