Date Read Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
Two men return home from World War II to work on a farm in rural Mississippi, where they struggle to deal with racism and adjusting to life after war.
I read Mudbound before my blog’s conception and loved it. The novel is rich in detail, and has a gripping, mortifying story that had my stomach in knots. When Netflix released a film adaptation I knew it might be challenging to relate this book to a film but that didn’t not deter me from viewing it.
The film is dark, and not just the subject matter. There were certain scenes where it was difficult to distinguish one character from another because the lighting was so dim. This may have been intentional because as I said it was dark, but I found it a tad distracting. However, this did not take away from the picture overall.
What I really enjoyed about both the book and the movie was the relationship between Jamie and Ronsel. The ability to look past colors and bond on similar experiences is such a powerful idea and I felt it was well portrayed in both medias. The connection between the two oozes from both the page and the screen and a really camaraderie shines through. This is met all the harder when the reality of racism rings through and a difficult choice is forced between them.
It has been several years since I have read the book so it is hard to say if I pictured Mary J. Blige as Ronsel’s mother Florence. However, I felt the casting was good and didn’t stray too far from how I remembered the Jacksons and McAllans.
The ending was changed in the adaptation. However, I don’t think it hurt the integrity of the book in any way. Ronsel’s fate ends with tragedy, but in the movie they add a glimmer of hope, which is very much welcomed. Overall, I thought Mudbound was an excellent adaptation to Hillary Jordan’s novel and is well worth the read as well as a watch.
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