From Page to Screen: Comparison of A Novel entitled The Notebook with Its Film Adaptation

Introduction

        Readers have an important role in developments of a novel. They have different judgments on every novel that they have read. Bestselling novel make an outstanding storyline and arouse readers’ curiosity. Another form of readers reaction and appreciation to the literary works are to reproduce it. Many directors are transforming novel into film. Novel and film are two different things in terms of storytelling and the used media to deliver it. Film and novel use materially different ways to describe the world or to express a point of view. We can see how pictures in the film shows value while novel describes it through text.

        There are many reasons of underlying the transformation from novel to film. The reasons are various. Whether the novel is famous among people, have remarkable ideas, written by well-known author, or all aspects in one. In the process of transformation from novel to white screen, it will make the changes to narration, plot, characterization, background, theme, and message. Even though the adaptation takes subject and main story line from the novel, but the adaptation is entirely new entity. The adaptation is an independent work; a creation which is neither inherently subservient to its source nor less worthy than the term of original work.

        Balazs in his collection. Of essays, "Theory of the Film: Character and Growth of a New Art" argues that film script is an entirely new literary form. According to Balazs (1920), the novel should be regarded, as a potential raw 'material to be transformed at will by the writer of the screenplay. He says that the screenplay has the capacity to approach reality, to approach the thematic and the formal design of the literary model and represent it with a viewpoint incorporating a new aesthetic design and technology, creating thus a new artistic version.

        A process of transformation from novel to film cause many unbearable changes, therefore film adaptation can have reduction, addition, or even variation. To straighten the misconception, the research about comparison of novel with its film adaptation is necessary. This is to make people see a film as an independent work and a new entity without overshadowed by its novel. 

        From the explanation above, in this paper the writer tries to analyze the comparison of novel entitled The Notebook  by Nicholas Sparks with its film adaptation. The Notebook  is one of the Sparks’ most successful film adaptation. It is beyond readers’ expectation. Adaptation of Sparks’ novels indeed have the potential to be transformed for the screen into an epic love story and this American romantic drama film directed by Nick Cassavetes was another Sparks hit. 

        The writer will focus on analyzing the reduction, addition, and variation in the film adaptation. This comparative analysis aims to find out which part of the plot, characterization, setting of the story and point of view in the novel that  reduced, added, and varied in the film. This research is using qualitative descriptive method based on data from literature study. The data includes relevant books, The Notebook  novel and also the film. The data are collected through three phases. First, the writer reads The Notebook  novel and then watches its film adaptation. Second, the writer collects the data from both novel and film through systematic recording and observation. Third, the writer compares and classifies which part of the data that belong to reduction, addition, and variation. 

Discussion

The Notebook is a book by Nicholas Sparks about two young lovers and the social difference which eventually tear them apart. Allie Nelson, a young, wealthy, beautiful girl falls desperately in love with Noah Calhoun. A young handsome but a poor boy. When Allie’s parents disapprove of the boy that she falls in love with and forces her to move back into the worlds she belongs in, the romance still does not end. This story ends with a beautiful and satisfying ending.

A process of transformation from novel to film cause many reduction, addition, and variation. The three aspects will be analyzed in explanation below.

Reduction

         There are some part in the plot, characterization, and setting of the story that being reduced. Those reduction is mostly about detail event which is in the film might not necessary. One of the part is when Allie and Noah meet again after years. In the book Nicholas Sparks describes the scene when Allie shows up to see him. Sparks pictures everything that they are doing for their reunited dinner, he explains the way Noah is cooking the lobsters and fresh vegetables, while Allie getting the table ready. There is awkwardness in the air because of their memories together flooding in. Sparks also describes their thoughts of each other; how they still feel the electricity after all this time, so we as readers can imagine it perfectly. In the film, we are only shown them finishing dinner without any further conversation and detail depiction. This part in the book is quite emotional but not that important.

 

References

Balazs, Bela. (1953). Theory of the Film. Trans. Edith Bone. New York: Ray.

McFarlane, Brian. (1996). Theories of Adaptation: Novel to Film. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Sparks, Nicholas. (1996). The Notebook. New York: Warner Books.