"But it was still me who had all the good ideas."

V for Vendetta (Spoiler Warning!!)
This is, I suppose, my thesis: Much like all good adaptations, the two works cannot really be compared and contrasted, but rather viewed and analyzed as two separate and distinct entities. That being said, I first started to read the graphic novel around the time the semester was ending and summer was beginning. Having seen the film, reading the book was atop my list of things to do over the break. So, I went to Barnes & Noble, sat in the cafe finding all the other comfy chairs taken, and began reading. I didn't get far before I was disappointed. In the book, Parliament is blown up right away (6 pages in). To me, it worked better as the climax, since it's fucking Parliament (!). I'm guessing that Roger Ebert would also not get far into the book after his beloved architectural masterpiece was eradicated. So, I didn't read much of it before I put it back on the shelf and went home (probably to watch the Simpsons). My second attempt proved more successful and fruitful. And this is where we come to my thesis. There are very many differences from page to screen and while I will comment on some of them, I think it's important to understand that a strict they-left-this-out, they-added-this is pretty pointless. The tone and essence are captured in the film, and the rest is moot. I can't say which version I prefer (though part of me edges toward the film, most likely because I saw it first and thoroughly enjoyed it); they are both pretty incredible, impressive, thought-provoking texts. I have finished reading the text of the graphic novel, though I am still reading an article that follows written by Alan Moore, the writer of the series. So far it is very enlightening and highly entertaining (and I very much recommend), but I also have a fear of losing everything that I've written here so far by a glitch in blogger, so I'm trying to finish this as soon as I can. One thing I noticed, and I'm well aware that this could be just a failing of myself as a reader here, there were times when it was a bit difficult to distinguish which character was in the frame and also how he/she fit into the world represented in the novel. I think it was a bit easier to follow who everyone was and what their characterization was in the film. Also, while the Guy Fawkes theme is heavy in both, it seems to me that the film emphasizes it a tad more, or at least gives further attempt to really draw together the past of England with its present and future. I'm not saying that the novel is incohesive, but the gut feeling I get in thinking about the two (and granted, it's been a little while since I've seen the film and I only saw it once) is that the film has a more cohesive feel to it. I think that I like Evey both as a character and her role in the whole better in the film. There is an interlude in the book featuring a song entitled "This Vicious Cabaret" that is truly inspired and perfect. So, I guess I've lost a bit of steam in my train of thought in analyzing V for Vendetta, both as a film and a graphic novel, but I have to go make another round and deliver a file, so...please comment if you've experience one or both because I think this is a piece of work that merits much discussion.