Georgy Girl
by Margaret Forster
I’d seen the film of Georgy Girl probably thirty times before I bought a copy of the novel, so when the character of James was introduced in the pages, I was very surprised. In the film, he’s played by James Mason, and he’s very attractive and charming. In the novel, he’s supposed to be extremely unattractive and fat. It’s very clear that Georgy wants nothing to do with him, and he’s written to be just a lusty old man. To me, that’s a huge change, one that makes all the difference to the story.
The novel follows a large, homely girl named Georgy as she discovers sex and learns to love herself instead of constantly comparing her looks to her prettier, meaner roommate. As you might expect, since films were often much tamer than their counterparts in the olden days, the novel has a much greater focus on sex than the film. Margaret Forster’s language is also pretty cruel. Georgy is repeatedly described as fat and ugly, as is James and one of Georgy’s other friends; the latter is described as pathetic, winy, depressing, and a little perverse.
All in all, I liked the film better. Georgy is written to be a more sympathetic character, one who has many dimensions of feelings. In the novel, she reads like a winy, jealous girl whose sole goal is to get a boyfriend. However, it’s a very short book, so if you wanted to read it, it would probably only take you one day.
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of the 1966 film Georgy Girl!
The novel follows a large, homely girl named Georgy as she discovers sex and learns to love herself instead of constantly comparing her looks to her prettier, meaner roommate. As you might expect, since films were often much tamer than their counterparts in the olden days, the novel has a much greater focus on sex than the film. Margaret Forster’s language is also pretty cruel. Georgy is repeatedly described as fat and ugly, as is James and one of Georgy’s other friends; the latter is described as pathetic, winy, depressing, and a little perverse.
All in all, I liked the film better. Georgy is written to be a more sympathetic character, one who has many dimensions of feelings. In the novel, she reads like a winy, jealous girl whose sole goal is to get a boyfriend. However, it’s a very short book, so if you wanted to read it, it would probably only take you one day.
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of the 1966 film Georgy Girl!