ADAPTATIONS:From Short Story to Big Screen

"Avid readers and film buffs alike will relish Harrison's thought-provoking opus about the process of adapting short stories into screenplays. From science fiction to social satire, this captivating collection of 35 tales embraces literary greats like Chekhov and Cheever and memorable writings long out of print (such as Frank Rooney's "Cyclists' Raid" which became the 1953 Brando classic The Wild One). Harrison devotes a chapter to every imaginable genre, prefacing each with quotes and anecdotes from writers, directors and actors associated with the creative endeavors selected. ... Steven Spielberg, Frank Capra, Alfred Hitchcock and John Ford are among the cast of cinematic personalities in this tribute to the inspiration and perspiration required to turn fiction into film."
—Booklist *Starred Review*

"... and that her anthology includes Philip K. Dick, Harvey Pekar and Anton Chekhov demonstrates Harrison's good, not to mention wide-ranging, taste."
—Premiere

"The best compliation of great short stories in their pre-adapted state, is Adaptations: From Short Story to Big Screen, edited by Stephanie Harrison. Bringing together thirty-five stories from a wide variety of genres and time periods, it's a fantastic survey not only of the possibilities short stories offer, but the breadth of American film inspired by them."
—Bookslut

"A handy guide, particularly for film and literature groups."
—Library Journal

"It's that rare book that isn't just welcome in the world but one that's long been needed."
—EDITOR'S CHOICE, Buffalo News

"Editor Stephanie Harrison has smartly made a kind of double book. Adaptations can be read as a fascinating anthology of the short story as a form, not simply the "best" literary or memorable popular pieces but an eclectic nature walk through short stories in all their varieties. But for TCM viewers more interesting is the other book, the one about how these stories became films and what occurs along those paths, something Harrison covers nicely in the introductions to each grouped section."
—TurnerClassicMovies.com, Feature

"Adaptations is an excellent book. Its range is broad and eclectic."
—Fine Books and Collections Magazine



Click here to read an introductory excerpt.