Updating a classic is risky, especially when it’s a book that people read in their youth. We have a lot of emotions tied up in those books, and we want writers to tread carefully.
I love it when I’m deep in a book and suddenly realize that it was inspired by one of the classics. Leif Enger’s “Virgil Wander,” for instance, is packed with subtle homages to a multitude of great books (inspired, he said in an interview, by the Classics Illustrated comic books he read as a child).
And Charles Baxter’s “The Feast of Love” features an insomniac character who encounters all sorts of fascinating people on his nocturnal wanderings — “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” moved to contemporary Michigan.
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Why do writers do this? Sometimes the author sees a fresh way to tell an old story. Sometimes they want to explore how a period piece can be recast for modern times.
Sometimes they want to turn a book inside out and present a different perspective — such as Jean Rhys’ “Wide Sargasso Sea,” which tells the story of Mr. Rochester’s first wife, the one who was hidden away in the attic in “Jane Eyre.”
And sometimes it’s just fun to see if characters and themes hold up when transported 100 years into the future.
But updating a beloved book is risky, especially when you’re updating a book that people read in their youth. We have a lot of emotions tied up in those books, and we want writers to tread carefully.
Two beloved books from my childhood — “Little Women,” by Louisa May Alcott, and “Anne of Green Gables,” by L.M. Montgomery — have recently received updates with mixed results.
The “Anne” books were among my favorites when I was 13, a series that took the redheaded orphan from childhood to motherhood.
Brina Starler’s modern-day retelling — “Anne of Manhattan” — was a baffling disappointment. The names of the characters were the same, and Anne still had red hair, but there the similarities stopped. It’s not that I expected the plot to duplicate the original, but this Anne’s personality was nothing close to Montgomery’s Anne; this Anne could have been anybody.
And, frankly, I hadn’t been prepared for the graphic sex scenes. If your dreamy teenager loves Anne, you probably do not want to give them this book.
But the two modern-day “Little Women” retellings by Virginia Kantra (“Meg & Jo,” 2019, and “Beth & Amy,” 2021) were a delightful surprise.
Told in first-person chapters with alternating narrators, both books felt as if the March sisters had seamlessly moved from the 19th century to the 21st. Clearly, Kantra thoroughly absorbed Alcott’s book and was able to channel the characters’ thoughts, fears, expectations and personalities.
The details of their lives were different — Professor Bhaer was now a chef, not a teacher — but those things were immaterial; this was Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy on the page.
And in “Beth & Amy,” Kantra did what no one has been able to do before, not even Alcott — she made me like Amy. (Even Greta Gerwig’s much-lauded 2019 movie version couldn’t do that.) Here Amy’s selfishness is revealed as hero worship of Jo and also as a burning need to be seen over the overwhelming personalities of her sisters. Her adoration of Laurie (called “Trey” here) feels right. (And this is coming from me, a woman whose name — Laurie Jo — married Laurie and Jo forever.)
So what was the difference between the modern-day Anne book and the modern-day March sisters books? Heart, I think. Fidelity to the characters, to who they were and what they stood for.
Mess with favorite books at your peril. If you get it wrong, readers will not forgive you. But if you get it right, you might create a modern classic. Perhaps in 100 years someone will be updating your novel.
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16 books to read before TV or movie versions arrive
‘The Last Letter from Your Lover’ by Jojo Moyes
Jojo Moyes’ 2008 romance novel follows a driven journalist named Ellie on a quest to piece together a love story of an earlier generation after she finds a mysterious letter in her newspaper archives. Directed by Augustine Frizzell, the film stars Felicity Jones, Shailene Woodley, Callum Turner and Joe Alwyn.
Out now on Netflix
‘The Reincarnationist Papers’ by D. Eric Maikranz
“The Reincarnationist Papers” offers eerie glimpses into a secret society of people with total memory of their past lives. Protagonist Evan struggles with his confusing abilities; then he meets Poppy, who tells him that he’s immortal. Maikranz’s book is the basis of the film “Infinite,” starring Mark Wahlberg.
Out now on Paramount+
‘Fear Street’ by R.L. Stine
A trilogy of movies based on R.L. Stine’s iconic series of novels follows a group of 1990s teens across different time periods as they work to uncover the riddled history of their Ohio hometown. Cast members include Gillian Jacobs, Sadie Sink, Kiana Madeira, Olivia Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Ashley Zukerman, Fred Hechinger and Julia Rehwald.
Out now on Netflix
‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ by Liane Moriarty
Settle in for this captivating thriller by “Big Little Lies” author Liane Moriarty, in which nine strangers gather at a health and wellness resort, where their existential questions are answered by the others they meet. The upcoming series stars Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy and Luke Evans, among others.
Premieres Aug. 18 on Hulu
‘American Rust’ by Philipp Meyer
Meyer’s acclaimed first novel takes readers into the contemporary heartland of America, in an economically devastated Pennsylvania steel town. The story follows the irritable chief of police Del Harris as he’s forced into a sticky situation when his girlfriend’s son is accused of murder. Showtime is adapting the book into a drama series starring Jeff Daniels, Maura Tierney and Alex Neustaedter.
Premieres Sept. 12 on Showtime
‘The Last Duel’ by Eric Jager
The book tells the gripping true story of one of the most infamous duels in medieval France, where a resolute knight defends his wife’s honor when she accuses a squire of committing a crime against her. Ridley Scott’s upcoming film adaptation stars Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Adam Driver.
Premieres Oct. 15 in theaters
‘Dune’ by Frank Herbert
This image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment shows Timothee Chalamet, left, and Rebecca Ferguson in a scene from "Dune."
Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming adaptation of the iconic futuristic novel “Dune” is one of this year’s most anticipated films. Protagonist Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) leads nomadic tribes on a distant planet as he takes over his family’s business empire. The film also stars Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Oscar Isaac and Rebecca Ferguson.
Premieres Oct. 22 in theaters and on HBO Max
‘The House of Gucci’ by Sara Gay Forden
Lady Gaga portrays Patrizia Reggiani Martinelli, the ex-wife of Gucci heir Maurizio Gucci, in another of director Ridley Scott’s movies coming this fall. The film, based on Sara Gay Forden’s book, tells the true story of Patrizia’s trial and conviction for orchestrating the 1995 murder of her husband, played by Adam Driver.
Premieres Nov. 24 in theaters
‘Nightmare Alley’ by William Lindsay Gresham
This 1940s psychological thriller follows a con man as he finds his victims in voyeuristic carnival crowds. Guillermo del Toro helms the upcoming film adaptation, which stars Bradley Cooper as the cunning Stan Carlisle and Cate Blanchett as his psychiatrist partner, plus Ron Perlman, Rooney Mara and Willem Dafoe.
Premieres Dec. 3 in theaters
‘The Power of the Dog’ by Thomas Savage
Set in 1920s Montana, Thomas Savage’s Western tells the tale of a tenuous relationship between two brothers, whose bond becomes even more strained when one marries a young widow and the other hatches a plan to ruin her life. The upcoming film adaptation stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Kristen Dunst and Jesse Plemons and is directed by Jane Campion.
Premiering in 2021 on Netflix
‘Dopesick’ by Beth Macy
The upcoming drama series adapted by Danny Strong is based off of Beth Macy’s acclaimed nonfiction book that paints a comprehensive and captivating glimpse into the epicenter of America’s opioid crisis. The series stars Michael Keaton, Peter Sarsgaard, Kaitlyn Dever and Will Poulter.
Premiering in 2021 on Hulu
‘Paper Girls’ by Brian K. Vaughan
The morning after Halloween 1988, four young girls delivering newspapers become unwittingly caught in a conflict between warring factions of time-travelers, sending them on an adventure through time that will save the world. “Toy Story 4” writer Stephany Folsom adapts the popular graphic novels into an eight-episode series.
Premiering in 2021 on Amazon Prime Video
‘Deep Water’ by Patricia Highsmith
This erotic thriller follows couple Melinda and Vic Van Allen, whose marriage is being held together by a precarious agreement: Melinda can take on as many lovers as she pleases as long as she agrees not to leave the family. The arrangement goes well until her lovers begin to mysteriously disappear, with Vic as the prime suspect. The film adaptation stars Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas as the Van Allens and also features Tracy Letts, Rachel Blanchard, Lil Rel Howery, Jacob Elordi and Finn Wittrock.
Premieres Jan. 14 in theaters
‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens
Based on the bestselling novel, the film adaptation of this crime drama story follows the wild and unkempt Kye (played by actress Daisy Edgar-Jones), who is suspected of a mysterious murder in a quiet fishing village.
Premieres June 24 in theaters
‘Blonde’ by Joyce Carol Oates
Ana de Armas stars as Marilyn Monroe in this powerful tale that offers a tantalizing glimpse into the life of the pop-culture icon. Andrew Dominik is directing the film adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’ fictionalized story, which also stars Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale and Julianne Nicholson.
Premiering in 2022 on Netflix
‘Conversations with Friends’ by Sally Rooney
Two university students in Dublin are best friends and former lovers who perform poetry together. Their bond is strained when they form a relationship with an older married couple. A 12-episode series stars Joe Alwyn, Sasha Lane and Jemima Kirke.
Premiering in 2022 on Hulu
