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pbraue13's review against another edition
5.0
A wonderful examination of an unconventional, but beautiful love story.
thoroughlymodernreviewer's review against another edition
5.0
Everyone loves a good making-of documentary in the bonus features of the DVD of a film. Well, this book is the next best thing. Written by Gina McIntyre, The Shape of Water: Creating a Fairy Tale for Troubled Times details the making of director Guillermo del Toro's latest film, The Shape of Water.
I love books like these. Insight Editions (the publisher of this book) and Harper Design have been producing a lot of these gorgeous behind-the-scenes books about the making of popular films for a while now, and I adore every one of them. They're extremely expensive, but for good reason. This book (and others like it) is a large, hardcover, full-color tome that details everything that went into making the film. The book packs so much information into its pages that it's honestly incredible. I use the documentary comparison because this book honestly has the same amount of information packed into its pages that a feature-length documentary covering the same material would have, if not more.
When I say that this book has a lot of content in it, I'm not kidding. It contains interviews with the cast and crew, concept art, behind the scenes photos, information about how key scenes were filmed and edited, information about the characters, details about the creation of the Fish Man and how the makeup was applied to actor Doug Jones, sketches from del Toro's journal, and - best of all - character bios of three characters - Zelda, Giles, and Dr. Hoffstetler - written by Guillermo del Toro himself for the actors. The information in those bios are so detailed and rich, yet none of it appears anywhere in the film. That being said, you can see how having access to that information influenced the actors' performances in their respective characters.
Like I said, The Shape of Water: Creating a Fairy Tale for Troubled Times is a treasure trove of information about the making of a truly superb film. It's full of information, full-color photos, removable inserts, and lots of fun. It's expensive but worth it. There's really not much else to add. I highly recommend this book if you're interested in The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro, or how films are made. You won't be disappointed.
I love books like these. Insight Editions (the publisher of this book) and Harper Design have been producing a lot of these gorgeous behind-the-scenes books about the making of popular films for a while now, and I adore every one of them. They're extremely expensive, but for good reason. This book (and others like it) is a large, hardcover, full-color tome that details everything that went into making the film. The book packs so much information into its pages that it's honestly incredible. I use the documentary comparison because this book honestly has the same amount of information packed into its pages that a feature-length documentary covering the same material would have, if not more.
When I say that this book has a lot of content in it, I'm not kidding. It contains interviews with the cast and crew, concept art, behind the scenes photos, information about how key scenes were filmed and edited, information about the characters, details about the creation of the Fish Man and how the makeup was applied to actor Doug Jones, sketches from del Toro's journal, and - best of all - character bios of three characters - Zelda, Giles, and Dr. Hoffstetler - written by Guillermo del Toro himself for the actors. The information in those bios are so detailed and rich, yet none of it appears anywhere in the film. That being said, you can see how having access to that information influenced the actors' performances in their respective characters.
Like I said, The Shape of Water: Creating a Fairy Tale for Troubled Times is a treasure trove of information about the making of a truly superb film. It's full of information, full-color photos, removable inserts, and lots of fun. It's expensive but worth it. There's really not much else to add. I highly recommend this book if you're interested in The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro, or how films are made. You won't be disappointed.
trish204's review
5.0
I've watched the movie only recently and was very pleased to see that Guillermo del Toro is up to his usual form (the last two movies were sub-standard in my opinion). The Shape of Water is as moving, visually stunning, and brilliantly executed as Pan's Labyrinth was.
The story is that of a mute young woman working as a janitor for a government agency in the 1960s. There, she encounters a creature and the two fall in love.
Yes, this is a love story but told so wonderfully through brilliant performances and stunning imagery that I dare say even people who don't like romances will appreciate this.
The music, the art, the costumes and sets ... it was all perfect. Above all, however, the story itself is written in this very distinct way that sneaks into your heart and gives you hope. As del Toro himself put it: a love story for troubled times. It's not rose-tinted, on the contrary, but all the action from the political intrigues and conspiracies is just a frame for two individuals and their struggle through life that gets significantly better when they find each other. It's the delicacy of the relationship, the fact that they don't need words, that got under my skin certainly.
This book then tells of how Guillermo del Toro came up with the idea and, after many years, was able to produce the movie. It shows the design for the creature, gives character bios, layouts for all the sets, and even some of del Toro's own notes (in his handwriting with little scribbles and sketches).
The producer has worked with Doug Jones on almost every movie he ever made. The man (Jones) apparently is the best in the industry when it comes to portraying non-human creatures and sitting patiently for hours while the body-suits and make-up are applied. *lol* I like how del Toro doesn't rely on CGI but loves to do it the old-fashioned way, with a "puppet" or rubber costume. Granted, nowadays those are much more sophisticated, but the principle remains the same and it gives a much more realistic feel to the creatures, be it on Star Trek: Discovery, Hellboy (1&2), Fantastic Four 2, Pan's Labyrinth, The Strain, Crimson Peak or The Shape of Water (the actor did many more, some even as an actual human being, but I wanted to name a popular few).
The book also shows some actors between takes, which added an almost comedic element to the book what with their pantouffles and cell phones and stuff while being in costume. *lol*
The book is divided into 3 acts:
1) The Characters
2) Creating the Creature
3) The Production
Each of those sections is divided into different chapters. Some pages have some scrapbook-like fold-outs but it's less about the format and more about the process and art the book shows. I guess you best see for yourselves though:
The only "complaint" I have is that my favourite piece of art, the charcoal drawing from the cover, is not in the book. I know the artist, James Jean (he made a lot of well-known movie posters along with the art for some even more well-known comics and stuff), made a pencil sketch, a sepia version and the charcoal one (once just in charcoal and once in the bluish hue) and I so wanted to have those. Oh well, they can be found online so I guess I'll print them on glossy photo paper and put them into the book myself.
The movie is poetic, gorgeous, full of excellent acting and details in costumes and design that show how much everyone involved loved this project. A delight I simply have to have on BluRay as soon as it comes out (I already have the soundtrack because the music is wonderful as well) and I'm glad I got to peek behind the curtain thanks to this lovely book.
The story is that of a mute young woman working as a janitor for a government agency in the 1960s. There, she encounters a creature and the two fall in love.
Yes, this is a love story but told so wonderfully through brilliant performances and stunning imagery that I dare say even people who don't like romances will appreciate this.
The music, the art, the costumes and sets ... it was all perfect. Above all, however, the story itself is written in this very distinct way that sneaks into your heart and gives you hope. As del Toro himself put it: a love story for troubled times. It's not rose-tinted, on the contrary, but all the action from the political intrigues and conspiracies is just a frame for two individuals and their struggle through life that gets significantly better when they find each other. It's the delicacy of the relationship, the fact that they don't need words, that got under my skin certainly.
This book then tells of how Guillermo del Toro came up with the idea and, after many years, was able to produce the movie. It shows the design for the creature, gives character bios, layouts for all the sets, and even some of del Toro's own notes (in his handwriting with little scribbles and sketches).
The producer has worked with Doug Jones on almost every movie he ever made. The man (Jones) apparently is the best in the industry when it comes to portraying non-human creatures and sitting patiently for hours while the body-suits and make-up are applied. *lol* I like how del Toro doesn't rely on CGI but loves to do it the old-fashioned way, with a "puppet" or rubber costume. Granted, nowadays those are much more sophisticated, but the principle remains the same and it gives a much more realistic feel to the creatures, be it on Star Trek: Discovery, Hellboy (1&2), Fantastic Four 2, Pan's Labyrinth, The Strain, Crimson Peak or The Shape of Water (the actor did many more, some even as an actual human being, but I wanted to name a popular few).
The book also shows some actors between takes, which added an almost comedic element to the book what with their pantouffles and cell phones and stuff while being in costume. *lol*
The book is divided into 3 acts:
1) The Characters
2) Creating the Creature
3) The Production
Each of those sections is divided into different chapters. Some pages have some scrapbook-like fold-outs but it's less about the format and more about the process and art the book shows. I guess you best see for yourselves though:
The only "complaint" I have is that my favourite piece of art, the charcoal drawing from the cover, is not in the book. I know the artist, James Jean (he made a lot of well-known movie posters along with the art for some even more well-known comics and stuff), made a pencil sketch, a sepia version and the charcoal one (once just in charcoal and once in the bluish hue) and I so wanted to have those. Oh well, they can be found online so I guess I'll print them on glossy photo paper and put them into the book myself.
The movie is poetic, gorgeous, full of excellent acting and details in costumes and design that show how much everyone involved loved this project. A delight I simply have to have on BluRay as soon as it comes out (I already have the soundtrack because the music is wonderful as well) and I'm glad I got to peek behind the curtain thanks to this lovely book.
onebookishbabe's review
3.0
I only read this because I mistakenly rented it from the library thinking that it was the DVD. I figured WTH and gave it a go. I wasn't wowed, but I did enjoy it at times. So much so I started reading it and had to return it to the library (because there are double digit holds on it STILL) and went ahead and rented the audiobook to finish it. Now I can FINALLY go pick up the DVD and watch this weekend.
katiemoten's review
5.0
'wouldn't it be something, she thinks, if this invisibility were the thing that allowed her to shock them all?'
I am a big fan of the movie, so when I learned there was an accompanying book, I had to read it, and I love it too.
Like the movie, the book is about invisible people, people like Elisa, Zelda, Giles, and the Amphibian Man. We get to see each of their points of view. We don't get to see much from the Amphibian Man's perspective in the movie, and there isn't much more here, but we do get to hear his voice, which is sort of a multitude of voices, and very interesting.
We also, which I found a pleasant surprise, got much more from the perspective of Strickland's wife Lainie, or Elaine. Her point of view is almost entirely left out of the movie, but here we get to see how she feels about being married to a difficult man, how she tries to make the best of it, despite her own desire for independence, and we see how she ultimately deals with her marriage.
Strickland himself looms large in the story, as he does in the movie. In the movie, he came across very much as the villain, though, near the end, we saw how he was as trapped in his expected role as all the other characters were, maybe even more so. The novel expands on his sense of entrapment and isolation. His performance of masculinity masks a murky past. His need for power and control has its root in insecurity. His story says so much about masculinity, both in his time and ours, and I even felt somewhat sorry for him in the end, more than I did when I watched the film anyway. He's still very much the villain, but you see his humanity too.
The approach to the story of The Shape of Water is interesting, because this isn't a novelisation, per se. It's actually a story that was envisioned in two forms: film and novel. The film gives us all the visual splendour, while the novel goes a little more into depth with the characters, their backgrounds, and their motivations.
I like how the novel is the same story, but interpreted slightly differently in some respects. It gives more depth to a story I love. Definitely a book I would recommend, especially if you've seen the movie.
I am a big fan of the movie, so when I learned there was an accompanying book, I had to read it, and I love it too.
Like the movie, the book is about invisible people, people like Elisa, Zelda, Giles, and the Amphibian Man. We get to see each of their points of view. We don't get to see much from the Amphibian Man's perspective in the movie, and there isn't much more here, but we do get to hear his voice, which is sort of a multitude of voices, and very interesting.
We also, which I found a pleasant surprise, got much more from the perspective of Strickland's wife Lainie, or Elaine. Her point of view is almost entirely left out of the movie, but here we get to see how she feels about being married to a difficult man, how she tries to make the best of it, despite her own desire for independence, and we see how she ultimately deals with her marriage.
Strickland himself looms large in the story, as he does in the movie. In the movie, he came across very much as the villain, though, near the end, we saw how he was as trapped in his expected role as all the other characters were, maybe even more so. The novel expands on his sense of entrapment and isolation. His performance of masculinity masks a murky past. His need for power and control has its root in insecurity. His story says so much about masculinity, both in his time and ours, and I even felt somewhat sorry for him in the end, more than I did when I watched the film anyway. He's still very much the villain, but you see his humanity too.
The approach to the story of The Shape of Water is interesting, because this isn't a novelisation, per se. It's actually a story that was envisioned in two forms: film and novel. The film gives us all the visual splendour, while the novel goes a little more into depth with the characters, their backgrounds, and their motivations.
I like how the novel is the same story, but interpreted slightly differently in some respects. It gives more depth to a story I love. Definitely a book I would recommend, especially if you've seen the movie.
mary_the_librarian's review
4.0
I'm torn about rating this book, because the story is good (and a little weird) but is it worth the read if you've seen the movie? That depends, if you want even more background information and insight into the characters, then yes. If you enjoyed the movie, but don't feel that you need more info. then you can probably skip this book - also skip this if you weren't that into the movie. Essentially, I like that this story is about finding one's place in life. Maybe there's nothing wrong with you, you just haven't found your place.