The book and movie adaption of “A Monster Calls” have many things in common. They both utilise powerful ideas that show symbolism. In both texts, Conor’s monster is the yew tree behind his house. Yew trees represent life and death and they are also a treatment for cancer. The
monster always comes at 12:07, which symbolizes the mother’s death at the end of the story. Symbolism gives the story a stronger feeling and establishes a connection with the reader or viewer. Another clear similarity is the theme. The book and movie show it through Conor’s fear of telling the truth and the monster forcing him to tell it. When Conor tells the truth, there is finally a feeling of resolution in his life.
Although they are similar, the ways in which the book portrays the theme are distinct from the movie. The book is written very implicitly and we have to infer many things. For instance, we don’t know about the nightmare until the ending. This leaves the reader in suspense and allows us to use our imagination. In the movie. the theme and lessons behind the 3 stories are overstated and very explicit. The movie is too fast-paced and brusque with important characters ruthlessly cut out. Lily is a character in the book that shows there is still someone supporting Conor at school. Without her in the movie, it gives the impression that no one really understands him.
The theme: accepting your truth takes courage but it will set you free is shown vividly in“A Monster Calls”, but there are differences between the book and movie. These differences show that the book portrays the theme better. The book has proficient details leading up to a moving ending that effectively teaches us the theme. The movie states everything hastily and tries too hard to convey the theme. However, both texts succeed in having concepts that show symbolism.