I am an avid reader. At almost all times, I have three to seven books strewn about my apartment in various stages of completion.
Although I tend to read historical fiction, I will never pass up a good romance when I come across one. I tell people that, and they tend to suggest Colleen Hoover. When they do, I have to take a deep breath and remind them that they are missing the key word in a “good book:” good.
Today.com reports that on Nov. 20, it was announced that Anne Hathaway is going to star in a movie adaptation of Hoover’s book “Verity.” I understand the desire to capitalize on the success (and controversy) of her most recent film adaptation “It Ends With Us,” but Colleen Hoover needs to stay out of Hollywood and while we’re at it, publishing.
Between 2012 and 2022 — a span of 10 years — Hoover wrote 26 books. Many of these books were self-published and picked up by a publishing house only after they become popular on BookTok. It is no wonder she had to publish her own manuscripts, as Hoover’s books are formulaic, predictable and in need of a good editor.
Hoover’s books offer escapism in the form of dark romance. The romances often border on abuse, glorifying toxic relationships. Though these books might be a good turn-your-brain-off beach read, they are not good works of literature and do not deserve to be turned into movies.
The adaptations are just another example of how Hollywood finds itself cycling through old material and putting it in little shiny packages as barely concealed money grabs. The casting of “Verity” fits right in with the fad, because according to Today, Anne Hathaway is set to both produce and star in the movie.
Hathaway is not taking on this project because the book is good. She is taking on this project because the book is popular, and popular makes money in the box office. Hoover’s work is pulling Hollywood funds that could be used to create better, more innovative movies.
I tried to read Hoover’s most popular book “It Ends With Us,” but I couldn’t get through it. The book brought to mind the Mad Libs game I used to play as a child. It is almost as if Hoover has story templates that she simply plugs different names into. Before starting any more novels or claiming any more stars for movies, Colleen Hoover should take a step back and take a writing class.
Photo courtesy of Strike Magazines.