Winter’s Bone - Daniel Woodrell

The movie was my favourite American film of last year, so I could not help but read the novel through that prism.

Both media centre on the splendid character of Ree Dolly, a tough, resourceful and terrifyingly vulnerable teenager who is every bit a product of her bleak Orzark mountains environment. The film presents the audience with more social context (the army draft scene, the music) whereas the book makes its points through poetic (but not florid) prose.

A masterpiece on the screen, the version on the page is not far off.