The film is ever-popular, if somewhat sentimental. However, the book is dry and staid. But being a little autistic about these things, I had to find out the truth; I love the film, and the theme tune does it justice. I HAD to read the book.
The book is a little less holds-barred; glossed over scenes in the film, such as the sanitary towel incident, are fleshed out a little bit more, but Braithwaithe writes in a very matter-of-fact tone, almost as if the story is an academic work, or a case study. You get a measure of the man, but he holds himself back, almost as if he is viewing his own story fron afar.
The very real discrimination he experienced is not so much covered over, as dismissed as almost one-of-those-things, which is a little disconcerting; didn't he want to stamp and rage?
This is a book for completists, those who are compelled to look beyond the surface.
I'm glad I read this. But it didn't add a great deal more to what I learnt from the film.