The whole of the I'm With Geek team are shocked and saddened by the death of Robin Williams, a true legend of Hollywood, comedy, and an all round decent bloke. While the film section may be dedicating a week to Robin's memory, he's touched the lives of so many people around the world, including the Book Team. And so what better way to honour him than to look at the source materials so some of his fantastic oeuvre.
Inspiration for: Aladdin
One Thousand and One Nights (also known as Arabian Nights) is a collection of West and South Asian folk tales, written in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. Amongst these tales is Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp (although this was a separate Middle Eastern folk tale added in the 18th century French translation by Antoine Galland). While this story is very different to the resulting Disney film, such as Aladdin being Chinese, and the villain being a sorcerer and not the visier Jafar, Williams' character of the Genie remains integral to the plot and to aiding Aladdin in his quest. References to other stories in One Thousand and One Nights are plentiful in Aladdin, from the opening number of Arabian Nights, sung by Williams in the guise of the Merchant, to the Genie namechecking Ali Baba's Forty Thieves and Scherezade having "a thousand tales" in Friend Like Me.
Inspiration for: Mrs Doubtfire
Stalwart of the UK school reading curriculum Anne Fine was the pen behind one of Robin Williams' most iconic roles. Unlike the film, however, Fine's Madame Doubtfire is a much darker beast. The tension between parents Miranda and Daniel is far more tense, while there are disturbing moments such as the fact that Daniel used to pretend to act out killing Miranda in various ways. While a good book, it is an incredibly depressing read in comparison to the funny, heartwarming film, and while well worth reading, probably best to stick to the Robin's joyous nanny if you want a smile on your face.
Inspiration for: The World According to Garp
John Irving's fourth novel, published in 1978, won the National Book Award for Fiction and formed the basis for Robin Williams' 1982 film of the same name. A book with challenging themes such as death, gender roles and sexuality, the novel seems semi-autobiographical for Irving's life, from the mystery surrounding his father to his writing career which mirrors closely that of Garp's. The book was a finalist in the National Book Award for its initial release, eventually winning for the paperback edition.
Inspiration for: Hook
While Hook could technically be considered a sequel, following Robin Williams' adult Peter returning to Neverland to rescue his children from Captain Hook. But everything, from the childlike wonder of the Lost Boys, Peter's desire for fun and to never grow up and his fight to save Neverland from the dastardly Captain Hook. But while Peter Pan sees Wendy learning that she has to be responsible, and that eventually she had to grow up, in Hook, it is Peter that learns the lesson, turning the iconic Peter Pan quote "to die would be an awfully big adventure" to the more euphoric "to live".
Inspiration for: Jumanji
Chris van Allsburg's stunning children's picture book may be sparse in terms of dialogue and prose for adaptation, but its incredibly intricate artwork and playful story make for an inventive and entertaining film. In Allsberg's book, the focus remains entirely on Judy and Peter Shepherd, and the weird and wonderful events they bring to life through the board game, from a lion trapped in their mother's bedroom to a monsoon, so a volcanic conclusion with Judy's cry of "JUMANJI!" Unlike the film, adult characters, and therefore Robin Williams' character Alan, do not appear. This is often the best type of adaptation, ones where there is space to expand on the universe and mythology, especially when most adaptations involve cut events out. One of the best changes the adaptation made is finding a way for Williams to appear.