Looking for a good book or a fun film this weekend? Grab a warm blanket, a bag of Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups, and look no further than your own backyard. Below are three books-turned-movies from current/past Fairfield County residents.
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S
My interest in Fairfield County authors began when I discovered Truman Capote, the writer of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, went to Greenwich High School. He wrote for both the school newspaper and their literary journal The Green Witch. After leaving Connecticut, Capote went on to write the novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which was later adapted to the classic film of the same name. It starred the timeless Audrey Hepburn as the young socialite Holly Golightly, a casting decision that Capote actually hated. Even with this disagreement, he would have to admit that his character, portrayed with large sunglasses and a long black dress, has become one of the most iconic images for cinema in the 20th century.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
Quite possibly my favorite children’s book of all time and winner of the 1964 Caldecott Medal, Where The Wild Things Are was written by longtime Ridgefield resident Maurice Sendak. A true classic in children’s literature, it is a story of imagination and childhood emotion. It follows a young boy, Max, as he sails away from him bedroom and into a world of Wild Things. Its illustrations perfectly match its childlike sentiment, starting out simple and then spreading across the pages with the rise of the plot. In 2009 it was adapted to film. It was praised for being touching and visually beautiful, but not necessarily appropriate for young children. Set side from the movie’s targeted audience, I highly recommend buying or checking out this book, pulling your kids close, and, as Max put it, letting “the Wild Rumpus start.”
THE HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY
As a young-adult, dystopian-society addict, I was ecstatic to discover that Suzanne Collins, writer of the wildly popular Hunger Games Trilogy, is a fellow Fairfield County mom. Though born in Hartford, she now resides in Newton with her husband and two children. In The Hunger Games, Collin’s pulls readers into her world, with its unique society and political landscape. It is a story of survival, bravery, and goodness among cruelty. Along with the trilogy selling more than 65 million copies in the US alone, the books have been adapted to major blockbuster films. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is currently streaming on Netflix, and I look forward to the final installment of Mockingjay at the end of 2015.
There are numerous other authors with ties to our great county, even Mark Twain. Who are your favorite Fairfield County writers?
Where the Wild Things Are is my all time favorite book! 🙂