Romancing the Stone was one of my favorite childhood movies. This book is a novelization of the screenplay, not an original book that the movie is based off of.

There are lots of similarities with plot, dialogue, and characters. Naturally I kept picturing the actors from the movie playing their parts here. I've seen this flick so many times I have most of the dialogue memorized. There were a few small changes, though, especially in the second half and toward the fight.

I love Joan. The author painted her as a shy, awkward woman who hated public appearances, felt cut off from men because of a horrible love affair gone wrong in her youth, and as someone who hid from life, living through her stories. With Jack, the character was given an interesting backstory to explain some of his restlessness. It added more to the story. The movie didn't lack without knowing it, but in book form it was further fleshed out and made more sense.

I also get more of the story with the sister, Elaine's, husband. I never fully caught on before. I think the movie didn't care to explain too much since it wasn't as relevant to the present plot situation.

There is a deeper sense of melodramatic romance at the end than it showed in the movie, but it works okay considering it's supposed to be a romance book. Humor is as strong in page form as it is written. Overall the movie is the winner - just can't stylize the magic the same secondhand - but it's still a worthy book if you're a fan of the film. ( )