|
That movie is based on an equally great book by Lionel Shriver, who while gaining a bit of fame for Kevin, is largely overlooked for a pretty good body of work. Her characters are sometimes hard to love so they miss wide audiences, but she really nails certain issues and Kevin happened at a time when people were looking to understand that particular broken part of an adolescent boy that leads to shootings. Really amazing characters and you are right, the movie is pitch perfect on all counts.
I'd also recommend her Checker and the Derailleurs novel which examines what might be going on behind the scenes even for the happiest appearing young people. Most reviews by readers talk about the atmosphere of a young band in Astoria, and coming of age, but I feel like they missed the point. He appears happy and coming of age until it falls apart, but he really was never happy and all his friends missed the clues. The writing is less polished than in Kevin, as it is a very early work of hers, but the main character, Checker, is equally compelling.
She is one to keep an eye on.
|