Questions About Under the Skin

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Answered Questions (9)

Hi Has anyone watched the movie, then read the book... and still loved the book? I never do Movie-then-book. But I loved the movie, and didn't know about the book until I looked up more info. I'm quite intrigued about the book, but it seems to hinge on a slow reveal. Thanks

Brian I first watched the movie, then read the book. Both disturbing, unsettling and compelling. And both I would recommend, yet both are quite different. T…moreI first watched the movie, then read the book. Both disturbing, unsettling and compelling. And both I would recommend, yet both are quite different. The book is indeed a slow reveal, but it achieves this through challenging the readers assumptions about language and ideas. I enjoyed being tricked by the author - he made me pay attention to the words the characters were using. A film director attempting to recreate the scenes and plot lines from the book would pretty much be giving the game away early.
There is quite a lot of dialogue in the book, particularly dealing with ethical questions and ideas of class and exploitation. In the film, however, the film maker relies primarily on images to tell the story - it is a very quiet film, and the ideas hit you via emotional reactions to the scenes. The scene on the beach for me was devastating and powerful, and it was not drawn from the book. I appreciate film makers like this who latch onto some ideas from a text then make the story their own, telling it in a different medium.(less)

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Is anyone else struggling with this book?

Michael Sussman I was initially intrigued by the author's writing style and the many questions raised by the opening of the story. The more I read, however, the more …moreI was initially intrigued by the author's writing style and the many questions raised by the opening of the story. The more I read, however, the more tiresome and incoherent I found the novel. I forced myself to read the whole thing, only to be disappointed at the minimal payoff. I haven't a clue as to why this novel received so many positive newspaper reviews and was even adapted for the screen. From what I've read, the movie is more interesting than the book.(less)

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Absolutely amazing book. Every paragragraph paints such a vivid picture. Hats off to Glazer for attempting to depict it. Has it affected anyone's det? Do any of his other books come near it? (They didn't for me.)

Tressa

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Did others view this as I - as a primer for deep philosophical inquiry? This book begged me to explore concepts of universal morality, our deep seated notions of humanity, privilege, and freedom. I found myself routing for the redemption of protagonist's soul to the very end in her struggle with an impossible situation. Would you have done the same as our protagonist in the end, did she redeem her soul?

Tom

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Why do they cut vodsels' tongues? Is it to prevent them from communicating?

Ashley I'm pretty sure it's just a form of pacifying the vodsels, i.e. they can't scream and they can't communicate with each other to escape. Also, the vods…moreI'm pretty sure it's just a form of pacifying the vodsels, i.e. they can't scream and they can't communicate with each other to escape. Also, the vodsels seem to be drugged pretty heavily also to pacify them. The taking away of the vodsels' ability to communicate also makes them less like the humans, which is why Isserley lies to Amlis about the vodsel writing "mercy", saying that it was just meaningless symbols.(less)

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