I must say, the movie does a decent job at keeping in line with the book, but the book is written with such humor, joy, sadness, and all kinds of emotion that I feel it is a greater representation of reality--without even including the fact that the book possesses the true, honest-to-goodness story.
Furthermore, the movie only covers about a third of the book. What happens to the Trapps after they leave Austria? That question is thoroughly answered in the book. So rather than continuing to tell you all the reasons why I immensely enjoyed the book, I'll just include an excerpt from it for your pleasure.
Peter had been a Major in the Imperial Prussian Army. He was a lovely person with a heart as big as himself, which made it easy to get along with him. When it came to duty, however, Peter was made of iron and steel, and as everything in his daily life was classified either as a duty towards God, or his fellow men, or himself, there was a lot of duty to go around.
Peter also loved handbooks.
When Peter was newly married and they were expecting their first baby, he immediately got the proper handbook, which would guide him safely through the next nine months. In the seventh month the handbook said: "Carpets and curtains should be removed from the bedroom, and the walls and floor washed with antiseptic." Peter who, as a Major, had two orderlies at his command, was standing in the middle of the bedroom, book in hand, supervising these activities. At the same time Laura, his wife, slipped on the kitchen floor and, feeling a strange pain, went upstairs, heading for bed, saying to Peter:
"Please, dear, call Mrs. X"--her Frau Vogl [midwife]--"at once."
Peter merely glanced at her, amazed. Then, looking over the rim of his spectacles, he uttered in a helpless tone of voice:
"Laura--impossible! I am only in the seventh month!" (84)
Maria then goes on to tell of a camping adventure she and her family had with Uncle Peter and his family--an experience full of laughs.
P.S. If the reader is Protestant, he must be aware that the author is a devout Catholic and many Catholic practices come out in her writing. On the other hand, the family's devotion to God and Jesus Christ is also genuine and admirable.
My mother loved that book, but I never got a chance to read it! I think my grandmother once met the Maria of the real story.
ReplyDeleteI should look it up. Thanks for sharing!
Wow! She met her? Where? That's so cool. :) I wonder if she went to the singing camp in Vermont . . .
ReplyDeleteI am one of those people who hasn't (yet) read that book. But now I desperately want to! Thanks so much for this review:) Maria sounds like she would be an amazing person to meet...wow, Janelle that's about the coolest thing I've ever heard!!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to ask her.
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