Oscar Week: Hugo

I really like the Oscars, even though I tend to think books are always superior to the movies they are adapted into. I always try to read the book before I see the movie (at least if it’s a book that is well-known before the movie is made). But there is something exciting and interesting about seeing books turned into movies and how the world that is created meshes with the world you created yourself. So, in celebration of Oscar Week, I checked out four books that are nominated for Best Picture (among other nominations) to experience the stories that are behind the nominations. And, if you’re wondering how I chose these four, it came down to what was available at the library. Today, we’ll start with the movie with the highest number of nominations.

Movie: Hugo
Book: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Nominations: Art Direction, Best Picture, Cinematography, Costume Design, Directing, Film Editing, Music (Original Score), Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects, Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

My Thoughts: I was initially surprised when I picked up The Invention of Hugo Cabret from the library: For a children’s book, it seemed to be very long. But after starting the book, it was over too soon and not long enough. The other wonderful part of The Invetion of Hugo Cabret is that there are beautifully drawn pictures. The story is really interesting, and the pictures complement that very well. The characters are more complex than you usually find in children’s books, and I love that there is a boy character and a girl character for all kids to relate to. I can definitely see the desire for this to be a movie, as the visual effects of the books are wonderful and I can only imagine the movie makes them even better.