[.ca] Mona Lisa Smile Movie Tie In (ISBN 0451411218)

Movie is much better:
This book is just like the movie ~~ almost word for word ~~ so if you've seen the movie, don't buy this book. If you haven't seen the movie, buy the book ~~ then see the movie, you won't be disappointed. It's a fast read ~~ perfect for a lazy sunny afternoon at the pool ~~ it doesn't go into depth about anything and it reads "like the movie" ~~ so you have a mental image of the characters gliding along in the book. If you're looking for a meaty in-depth look of the characters and of the times, this is not the book to read. If you just want to recapture the memory of the movie ~~ this is the perfect book for that! 6/1/04

Good book that reads like a movie.:
I found Mona Lisa Smile to be on the whole a good book. The story line draws you in and the resolution is satisfying. I have not yet seen the movie(though i do plan to), but it does not seem that the book gives you much more than the movie does. I felt that the language in general could be fleshed out to be a little more descriptive and that the sub plots could have been fleshed out some to give it a little more depth. I would highly reccomend the book to anyone looking for a quick, satisfying read but don't expect great literature out of this one.

All Hail the return of Deborah Chiel:
Deborah Chiel is back! Yay! Deborah is a fine author who has elevated the job of the novelization to a fine art. Her previous books have often accomplished the same task that she expertly accomplishes here with Mona Lisa's Smile. Namely taking a sucky stupid sappy movie (a D says Entertainment Weekly) and making a swell enjoyable moving novel out of it. She gives Mona Lisa's Smile the same expert treatment she gave Great Expectations, Sabrina, and other sucky films. You will enjoy Mona Lisa's Smile!

A disappointment~:
This book was a huge disappointment. I saw the movie first and thought it would be a better book. When I saw the book in the store, I was excited and bought it right away. It turns out, however, that the BOOK is based on the MOVIE and, boy, can you tell. It was like the author was handed the script and just filled in the non-dialoge parts around the dialoge. There were a few parts in the book that somewhat clarified parts of the movie and I did like the ending, which went a step further than the movie did. All in all, though, if you are seeing the movie skip the book. It's not worth it. On the other hand, you might enjoy the book on it's own. It's an easy read and would be nice for a cold winter's night when you don't have anything better to do.