Harper Perennial's Erica Guest Posts about We Need To Talk About Kevin - Plus a Contest to Win the Book, DVD and Movie Poster!

Today's post comes from Erica at Harper Perennial, about the amazing novel which is now an acclaimed film, We Need To Talk About Kevin. Read on for her thoughts on this book club favorite and check out our contest to win copies of the book, the DVD of the movie and the movie poster!

When I first began working for HarperCollins, I was amazed by the free shelf. For those of you who might not know, the free shelf (sometimes called the take shelf) is where people leave the books they no longer need. Accidentally order twice as many copies as you need? Leave them on the take shelf for your colleagues! It’s a wonderful, amazing thing. And one day not long after I started here, I found a book on the take shelf that was equally wonderful and amazing: Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk About Kevin.

I had heard of the book, but I had no idea what it was about. I was sucked in after I read the description on the back, and I tore through the book in a matter of days. It was my first introduction to Lionel Shriver’s writing, and I was blown away. I’ve never read another writer who is so good at writing about “unlikeable” women—women with their own desires and ambitions, women struggling to retain a sense of self at all costs, women who cannot be explained in one sentence.

So who could be better suited to play a Shriver heroine than Tilda Swinton? In the movie of We Need to Talk About Kevin, out now and expanding into theaters across the country, she brings every one of Shriver’s words into her performance in the role of Eva. When I saw it, I was transfixed by her face. She was brilliant at showing all of Eva’s fear, loathing, and resentment without uttering a single word.

The book has long been a favorite of book clubs because there’s so much in it to discuss. Is Eva a bad mother? Is Kevin a bad son? Was he born that way? The movie is the best kind of adaptation—the kind that adds new insights into these questions and then raises questions of its own.

Find a theater near you showing We Need To Talk About Kevin. Browse inside the book, read an interview with Lionel Shriver and check out the reading group guide. If you've read and/or seen We Need to Talk about Kevin, leave a comment with your thoughts about the book, the film or the adaptation of the former into the latter and you'll be entered to win one of 15 book, DVD and poster sets we have to give away. Haven't seen Kevin yet? You can still enter, just post a comment about another book adapted into a film and why you liked it - or didn't! I'll choose 15 random winners from all comments received by midnight Sunday, March 4th.

Comments

[Martha @ Hey, I want to read that]

Oh my gosh, I'm really looking forward to both this book and movie. I just saw The Descendents and loved it. One of those movies that made me appreciate the book even more. I want to go back to and re-read it with the actors voices in my head.

[bermudaonion (Kathy)]

I'm listening to the book right now and am on the edge of my seat as I listen. What a story! The movie isn't showing here yet. :(

[Anita LeBeau]

I read this book when it first came out, my friend recommended it and I couldn't put it down. I do want to see the movie but thinking of re-reading the book again first. It's not showing near me yet.

[Carl]

I saw The Descendants and was not tremendously impressed, however, the more I think about it the more I seem to like it. Strange how that can happen, isn't it?

[Anne]

A memorable book which was emotional and touching as was the movie was to Kill A Mockingbird. Loved both but especially gregory Peck starring as Atticus.

[nomadreader]

I read Kevin last month and loved it. It was such a rich and detailed character study, and once again, Shriver blew me away. I can't wait to see the film, as I think Tilda was perfectly cast.

[Lydiahirt]

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN has been on my wish list for ages - I really want to read it. I thought THE HELP was one of the better book-to-movie adaptations (I cried during the reading of it, and then again in the theater). IN HER SHOES remains the only book-to-movie adaptation in which I definitely prefer the film version.

[Josie Kramer]

Movie isn't around here yet. Want to read the book first though. Hope to get my hands on it :)

[Kristilyn (Reading in Winter)]

I recently read The Woman In Black and thought the movie was so much better than the book. Haven't seen or read We Need To Talk About Kevin yet, though!

[techscan@pipeline.com]

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy... I never thought anyone could capture Smiley. Wrong.

[Leala]

I have not read this yet, but it's on my list of those I want to read! The Help was a wonderful book to movie adaptation - probably one of the best. I did not really like Exceptionally Loud & Incredibly Close as a movie, the book was only slightly better. I'm looking forward to reading & seeing WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN.

[jenn breuer]

We Need to Talk About Kevin is one of the most intense books I've ever read. I thought it was absolutely amazing! I have been waiting for the movie to be shown here but no such luck. Looking forward to seeing it to see if it brings up the same feelings I had upon reading the book.

[Jessica]

Oooh, this sounds great! I didn't know it was going to be a movie.

[stacy moran]

Two books that I have read and then gone on to enjoy the movies are Water for Elephants and The Help. I thought both were very well done movies and a good representation of the books. Loved reading and watching them both!

[Kelley Tackett]

The Reader - Kate Winslet was fantastic. I was hooked from the very beginning.

[Yvonne]

Silence of the Lambs both the movie and the book were excellent

[Beth F]

I've been meaning to read (and then see) Kevin -- I understand it's incredibly powerful. My most recent book/film combos were Descendants, which I loved. The movie followed the book very closely, but the details in the book made the story more meaningful. I also recently read and watched Ironweed. Ironweed was a much better book, but the movie was worth the watch.

[Katie Dott]

I saw the movie trailer and it was absolutely riveting. As a mother of four ages 15 to 31, I can't wait to read the book to see the wordplay between nature and nurture. Sometimes you birth what you get.

[Lisa Anne Zilney]

This would be excellent!!!

[cb]

Sounds like a very interesting book. I confess I'm usually a bit leary about book-to-movie transformations, especially if the book in question uses well the tools unique to that medium - it makes it even harder to transfer it effectively to a different medium. Nevertheless, there are many movies based on books that I have enjoyed, including (much of) the recent Jane Eyre and (all of) the Princess Bride.