Reading:
Started February 1, 2005.
Specs:
Brewer, Gene, K-PAX, Published
by Saint Martin's press, New York, 1995. Johnson County Central
Resource Library book.
Overview:
Prot is an alien from the planet K-PAX, or is he? Prot is picked
up by the police, and taken to the Manhattan Psychiatric Institute
where he tells everyone he is from the planet K-PAX. The
psychiatrist, Gene Brewer (the author's name, by the way) tries to
figure out who he really is,
but can't. Meanwhile, Prot's helping all the other patients in the
Institute, often helping overnight ones the staff have not been able
to help over a period of many years.
Finally, Gene figures out who he is,
with the help of a reporter, Giselle. She finds were he is from by
tracking his accent, then finding all the people who disappeared on
the date Prot says he arrived. No luck. So she tracks all the
people who died as he said his father died on the date he died. Gene
gets this information just as Prot is getting ready to leave.
This differs from the movie in that the
name of the psychiatrist is different, and Giselle is written out of
the movie (too bad, she sounds sexy). Also, Giselle finds Robert
Porter, Prot's alter ego, not Gene.
In addition, in both Prot helps the
doctor, but in the movie he masterminds a reconciliation between the
psychiatrist and his son, whereas in the movie he tells Gene that his
son is a cocaine addict. In addition, he helps several other
children of Gene.
All in all, the movie and book are
close.
By the way, the author, Gene Brewer,
appears in the movie, with a line near where the bluebird of
happiness (which is in the book) appears.
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