Me Before You... and a box of tissues

Have you ever had a book that had you breaking down into ugly crying? As in, racking sobs over fictional characters you only know from words on a page?

For me, that was Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. And the movie was just as heart wrenching. Enough so that one of family members walked in as I was sitting on the bed, bawling, and asked “What happened to you?”

As a romance author, I crave the happily ever after for the couple at the end of a book. It’s the reason I write, for the couple to metaphorically ride off into the sunset together. This, of course, was not the case for this story, even if the romance was there. I guess I should give a little overview for those who may not be familiar.

Free-spirited Louisa is hired as a caretaker for Will, a once-active man who has been recently paralyzed. He’s understandingly bitter, but after some time, Lou is able to bring him some joy, even after she finds out he plans to end his life by assisted suicide. If anything, she’s more determined to show him that there are things worth living for. The two become close, falling in love despite the circumstances. And even after death, Will helps Louisa find the person she was always meant to be.

Okay, for as heartbreaking and difficult as some of the content is to read/watch, I love this story. There is humor and joy, layered with Will’s anger towards his circumstances and the grief of those who love him.

Many times, movies adapted from books lack the finer details of the story the original source material offered. This is not the case for Me Before You. In my opinion, it’s one of the best book-to-movie adaptations I’ve seen.

What do you think? Have seen this movie or read the book? And what other book-to-movie adaptations do you recommend?

Until next time,

~HCB