I thought it would be nice to read the book before going to see the movie. However, after reading the book, I do not want to see the movie at all. There are a lot of cheap thrills in the book...the play on bodily functions, while funny, is dull after awhile. Duddit's cancer and Down's Syndrome seem somewhat overly dramatic, like the book is trying too hard. Plus, by page 200, I cannot help but feel stupid for reading the book. Nothing in the book is fresh or imaginative. The emotions that are supposed to be stirred up are unconvincing and uninspiring. Although the plot is interesting enough for me to want to find out what happens at the end, I feel like I wasted a lot of time reading all 600+ pages of it when I finished it. If you are a Stephen King fan, this may satisfy you. However, if you are not a fan, don't bother.