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K-PAX, by Gene Brewer |
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Reviewed by Matthew Craig |
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"...enthralling, yet ultimately familiar..." |
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Rule Number One: |
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Always, always, always read the book FIRST. |
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THEN go and see the movie. |
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The book is, after all, the source material. It's the purest form of the author's vision. The story, told the way THEY want it told. |
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But enough of that. |
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Was it a good book? Absolutely. The author places you right in the shoes of the psychiatrist (indeed, the psychiatrist IS the author, wink wink). It's a great way to tell the story: thoroughly immersive. |
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It's certainly the sort of storytelling method that will be lost in the translation to the movie screen. Which is a shame... |
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It's not so much the "alien's" story as it is that of the doctor, who, unaware of that old chestnut, "physician, heal thyself," has issues of his own. |
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Enter prot, our intragalactic gadabout. |
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Without giving too much of the book away, I can safely say that I've seen this story, oh, a couple of times now. prot's only role in this story is to Make Everybody Better, except himself (naturally). |
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But then, does that matter? It's not the destination that keeps you interested in the book, but the journey . |
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It's a fun enough novel. Exasperating at times, charming in equal measure, K-PAX is, at it's worst, pleasantly enthralling yet ultimately familiar. |
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Buying the book will cost you about as much as seeing it at the cinema. And you'll probably get a lot more pleasure out of it (see Rule Number One). |
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Just don't expect the most original story in print, that's all... |
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(C) 2002 M.P.Craig, reproduced without permission from Amazon.co.uk. |
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