Darlings, There Is Nothing Like Curling Up For An Evening, With An Old Favorite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        I knew I was going to reach my goal of having read 100 books this year, and I knew I wanted the 100th one to be special. So, to completely dispel the bad taste of Cynthia Nixon's botched handling of "The Bad Seed," I decided to reread the William March novel.

                                         Dolls, if you love the film, let me assure you all the key dialogue that you know and love is taken almost verbatim, from the book.  It is rearranged in different places, but it is there!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          But there are key differences. For instance, the Daigles, the murdered boy's parents, visit Christine Penmark twice.  In the novel, it is Christine who goes to them twice.  Then toward the end, Mrs. Daigle visits Christine.

                                            Next, are the Fern Sisters.  Oh, I just LOVE them, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Claudia, who is in both the play and the movie, is the youngest of the sisters, and teaches art.  In the play and movie, only Claudia is seen, with Henry Jones, to Rhoda, mentioning the three Fern Sisters, but not  who they are.  Their names are Octavia and Burgess, and they are the power behind the throne.  They jointly decide, after the picnic incident, that Rhoda must be banned from their school.  Uh-huh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              The character of Richard Bravo, Christine's adoptive father, is only referenced, as he is deceased before the story begins.  It is through mystery writer Reginald Taker, a suggested homosexual, as is Monica's brother, Emory,  that Christine hears about Bessie Denker, does the research, and figures out, for herself, not only who she is, but from where she was adopted.

                                                  Rhoda does play the piano throughout, but no piece is mentioned.  Countless viewings cannot shut "Au Clair De La Lune" out of my mind.  And she does not lock herself in, playing, when Leroy is set on fire.  She sits across the street, and watches the conflagration she has created kill him.

                                                     Still, the aura of the Fifties-- fixing one's face in the morning to make one look presentable, constant lunches and luncheons, and endless drinking of coffee-- makes one want to return to this time period.

                                                      As for the ending, there is no lightning bolt striking her down.  Rhoda, since her father is a military career man, is going to have to live with his mother and sisters.
Those poor women have no idea what they are in for.  But they will find out soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                       But there is just something special about "The Bad Seed," even in our time, when we know so much more.  March tapped into a national fear, and it became the gold standard for evil children stories.  I have played Rhoda, and I know.  I would like to now explore the character of Christine.  I love her hysterics.  And I would keep in the movie business, of dropping the drinking glass on cue, when the drowning at the picnic is announced.

                                                         Now, I want you to pay attention to the edition pictured, which is the one I own.  This is a cue for Todd Haynes to re do this movie, in the exact style of how he did
"Superstar--The Karen Carpenter Story."  It would bring him back to where he belongs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                            "The Bad Seed" is such an irresistible treat!   If you have yet to read it, girls, do yourselves a favor, and do so, now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!