The Lost Boys - The Novel - Gnarly 80s

The Lost Boys: The Novel

I have a copy in my collection of film novelizations. I like living in the world of a movie I love for longer than the length of the film. I like the details that get incorporated that you can't have in a film or are left out due to pacing. 

There are certain genres of film that do not benefit from the change in medium. Comedies can lose their humor and musicals can lead to strange artistic choices. Also, the characters might be interpreted differently than they are in the final film. There's a wide spread in quality in films novelizations.

Review??

I am not a book reviewer. I am not trying to be a book reviewer. If you want a proper review of this book, you're in the wrong place. I can only say whether I enjoyed it and I enjoyed this. But I am kind of a fanatic for the film. I could nitpick the novel because I can nitpick anything. The novel does what it is meant to do, it tells the story of the film. But it doesn't tell it any better than the screenplay or the film. 

If you're looking for a really well written novel that happens to be a novelization of a film, I recommend Alan Dean Foster's novelization of Alien. I think he brings something extra to the novelization and it's still in print so it's simple to get a copy.

About Adaptations

The adaptations often precede the final cut of the films they're based on. This is what makes them interesting to me. Sometimes scenes in scripts flow better. Sometimes scripts have ideas that are outside of budget. Of course, some things in films just don't work well in novels. The more intimate interactions often work better in the novels. 

Added Details to the Novel

Overall, the novel has the same timeline as the screenplay which is a little longer than the film.

Michael was dating a girl in Phoenix before they moved. He reflects on a desire to belong.

Lucy's marriage to Sam and Michael's father was tumultuous and unhappy. She felt that he was enough of a public figure in Phoenix that it would be hard to continue living in the city of 1.7 million people.

The novel reincorporates an excised plot about Michael getting daywork and planning to quit school to support the family. The plot adds character development to Michael showing his fears for his family and his protectiveness. It also shows his fears for himself. He doesn't see a future for himself. I think it's a very teenager way to feel. When you're a kid, you can struggle to see past high school. Talking to my mother about it, she suggested it's a matter of values dissonance. Quitting high school just wasn't done when and where I went to school. Most of my class went to college.

Lucy's relationship with Max is developed further.

Michael has a partially developed character arc where he is emulating the Lost Boys. I think this would have been a more interesting arc if it wasn't competing with his desire to forge a financially secure future and diluted by the idea that he is only emulating them to attract Star.

The novel officially states the gang is The Lost Boys.

Sam's age is indicated to possibly be around 12. This is younger than the actor playing Sam. When Michael meets Laddie, he assesses Laddie to be a couple years younger than Sam. He later describes Laddie as 10.

There's a scene of Lucy being taunted by the Lost Boys. I think it works better than the similar scene of Max being menaced by the Lost Boys because it maintains the mystery of Max and builds the tension. When Max isn't dead after his confrontation with the Lost Boys, it gives him away.

The transformation of Michael is elaborated on. Michael tries to shower and the attempt leaves him injured. His mother reflects on a change in his style of dress. While in the film, the changes in his clothing are mainly the leather jacket he purchases, the earring and the sunglasses he frequently wears.

The relationship between Sam and Michael is a little more distant because we experience more of their reflections on each other. The line before they enter the Lost Boys lair follows the script where he asks Sam to protect Star rather than noting he can't protect Sam. Unlike the revised script, the novel has Michael follow Sam outside when he goes to untie Nanook from the fence.

Star's background is illuminated slightly. She had a sister. She left home because her parents were abusive. Her mother "almost killed her" and her father "wished she had never been born".

The confrontation with the Lost Boys follows the scenes in the film and not the revised script.

The novel has an epilogue not present in either the film or the script. Star goes to live with the Widow Johnson and Laddie's reunited with his family.