Novel Approach

If I’m going to see a film based on a book, I generally try to avoid reading the book first (“Adapting Downbeat Books Can Be an Uphill Battle,” by Eric Harrison, Feb. 7). Luckily, though embarrassingly so, I had not read Toni Morrison’s “Beloved,” so I had no preconceptions when I went to see it. It was the best film I saw last year.

I only convinced one other person to see it, and as she said, “My God, I saw a movie that used allusion, developed the plot and characters with dignity, conveyed positive messages for everyone, and fairly addressed slavery. I was sorry when it ended.” However, I heard about some people even walking out of the theater because, having read the book, they couldn’t handle the film interpretation. Their loss!

I must completely disagree with Harrison’s assertion that having a flashback in the middle of the film distanced the movie from the audience and “made the movie feel like three distinct and unintegrated stories.” On the contrary, the flashback brings much clarity and understanding of the main character, Sethe.

As for feeling like three stories (instead of one, with depth to it), that might be true for people used to seeing most current movies, which barely have even one story, if that.

NORMA EDWARDS

Irvine