While I liked the movie, I LOVE the book! I mention them together because the project was conceived as a movie/book collaboration and it seems that any analysis of one demands mention of the other. No matter how great an actress Pollyanna MacIntosh is (and she is The Woman), she's restricted by having no comprehensible dialogue to deliver (unless you understand pidgin Gaelic). Despite that, she does an admirable job. In the book, however, Ketchum gives The Woman a clear voice that fills out her character and adds depth to her experience in the story. Having insight into her perception adds an entirely other dimension to the story that is satisfying and rewarding. In a fairly straight forward story about family secrets and abusive relationships, the addition of The Woman's direct perspective makes all the difference. Wonderful!

Additionally, "Cow," the novella/short story included in Cemetery Dance's special edition is worth the cover price of the special edition. There's not much I can write about it without spoiling the story entirely (and if you've read [b:Off Season|598217|Off Season - Unexpurgated Hard Cover Edition|Jack Ketchum|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176151535s/598217.jpg|584847], you already know where this one is going). There's little else to be said other than that it provides an utterly satisfying resolution to the Dead River series.