Progress has been, well... slow.

But at least there's been progress. And I have a goal to keep moving me forward. I'll see my dad again in two weeks, so I want to both a) be done with Money Ball so I can return it, and b) be in the middle of another so I can politely decline his next offer. My dad reads at a pretty good clip and I have a lot of other books on my list (including the recommendations after my first post...darn you Heather) so, while the obligation of returning a book is a great motivator, I'll hold off on adding any new assignments just yet.

Speaking of goals, I think I plan on updating this bad boy roughly once a week. I put a calendar reminder on my Outlook to prod me along. I don't know what I'd do without Outlook. I'm not a particularly organized or regimented person, but I've committed to one to many events conflicting with an Iowa State football game and have learned to make myself stick to a schedule. So, once a week it is, at least for now. I'm not sure what the sweet spot for blogging is. Too frequent and you're just annoying. Too rare and people quit paying attention. Not that I'm really looking for regular readership, but I am hoping this experience makes me a more effective writer as well. I've already learned I do too many asides, which I think is a tad hackneyed (and I justify it by putting it in parentheses, as if that's better... crap, I'm doing it again!). I also don't know if I should be sharing links to every blog post on Twitter and Facebook or if I just consider that annoying. I'm confident I'll figure it out, but please bear with me.

But enough about that. This isn't supposed to be a blog about blogging (how meta); this is supposed to be about reading. So... Money Ball... how 'bout it? Like I said before, I do feel like I'm cheating as I saw the movie prior to reading the book. I believe the last time I did that was back in 1989 when a novelization of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was released the same summer as the movie, which is weird, as I'm not sure how that happens and what accounts for the material differences between the movie and the book (do they base it off an early version of the script? I don't recall a circus sideshow in any Indiana Jones movie. If anyone in my readership has a clue, I'd love to hear). So, I've been thinking about how reading a book after seeing a movie differs from reading a book prior. I'm generally annoyed with people who say, "it wasn't as good as the book," as that comes across as pompous. At the same time, I loved Michael Crichton's Timeline and have refused to see the movie as I fear Paul Walker will ruin it for me. Nothing against Mr. Walker--my dog loved him in Eight Below. But I've decided the biggest difference comes down to expectation. I'll explain.

When I first saw Lord of the Rings, I had a already created a vivid image in my mind for what everything looked, sounded, smelled and felt like. So, when Peter Jackson attempted to bring that to life, he had something to compete against, and, luckily for him, he exceeded my expectations. Of course, it helps that Tolkien is pretty darn detailed, though not to a fault (*cough* Rand *cough*). [Edit: Rand isn't really too detailed, I guess. It's more that she beats you over the head with her point.] But often what a director creates when making a movie is very different than what the reader conjures up on their own. Maybe the writer was vague, maybe the book didn't translate well to film, or maybe the perspectives are too diverse. Whatever the reasons, the book and the readers expectations differ which leads to disappointment. Disappointment is less about standalone quality than it is about variance from expectation.

But how about the other way around? I think people usually want to read the book first because they don't want to be limited to only the way the director saw the story, which is a very valid concern. I'm fighting very hard to picture the real Billy Beane and not Brad Pitt. (Sorry, here comes another tangent. Get used to them, I don't focus well: What do you suppose was Billy Beane's reaction when a movie was proposed? How do you possibly keep your cool when you find out Brad Pitt is going to play you? Only Brad Pitt could leave Jennifer Aniston and not be universally despised. We know why women love him, and between Seven and Fight Club, he won over 83% of guys. I'd be such a sucker I'd turn down royalties without thinking. Okay, where was I? Ah, yes, movies based on books...)

Even while fighting the urge to figure out which aspects of various real people became the composite played by Jonah Hill, I have to say I am actually enjoying reading this in "reverse" order, if only because of my performing arts background. Again, it goes back to expectation. Usually, if I've read the book, I'm only comparing acting to my expectation. But when I read the book, I realize how much more challenging it is to convey the pathos in film. Sometimes, I think it's actually easier to relate emotions in written words. While analogies still require decryption in either form, they're a tad more obvious when laid out in words. Reading this book now is actually enhancing my appreciation for the screenwriting, directing and acting in the film. I'm having several, "Holy crap! That's what I interpreted that to suggest when I watched it! I'm usually not that intuitive!" moments.

That's not to say that reading a book after having watched the movie is my preferred method. I still find great value in reading a book unfettered by the restraints of an imposed vision. But I'm learning to not paint with as broad a brush when it comes to the movie-or-book-first choice. We'll see if I still feel that way when I'm finished. I really hope to avoid the surprised/disappointed dichotomy when I reach the end. If I get there. Before the 20th. Maybe I should get to reading...