The Book Was Better discussion

I was really pleased with this movie actually! What did you guys think?

One thing that did bother me, however, was that we never saw any of the battles that Dragon group went through. This was key in the book because it raised the stakes for Ender to preform without going crazy!

Oh, and I should say that right at the beginning when we first meet Bean, my friend and I looked at each other super fast in total shock. We were not expecting him for a LONG time....

I just saw the movie and it was awesome! Was it in the movie you meant we never saw the Dragons fight? Because I thought they did. When the battle was between the Salamander+someone else and Ender's team?

Yes, we did the one of the battles, but none of the craziness leading up to it. Like, we don't see the fact that they are fighting every day, sometimes more than ones while other teams have big breaks between battles. I think it is important, cuz it shows just how much they are really messing with Ender. I think I would have even been okay with it if they at least threw in a line or two that would hint at what they have been up to.

Ok so I just finished the book last night/this morning and... for the first time ever, I seriously think I enjoyed the movie better.

Wow, really?! I'm interested to hear why. I enjoyed the movie, but for sure loved the book a lot more in this case.

I first of all don't like how there were no girls. The statement of how girls had "generations" of things or whatever against them, annoyed me. Isn't this supposed to be in the future? Shouldn't the view on women perhaps changed ever so slightly? It annoyed me so much that I then googled Card, which I now regret.

A thing that puzzled me as well, was how, with all that AMAZING technology, they couldn't manage creating fleets for the mission to be powered and run without having people in them if that makes any sense. (I understand it wouldn't have had the same impact, but still)

I don't know what else there were. I just didn't like it. The book was fine, but at the same time it wasn't.

I kind of agree with there not being girls there, but at the same time I think they were not saying girls were not good enough to do it. Like in Valentines case she was too sympathetic. In a way I think it meant that boys were more ruthless killing machines than girls in a way. Especially since they were chosen at a young age. I work with little kids, and although girls are smart and everything just as boys are, boys are by nature more rough and tumble at a young age. I can see how this could be an annoyance though for sure.

It also bothered me that there were people on the ships out there in space, but like you said it made it more real and important that Ender was actually effecting real peoples lives. It added to the hatred towards Graff for letting Ender do all this without even knowing the real stakes!

I know a few other people who said they did not like the book a lot, or could not get into it. Some because they do not like action packed books like that. I often have trouble reading battles, since I don't know enough of the terms and all that to make a mental picture worth watching.

You for sure made some valid points! I don't think this book is for everyone, but the movie was well done so hopefully a lot of people like it weather they have read the book or not! :)

I fully understand that, but how many girls are there on Earth? There had to be a higher quantity that would most likely qualify than there actually are in Ender's Game. I honestly believe some of the author's personal views are playing a factor in to this, and it's sort of sad. I really liked Petra though. She had a lot to offer.

It's still a fun thought though. If it hadn't been that way, the affect it had on Ender wouldn't be the same, that's true.

I got into the book easily though, but it might have perhaps been thanks to the movie. I found that Card's writing was a bit off sometimes. At some parts I felt like he switched between writing in first- and third person which was a bit confusing.

Have you read the rest though? I don't believe there's a topic for them here, but is it worth reading them?

I have plans to read the other books, but have not yet.

Just remembered another thought that might influence the lack of womens roles in the books...Enders Game was written something like 30 years ago. So, times were a little different. The next once was written just a few years ago, so I have feeling it will be a little different for sure!

I have some other books to get to first, but I will for sure be moving on to read those soon enough. I felt like the first book ended in such a way I did not need to go read the next one immediately, so I am giving myself some time to read others first.

That's true, but still- there's book written way before Ender's Game as well that have more females in it. Not that dwelling on it makes it better, but I hope the rest of the books are better..

That's true! I don't know when I'll pick up book two either.

There are just SO MANY in the series, and since the first end in such a way you don't have to keep reading immediately, I figure giving it time will be good. I for sure want to read them....although anyone else I know who had read them has still only read the first one.... haha

I highly enjoyed both the book and the movie. As with all books to film key stories were left out. like how him being a 3rd really upset him, the religion aspect, we as viewers couldn't grasp how special Alia* spelling blessing to Ender meant, they story of his brother and sister trying to lead the world and so on. I did enjoy all the battle scenes towards the end of the movie but disliked the ending.

I agree about the back story not being as clear about him being a 3rd. It really added to just how much stress and strain he was under. Going from being treated like dirt at school, at even at home with his brother, to then going to a place where he thought he would fit in only to be a made to stand out and be looked down on by others was just one blow after another.

They did an okay job at it in the movie once he was in space, but at the same time giving him beans and Alia(we'll go with your spelling! haha) right from the start made it almost easier for him in a way. When they skipped all the training times with him and the boys and the blessing and all that it was a bummer, but not needed as much as some other things they did a good job of keeping. I wonder if there were will bonus scenes on the DVD that cover more of those moments from the book.

I loved both the book and movie.

The thing is... you will definitely appreciate the movie more if you've read the book. I heard some people who haven't read the book say that the movie was slow and bland; that Ender seemed uninterested. Well, that's how it goes in the book. Sure, they took some liberties with the casting but the general events pretty much remained as they were in the book.

I feel like Ender is a hard character to get to know just from a movie. There is so much more going on that you really need to read the book and know everything else behind what he is doing and saying for it to really have any meaning at all! I feel like the movie was made in a way that you could LIKE it without reading the book, but to really LOVE Ender and care for him and everything that is going on you have to read the book.

Although...I did not love the ending. It differed a lot from the book....so it was kind of weird....

The ending was done better in the book. It completely blindsided me. In the movie, yeah I've read it so I knew what was coming but idk, it didn't have the same impact.

I agree. Also, they changed the ending in so many wants! The fact that they were not all going off to live on this other plant. The fact that Ender and his friends seemed to still sort of be together. It makes me wonder where the series goes from here, and if they are going to make the rest of it....

I think it didn't sell enough to green light a sequel but you never know. Mortal Instruments bombed but they have a sequel in the works.

Have you read any more of the series? I want to eventually, but just don't have plans to right now.... I don't feel like it's a "if I don't read it right now I will die" sort of thing like it can be for other series! haha

I have until the one about Bean. But that was a while back.

I'm not in a rush to re-read either. There are other yet unread series I want to get through first. And if I remember correctly, the other books didn't wow me as much as the first one. :)

Good to know.... I think of all the friends I have who read the book and saw the movie and everything, you are the first person I have heard of that actually read more of the series yet... Everyone seems to be interested in reading more, but just not yet... And some people even don't care to read more at all... I think with the way the end of the book hinted at the rest of Ender's life with the egg and all that it makes future books find of un-needed. Hence why the author took so long after the first one to write more.

I personally didn't care for more. The first book was a great standalone.

Yeah, I kind of agree. I still want to take a look at the other books at some point, but if I never do I think I will still be happy with it all for sure!

I never read the book.....

Is it good?

I really loved it! It was a fast pace and fun read, with a lot of technology and battles in it...which is weird to think about the year it was written and how much of what is talked about in the book and how much of it exists now!

I loved it too!

I just watched the movie adaption for this recently. I'll admit to not having read the book first. It is not really my genre...but I thought the movie was really good and thought provoking!

My sister read the book before seeing the movie. She said she liked the movie a little better than the book. She said it stuck to the main plot better, and did not go off on other trails.

Thank you I think I am going to read it after the selection which I am reading now

I have heard a good number of people say that they did not like the book since they do not like a lot of fight scenes, and also there is the info going on with the people on Earth that is not vital to the plot. I can agree, but at the same time if these elements were NOT in the book it would make for a short and rather flat read. I have not read more in the series, but plan to....one day... I did really enjoy the movie though, my biggest complaint being the lack of battles they showed. And not because I wanted to see the battles, but because they showed how much stress was being put on Ender before he was moved on to the next phase of his training.

Jasmina wrote: "I first of all don't like how there were no girls. The statement of how girls had "generations" of things or whatever against them, annoyed me. Isn't this supposed to be in the future? Shouldn't th..."

Right now in teen book adaptations girls are having their day. Before Ender the last starring teen book adaptation to hit the big screen starring a male was Harry Potter. Right now there is Katniss, Clary and Tris. Later this year there will be Maze Runner adding another guy from a big time book franchise. Oh and I guess girls also have Vampire Academy but I haven't seen that movie yet.

So I'm fine with a lot of guys in Ender's Game. Teenage Males need on screen starring heroes too that are their own age (in the movie). Arnold's cool but he's way old and Vin is getting older.

I have created a petition for an Ender's Shadow Movie. Please sign I am hoping it will help catch producers and the studios attention. Also it might help spark or movement or even a Kickstarter campaign to convince the studio to move forward.

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions...#

Yeah, it is nice to see a guy in the lead for a change right now! One of my friends mentioned not seeing Maze Runner and I told him he was basically obligated to see it since it's a guy as the lead and that is unheard of right now! haha

It's easy to have your eyes gloss over when reading the book. It drones on and on and then suddenly, the action is over. Especially the ending. I had to snap out of it and re-read it to make sure what I thought happened really did happen. XD

(I tried to say that without giving any spoilers away lmao.)

Yeah...the ending was a little confusing! I feel like just seeing the movie in this case made it even more weird.... At least in the book you could see things a little more from Enders perspective. But I agree, there was just battle after battle after battle and it was a little rough some time... I did really enjoy it for sure though. A little more fighting and war that I am used to reading, but still done in a way that was not totally over my head! :)

But you have to remember that this was written in the 80s. Waaaay before the time of tablets and virtual gaming. So in a way, Card foresaw the possibility of iPads and tablet computers lol.

I know, right!?! That part of it freaked me out a lot! I mean, it's one thing to hint vaguely at something, but he all but talked about things we have RIGHT NOW! Really cool! Although.....that makes me think about all the book/movies with flying cards.....still none of those! ;)

This is my favorite book ever I've also read all the series besides ender in exile.

I've also read every shadow series book out and the books about mazer in the first two invasions, I can't wait for the rest of these series

And enders game novella was in 1977 so it's really amazing about the technology and did you know the original long novel was speaker for the dead.

And the one about 26 days ago Locke or Peter becomes ... In the shadow series

When bean dies he's over 14 feet

Oh my goodness!!!! You read ALL OF THEM!! haha Does the series get any worse as it goes on? I loved the first book, but have still not read past that yet...

It gets better and worse in a way

All the shadow series Is great but the ender one gets more boring about the issue but it gets more intense and it is the main story of the last 3 books

Hmmmm They are not on my kindle digital library, but I can put in a request. Then, once they get them, I will likely take a look at them. I don't know that I want to commit money on them right now though....

You should at least try speaker for the dead . It's not the best but it was good to me.

I recently read Ender's Game for the second time. Later the same day, I was able to get the film from the library. So now I've seen it three times. I really love both. I've also recently started Speaker for the Dead. I hope they can make a movie for it, although it currently doesn't seem like they will.

Yeah, I have not heard anything about the next movie being made... I love the first one, but don't know it did overall financially and all that....

OSC has been writing another book that comes after Ender's Game but before Ender in Exile and Speaker for the Dead. I think it's called Fleet School, and Gavin Hood has been talking about a movie for that before Speaker for the Dead. Although, he had originally planned for an Ender's Shadow, but I think he ditched that idea.