The former, astonishingly good. I'm not sure I've ever read more riveting dialogue than what's in that book. The economy of the storytelling is marvelous. The characters are full and alive. It's interesting to note the subtle differences from the movie, noting also that the fundamentals that make the movie so enjoyable -- extraordinarily tight storytelling, beautiful imagery, excellent dialogue -- are shared by the book. Quite a gratifying read. The liberties that the movie takes are all in service of the form, it seemed to me. For example, Guillam as a gay man, rather than as a player, allows the movie to show, almost without words, the unbelievable tension and strain the characters were under. That's one of the best scenes in the whole movie. The book doesn't need it. The confrontation of Esterhaze on the tarmac is an incredibly dramatic scene that might not have worked so well in writing. But the book has its own tricks.
The Russia House, on the other hand, was good but more just pulp. Very readable, of course, and the dialogue! There's almost no action except meetings of various kinds but it hardly matters. But the story is more boring, somehow, the characters flatter. A solid beach read but not much more.
The Russia House, on the other hand, was good but more just pulp. Very readable, of course, and the dialogue! There's almost no action except meetings of various kinds but it hardly matters. But the story is more boring, somehow, the characters flatter. A solid beach read but not much more.
