Irving is an interesting author, I mostly find his stories overly constructed, almost a bit too confected. Incest, you name it, he's covered it. But then Cider House Rules is interesting, since he takes such a personal stand on abortion. If you read Cider House Rules you will want to read this as well, it's a great complement, and also an interesting insight in how books are turned into films.

I thought this "memoir" might help me to get back into John Irving`s writing, as I haven´t been enjoying his novels lately. Unfortunately, if anything, it steered me farther away. I did however like learning about the movie business and the surprisingly complicated process of turning a book into a movie, but the text is just really dry. I couldn´t help being bored even though this is quite a short book. My Movie Business didn´t even make me want to watch the movies it discusses so unless you´re a dedicated John Irving fan and adore the movie adaptations of his novels, I can´t really recommend this.

Interesting perspective from Irving on the similarities and differences in writing a book and a screenplay. Great insight into the the industry with glimpses into Irving's personal life.

This book was enjoyably short, a kind of read in one sitting book. It was not all that interesting, it basically reinforced the fact that John Irving doesn't believe in being edited and that there was a lot of strife and many, many years put into the making of The Cider House Rules the movie. Not a bad book though, I think I am going to have to go watch the movie now.

This was a quick read and an interesting look at Irving's experience with turning his books into movies. It centers around his more than 14-year-long voyage to bring The Cider House Rules to the screen, which made me really want to re-read the book and re-watch the movie, but he also mentions his other movie-making experiences. It was a short book, and it didn't delve too deeply into the process of turning your own book into a movie, though he does touch on the difficulty of making a long and complex novel into a 2-hour film.

3 STARS

"'WHEN I FEEL LIKE BEING A DIRECTOR, I WRITE A NOVEL' John Irving

John Irving's memoir begins with his account of the distinguished career and medical writings of the novelist's grandfather Dr Frederick C. Irving, a renowned obstetrician and gynaecologist, and includes Mr Irving's incisive history of abortion politics in the United States. But My Movie Business focuses primarily on the thirteen years John Irving spent adapting his novel The Cider House Rules for the screen - for four different directors. The movie was nominated for seven Oscars, winning two - for Best Adapted Screenplay for John Irving and Best Supporting Actor for Michael Caine.

Mr Irving also writes about the failed effort to make his first novel, Setting Free the Bears, into a movie; about two of the films that were made from his novels (but not from his screenplays), The World According to Garp and The Hotel New Hampshire; about his slow progress at shepherding his screenplay of A Son of the Circus into production.

Not least, and in addition to its qualities as a memoir - anecdotal, comic, affectionate and candid - My Movie Business is an insightful essay on the essential differences between writing a novel and writing a screenplay." (From Amazon)

I enjoyed this memoir on Irving's books being adapted to film. If you read his books and watch his films I would recommend this book.

As with all of Irving's work, the interesting stories make the writing more interesting. I read Cinder House Rules when it was first published and saw the movie when it was released. In this book, Irving shares stories of his grandfather and the inspiration for the book.
I enjoyed reading that both he and his son had parts in the movie.

As with Joyce Carol Oates and Margaret Atwood, I will read anything by John Irving. I read these authors as a teenager and have continued to anticipate their next novels.

Interesting viewpoint from an author watching his films be made into movies.