Under the Skin

This book is, in many ways, even more disturbing than the movie. I watched the film a couple of weeks ago and immediately located a copy of the book, hoping to gain more insight into what I had just seen. In that respect, I was disappointed as the movie is a loose adaptation of the novel. On the other hand, I found that I liked the book even more. But... that's not to take anything away from the accomplishment that is the movie. Jonathan Glazer has, in my opinion, crafted an incredible piece of cinema and Scarlett Johansson's performance is startlingly fearless. And the score by Mica Levi - oh, man does her score ever add to the experience! But many people will not like the movie. Probably because it is slow, and moody, and atmospheric, and ambiguous, and... yes, all those things that are not like Michael Bay films. So, if you enjoy your popcorn while watching big 'ol 'splosions, stories driven by standard plotting, and films populated with characters that quip instead of converse, then Under the Skin is probably not a good cinematic choice for you.

Does that mean you should not read the book? Not necessarily... if you like intelligent science fiction grounded in the real world that surrounds us, then you might like this book. On the other hand, where it delves into apologue regarding food supplies and stewardship of the environment, the story veers firmly into horror territory rather than science fiction. Actually, much like the original Alien movie, (and the graphic novel that was based on the film, if you remember that), this is really more of a horror story/creature feature than it is a skiffy one. It's difficult to say more without introducing spoilers. In my opinion, it is better to read this book with as little foreknowledge as possible. Learning about Isserley, who and what she is, as the story unfolds, is something best experienced first hand. Suffice it to say, Faber has crafted a disturbing allegory with this novel. And even though the movie departs significantly from the plot of the book, it retains enough of the same elements that it remains recognizable as springing from the same source. Two vastly different endings that were, somehow, exactly the same. That is pretty darned incredible now that I'm looking back on it.