It was an old story, and it went like Halloween
"I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was."
When I first read "Miss Peregrine"s Home for Peculiar Children", I knew Tim Burton could be the only one to adapt this novel. It was Young-adult literature, horror literature, and dark fantasy all into one, genres that would define Burton"s works. Furthermore, the lead character in Burton"s films and Ransom Riggs"s debut book would be a lonely teenager. It might not be a coincidence, as Riggs had been a part of the entertainment industry for years. I would be surprised if he hasn"t seen a Tim Burton film, and Riggs opted for organic writing. He was a collector of old photos, many of which have a mysterious air to it. He ended up thinking about a story behind it. "Miss Peregrine" relied on old images, but the individuals weren"t the characters in the book.
Some would describe "Miss Peregrine" as another Young-adult book cashing in on the Harry Potter success. It would be unfair to Riggs, even to Ursula K. Le Guin. (Earthsea and Hogwarts have many similarities, but credit to JK Rowling for the oddball characters.) Riggs released two sequels after "Miss Peregrine", as the first was a fascinating introduction to another world.
Jacob Portman adored Abraham, his grandfather, who told him tales that happened during his younger years. They seemed too fantastic to a rational mind, but the young Jacob believed that all of those tales were true. He was ridiculed at school (after sharing it), so he thought his grandfather was exaggerating it. And then his grandpa was killed. Jacob was fifteen years of age, who confronted the stories he once believed in. Abraham grew up in Cairnholm, an isle off Wales. He was a resident of the home for peculiar children, who have special abilities. And they were under the watchful eyes of Alma LeFay Peregrine, who had the ability to create and maintain a time loop. Why would she do such a thing? Could the youngsters find bliss whenever time stood still? Why did Abraham leave Cairnholm?
A trip to Hollow City
It turned out that Abraham Portman was trained to protect the loop in Cairnholm from wights, who would want to regain their human form. But they needed something from peculiar children (in able to achieve it). And they would rely on hollows, monsters with tentacles coming from their mouths, to hunt these kids. It happened that these creatures were invisible, and only Abraham and his descendants could see it. Jacob figured out that his mission was to act as a watchdog (of Miss Peregrine"s wards).
I wouldn"t be surprised if some moviegoers, who read the book, were disappointed at the changes that Burton made during the second half of the film. The director couldn"t be blamed, as he knew how some Young-adult authors tried to stretch the premise too far. In fairness to Riggs, "Miss Peregrine" was an introduction, while "Hollow City" was an exploration of the ghastly world of wights and hollows. Burton"s latest film did OK at the box office, so 20th Century Fox might be tempted to adapt "Hollow City" to the big screen. Will Burton agree to direct it? If his filmography would be an indicator, it seemed unlikely. But I hope he would change his mind.
Burton"s celluloid version had its Gothic moments, which would enchant viewers. A scene of Emma Bloom floating in the air, where a rope was tied up in her waist and Jacob holding the other end (of the rope). Horace Somusson, who had prophetic dreams, foresaw the budding romance between Emma and Jacob. The children saw it. (Miss Peregrine became uncomfortable at the sight of it.) And the entire brood wore gas masks, while they witnessed how a bomb destroyed their humongous home. But Miss Peregrine rewind the clock before the explosion.
If a younger Burton adapted "Miss Peregrine", then the outcome would be outrageous. Then again, an older Burton became more daring in his approach to his written materials. In this case, a teenage boy who grew in sunny Florida. But he could only see the shadow.
