A review by cruzsuzanne
Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

5.0

Arrival is one of my favorite films of all time. It holds a very special place in my heart and I'm actually thankful I watched it first before reading this novella it was based on (I had no idea it was adapted the first time I watched it) because the revelation of the plot twist in the film was a glorious moment for me. Having seen it many times, I thought reading this story would not be as exciting but boy was I wrong. It made it all the more special and emotional for me. Knowing what would happen made me savour, embrace, and treasure every page more. Funny because I realized while typing this that now I'm talking like our protagonist. Lol. This was beautiful beyond any language could ever comprehend. So fascinating. So smart. So moving.

P.S. The changes regarding the daughter's death and the phone call Louise made towards the end of the film made the story better for me. The edge of this novella though was its more in-depth explanation of the heptapods' language.