Hope Book Club, Ep 44: Books On Screen - Hope 103.2

Hope Book Club, Ep 44: Books On Screen

Hosts Katrina Roe and CPX's Natasha Moore are joined by The Little Lost Bookshop's Ellanda Joyce to discuss books that became movies.

By Katrina RoeFriday 2 Dec 2022Hope Book ClubCultureReading Time: 4 minutes

In episode 44 of the Hope Book Club Katrina Roe and Natasha Moore from the Centre for Public Christianity review the latest books to hit our screens. In this episode, they are joined by Ellanda Joyce from The Little Lost Bookshop.

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry is a historical drama about a young widow, Cora, who has recently moved to Essex. She’s found the local village caught up in rumours and superstition about a mythical monster called The Essex Serpent. It’s been adapted into a TV series starring Claire Danes.

“Cora’s quite fun. I really like her. She’s a bit weird,” Natasha Moore said.

“Her husband has just died and we find out very early on that her husband was a terrible human being who abused her and so she’s just so relieved that he’s dead and she’s able to be herself and live her life and she doesn’t have to pretend any more.

“She’s a bit of a loner and a scholar and she loves her fossils.”

While the book has gothic elements, the serpent doesn’t dominate the story.

Hope 103.2 is proudly supported by

While the book has gothic elements, the serpent doesn’t dominate the story.

“For a lot of it, its a looming presence in the background and it means different things to different people and it’s more of a reflection of people’s anxieties about stuff that’s going on. So the villagers are having conniptions about it that a lot of things are going wrong with crops and health and ‘Is God punishing us?’ and the serpent is a representation of that.”

“So, it’s this very strong presence in the novel, but you don’t really find out what’s actually going on for quite some time in the book,” Natasha said.

Throughout the novel, Cora develops an intense friendship with the local vicar, who surprises her with his intelligence and thoughtfulness.

“So, he’s someone who really could have been in parliament or been an engineer and Cora can’t understand why he’s buried himself in this backwater village, but he really loves these people and he wants to be outdoors on the marshes and praising God in his work and in nature, so he’s a really compelling character. I quite liked him.”

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Ellanda Joyce from The Little Lost Bookshop reviews A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman, which is being made into a film starring Tom Hanks. It’s being released this summer with a slight name change to A Man Called Otto.

A Man Called Ove is being made into a film starring Tom Hanks, with a slight name change to A Man Called Otto.

It’s the story of a grumpy curmudgeon who has lost the will to live. Ove is a man of great integrity, who is also set in his ways. But a friendship with his neighbours helps him to find hope again.

When asked if the ending made her cry, Ellanda confessed that the book is a bit of a tearjerker.

“A hundred per cent! There’s some sad things but also some really beautiful moments. I was definitely really invested in his life and his past and just really rooting for good things to come for him and his little neighbourhood,” Ellanda said.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owen

And finally, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owen is an atmospheric murder mystery about a young girl, Kya, who grows up alone on the edge of the marsh. When a young man from town is found dead in the marsh, the townsfolk blame the wild marsh girl. The film is produced by Reese Witherspoon and stars Daisy Edgar Jones.

“I resisted reading this book for so long,” Katrina laughed.

“Everyone says, ‘Oh it’s wonderful, you’ve got to read this book’, but every time I would pick up the book and read the blurb I would think ‘Oh no, that sounds terrible, it sounds depressing, I don’t want to read that.’

“But I finally gave in and I’m really glad I did. I actually really liked it.”

The film is produced by Reese Witherspoon and stars Daisy Edgar Jones.

Find out all about the latest books to hit our screens, in episode 44 of the Hope Book Club – because life’s just better with a book.

Listen in the player above or wherever you get your podcasts.