What do you think?
Rate this book
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt star in a slick romantic adventure comedy in the vein of True Lies and Prizzi's Honor.
After winning free sessions with a marriage counsellor as a grab–bag gift at a suburban holiday party, a young couple discovers that they're in a dead–end marriage. But that's not all they discover – unbeknown to the other, each spouse is a covert assassin working at a rival agency, and their next assignment is to kill each other! This book tells their wild story as each confides it to their therapist.
After winning free sessions with a marriage counsellor as a grab–bag gift at a suburban holiday party, a young couple discovers that they're in a dead–end marriage. But that's not all they discover – unbeknown to the other, each spouse is a covert assassin working at a rival agency, and their next assignment is to kill each other! This book tells their wild story as each confides it to their therapist.
275 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
22 people are currently reading
874 people want to read
About the author
Cathy East Dubowski
152 books47 followersCathy East Dubowski is a narrator, editor, and illustrator. She specializes in novelizations of movies and literary classics for children and young adult readers. Dubowski has written more than 100 books for children, including adaptations of The Aristocats, Frances Hodgson Burnett’s A Little Princess, and Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
June 26, 2022
This book is the official novelization of the 2005 movie of the same name, starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. (I watched the movie on DVD in May 2015.) As I've noted elsewhere, I don't share the idea that movie novelizations are by definition trash, devoid of any possible literary quality. Like movies based on books, they take a work in one art form and endeavor to translate it (hopefully faithfully!) into a different one. Whichever direction the translation goes in, it requires genuine artistry to do well; IMO, either way, it has the potential of creating something worth watching or reading, and even something that's seriously good artistically. Each attempt ought to be judged individually, on its own merits.
That said, in this case, neither the original movie nor its novelization are ever likely to be viewed by many people as stellar achievements in either of their respective forms. In 2015, I commented that I'd give the movie three and a half stars, but thought it had "significant gaps in logic," which I hoped the novelization might address. In fact, it doesn't; the plot holes, logical problems and murky areas in the original are as glaring, illogical and murky here. That's the primary reason that my rating for this book isn't higher.
As most readers will know going in (and the cover copy will tell you that much, if you don't!), our title characters here are both professional assassins. Neither of them knows that fact about the other. As it happens, they work for unnamed organizations, both seemingly U.S.-based (the main setting appears to be New York City), which are hostile to each other for totally unexplained reasons (did I mention "murky?"). They've been married 5-6 years (a running gag is that they can't agree on which), having met in Bogota, where they'd both been sent to carry out hits on various local malefactors. At the time, they were strongly drawn to each other, quickly forming a deep emotional connection, and married after a whirlwind courtship. Since then, however, their marriage has deteriorated to the point that they're hardly communicating at all, and are just going through the motions, nursing various unexpressed grudges and frustrations. Not far into the book, they're both assigned by their respective organizations to dispatch the same mark. The resulting confrontation will set the stage for the ensuing developments.
Cathy East Dubowski is a professional writer, who apparently specializes in both YA and grown-up movie novelizations. This is apparently her best-known one (and my only exposure to her work). To her credit, she attempted a fresher approach here than simply re-telling the screenplay in third person. The movie used the frame device of the couple's visits to a marriage counselor. Here, the author begins the book with the counselor's notes and transcripts from his initial sessions with the Smiths, both together and separately; the main body of the story is their alternating journal posts which the counselor asked them to write, without necessarily showing the text to anyone else. IMO, this works well; we get inside both their heads, and understand them and their feelings. (One reviewer complained that the technique makes for "repetition," but I didn't find this to be a problem. While they're often describing the same events, their different perceptions of them are very revealing, and as such anything but boring.)
Dubowski follows the movie fairly well (I could spot some minor differences, but though my memory of the film isn't as sharp now as it was right after watching it seven years ago, I could also recall a good many scenes and lines of dialogue). The main difference is that the bad language in the book is much worse than in the original. There, I don't recall it as very noticeable (and I would have picked up on that sort of thing), though the PG-13 rating is in part for "brief strong language." Here, it's not brief, and there's a lot of it, including the f-word and religious profanity; I found most of this gratuitous. (Otherwise, the content issues aren't problematical; there's implied --actually, stated-- sex, some of it premarital, but nothing explicit, and while the violence level is through the roof, it's not really gory and is so over-the-top it's hard to take seriously. The same could be said for both the movie and the book in general.) A lot of plot points aren't really credible; it's difficult to go into detail without spoilers, but I didn't think any of the decisions by the couple's superiors were believable, Benjamin Danz's role didn't logically make sense, and I couldn't imagine any real-life assassins reacting to the situation of discovering another hitter targeting the same mark the way this pair did. Also, the carnage in the highway chase scene would have resulted in police attention long before it concluded; and I thought the ending was way too pat. The causes of the couple's estrangement over the years also aren't really brought out and explained.
Objectively, given all of these shortcomings, in terms of its literary worth the novel doesn't deserve more than two stars. Three was a gift; but it's one I'm subjectively willing to give, just because I honestly did like the book, to a degree. The reason I did is for the strength of its depiction of a couple who honestly do love each other, and who are willing to fight both external dangers and their own inner anger and misunderstandings, in order to hang on to and recapture the bond that drew them to each other in the first place. And it's made clear that a big part of doing that is learning to be honest with each other, to be themselves without playing a role, to communicate and give your entire commitment to the relationship. That aspect of the book, even though the story is told with a significant leaven of humor, is in itself as serious as can be, and applies to all marriages, whether the partners both happen to be contract assassins or not. And despite their faults, I had the sense that both main characters were essentially decent human beings, whom I did care about and want to see succeed in their married life.
That said, in this case, neither the original movie nor its novelization are ever likely to be viewed by many people as stellar achievements in either of their respective forms. In 2015, I commented that I'd give the movie three and a half stars, but thought it had "significant gaps in logic," which I hoped the novelization might address. In fact, it doesn't; the plot holes, logical problems and murky areas in the original are as glaring, illogical and murky here. That's the primary reason that my rating for this book isn't higher.
As most readers will know going in (and the cover copy will tell you that much, if you don't!), our title characters here are both professional assassins. Neither of them knows that fact about the other. As it happens, they work for unnamed organizations, both seemingly U.S.-based (the main setting appears to be New York City), which are hostile to each other for totally unexplained reasons (did I mention "murky?"). They've been married 5-6 years (a running gag is that they can't agree on which), having met in Bogota, where they'd both been sent to carry out hits on various local malefactors. At the time, they were strongly drawn to each other, quickly forming a deep emotional connection, and married after a whirlwind courtship. Since then, however, their marriage has deteriorated to the point that they're hardly communicating at all, and are just going through the motions, nursing various unexpressed grudges and frustrations. Not far into the book, they're both assigned by their respective organizations to dispatch the same mark. The resulting confrontation will set the stage for the ensuing developments.
Cathy East Dubowski is a professional writer, who apparently specializes in both YA and grown-up movie novelizations. This is apparently her best-known one (and my only exposure to her work). To her credit, she attempted a fresher approach here than simply re-telling the screenplay in third person. The movie used the frame device of the couple's visits to a marriage counselor. Here, the author begins the book with the counselor's notes and transcripts from his initial sessions with the Smiths, both together and separately; the main body of the story is their alternating journal posts which the counselor asked them to write, without necessarily showing the text to anyone else. IMO, this works well; we get inside both their heads, and understand them and their feelings. (One reviewer complained that the technique makes for "repetition," but I didn't find this to be a problem. While they're often describing the same events, their different perceptions of them are very revealing, and as such anything but boring.)
Dubowski follows the movie fairly well (I could spot some minor differences, but though my memory of the film isn't as sharp now as it was right after watching it seven years ago, I could also recall a good many scenes and lines of dialogue). The main difference is that the bad language in the book is much worse than in the original. There, I don't recall it as very noticeable (and I would have picked up on that sort of thing), though the PG-13 rating is in part for "brief strong language." Here, it's not brief, and there's a lot of it, including the f-word and religious profanity; I found most of this gratuitous. (Otherwise, the content issues aren't problematical; there's implied --actually, stated-- sex, some of it premarital, but nothing explicit, and while the violence level is through the roof, it's not really gory and is so over-the-top it's hard to take seriously. The same could be said for both the movie and the book in general.) A lot of plot points aren't really credible; it's difficult to go into detail without spoilers, but I didn't think any of the decisions by the couple's superiors were believable, Benjamin Danz's role didn't logically make sense, and I couldn't imagine any real-life assassins reacting to the situation of discovering another hitter targeting the same mark the way this pair did. Also, the carnage in the highway chase scene would have resulted in police attention long before it concluded; and I thought the ending was way too pat. The causes of the couple's estrangement over the years also aren't really brought out and explained.
Objectively, given all of these shortcomings, in terms of its literary worth the novel doesn't deserve more than two stars. Three was a gift; but it's one I'm subjectively willing to give, just because I honestly did like the book, to a degree. The reason I did is for the strength of its depiction of a couple who honestly do love each other, and who are willing to fight both external dangers and their own inner anger and misunderstandings, in order to hang on to and recapture the bond that drew them to each other in the first place. And it's made clear that a big part of doing that is learning to be honest with each other, to be themselves without playing a role, to communicate and give your entire commitment to the relationship. That aspect of the book, even though the story is told with a significant leaven of humor, is in itself as serious as can be, and applies to all marriages, whether the partners both happen to be contract assassins or not. And despite their faults, I had the sense that both main characters were essentially decent human beings, whom I did care about and want to see succeed in their married life.
March 19, 2008
Not your usual novelization. The first part of this book is written as two diaries from "couples therapy" sessions undergone by each main character. One chapter will be Mrs. Smith's "journal" and the next Mr. Smith's "journal" of the same happenings. It was interesting to see how two different people viewed the same events. Sometimes funny, sometimes tragic. It was very clever, very inventive and very entertaining. It really kept me turning pages. Sadly, the end degenerates a bit into the realm of unrealism and slam bang action that was the movie. Still a surprisingly good read and even if you hated the movie, I think you'd enjoy the book. I applaud the author's efforts and willingness to try something different and clever with a novelization rather than the usual routine of converting of the film's shooting script into a rather dry narrative.
August 29, 2007
It was an .... interesting book. It was like a diary of Mr. and Mrs. Smith from the movie. I felt as if I was watching the movie, but I could hear their thoughts. It was kinda cool, but at the same time... eh. It's not a "must read", it's more of.. if you're bored and you want to kill time, this is one way to do it.
December 30, 2012
Eh. It was alright. It's a great story, but not very well written.
The movie is shockingly close to the plot line of the book.
The one great thing about this book... it's a damn quick read.
The movie is shockingly close to the plot line of the book.
The one great thing about this book... it's a damn quick read.
Read
September 1, 2007فیلم جالبیه . مخصوصا که دو تا ستاره توش با هم بازی کردند و به یک زوج ابر ستاره تبدیل شدند . اینم یک راه پول در اوردنه دیگه
August 20, 2008
I rarely...if ever say this but...you're better off watching the movie on this one. The book is so slow and it just takes forever for anything to happen. Overall, the movie was better.
April 25, 2009
Based on the movie of the same title, this proved to be an entertaining book to read but no great literary feat. It reads like a movie; short, action packed, and full of convenient plot twists to aid the protagonists. The author does a good job of simplifying fight scenes that were written for the movies so that the reader can easily picture what is going on.
Jane Smith is charming, sexy, successful, and intelligent, a rare combination of domestic goddess and savvy businesswoman. Although she and her equally perfect husband seem to be the ideal couple, the spark has faded from their marriage.
John Smith is wealthy, daring, athletic, and smart, a guy who drinks his scotch the way he's climbed to the top of the construction business: straight up. Although he and his equally perfect wife seem to be the ideal couple, the spark has faded from their marriage.
That is, until they win free sessions with a counselor. What they keep hidden from their therapist and each other, they confide in the journals they've been coaxed to keep.
Jane and John Smith are actually hired assassins working for rival organizations -- and their next assignments are each other. And so begins the kind of cat-and-mouse game that attracted Jane to John in the first place: a roulette dangereuse that will either lead to a rekindled passion most married couples can only dream about or to cold-blooded murder.
It's a no-holds-barred confessional filled with the kind of steamy details rogue agents can only tell their diaries, that is, if they plan to kill you.
Book Details:
Title Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Based on the Movie)
Author Cathy East Dubowski
Reviewed By Purplycookie
Jane Smith is charming, sexy, successful, and intelligent, a rare combination of domestic goddess and savvy businesswoman. Although she and her equally perfect husband seem to be the ideal couple, the spark has faded from their marriage.
John Smith is wealthy, daring, athletic, and smart, a guy who drinks his scotch the way he's climbed to the top of the construction business: straight up. Although he and his equally perfect wife seem to be the ideal couple, the spark has faded from their marriage.
That is, until they win free sessions with a counselor. What they keep hidden from their therapist and each other, they confide in the journals they've been coaxed to keep.
Jane and John Smith are actually hired assassins working for rival organizations -- and their next assignments are each other. And so begins the kind of cat-and-mouse game that attracted Jane to John in the first place: a roulette dangereuse that will either lead to a rekindled passion most married couples can only dream about or to cold-blooded murder.
It's a no-holds-barred confessional filled with the kind of steamy details rogue agents can only tell their diaries, that is, if they plan to kill you.
Book Details:
Title Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Based on the Movie)
Author Cathy East Dubowski
Reviewed By Purplycookie
October 3, 2017
Sr. e Sra. Smith - Cathy East Dubowski
Título original: Mr.&Mrs. Smith
Título: Sr. e Sra. Smith
Autor: Cathy East Dubowski (baseado no roteiro do filme)
Roteiro: Simon Kinberg
Tradução: Marcelo Mendes
Editora: Nova Fonteira
Ano: 2005
ntes de qualquer coisa, o livro é ótimo, apesar do filme ser maravilhoso, acredito que o livro ainda é melhor. Porque consegue descrever os pensamentos dos personagens, mesmo com a soberba atuação de Brad Pitt e Angelina Jolie isso não é possível no filme. Parece pouco mas faz diferença. Outro detalhe o filme saiu primeiro, mesmo que o livro tenha sido escrito no mesmo ano do lançamento do filme.
Para quem já viu o filme, vai ser muito divertido ler imaginando os atores tendo aqueles pensamentos, agindo daquela forma ou falando aquele texto. Já os que não assistiram o filme, vai se divertir também, pois é um texto ágil, claro e direto, sem frescuras, um excelente divertimento...
Quer ler a resenha completa e muito mais, visite o blog Momentos da Fogui:
site: http://foguiii.blogspot.com.br/2017/0...
Título original: Mr.&Mrs. Smith
Título: Sr. e Sra. Smith
Autor: Cathy East Dubowski (baseado no roteiro do filme)
Roteiro: Simon Kinberg
Tradução: Marcelo Mendes
Editora: Nova Fonteira
Ano: 2005
ntes de qualquer coisa, o livro é ótimo, apesar do filme ser maravilhoso, acredito que o livro ainda é melhor. Porque consegue descrever os pensamentos dos personagens, mesmo com a soberba atuação de Brad Pitt e Angelina Jolie isso não é possível no filme. Parece pouco mas faz diferença. Outro detalhe o filme saiu primeiro, mesmo que o livro tenha sido escrito no mesmo ano do lançamento do filme.
Para quem já viu o filme, vai ser muito divertido ler imaginando os atores tendo aqueles pensamentos, agindo daquela forma ou falando aquele texto. Já os que não assistiram o filme, vai se divertir também, pois é um texto ágil, claro e direto, sem frescuras, um excelente divertimento...
Quer ler a resenha completa e muito mais, visite o blog Momentos da Fogui:
site: http://foguiii.blogspot.com.br/2017/0...
June 26, 2009
A quick and easy read, pretty much the movie in book form. There were definitely clever moments: cutesy references to Brad Pitt (as the epitome of hotness) and how "they should make this into a movie!" The format was a nice way of getting insight into the characters' minds (and seeing just how similar they were, by how they occasionally had *exactly the same thoughts*), and was definitely an impressive thing for a movie-turned-book to attempt (I say attempt because the whole these-are-journal-entries thing kind of lost credibility a few pages in, and John's last "entry" was particularly annoying).
September 30, 2023
The book gave more insights into the hearts of our main characters, than the movie could.
It was a nice read, and I could easily connect to the turmoils the couple went through.
There should have been more fights...and they should have been more open to each other. But then, we wouldn't get the movie or the book, would we?
There were many questions still left unanswered, but I like it that way. I think I'm gonna turn to fanfictions for the unfulfilled wants. (Chuckles)
Thanks to the production team and scriptwriters and Dubowski, of course, for making me happy, if only, for a day.
It was a nice read, and I could easily connect to the turmoils the couple went through.
There should have been more fights...and they should have been more open to each other. But then, we wouldn't get the movie or the book, would we?
There were many questions still left unanswered, but I like it that way. I think I'm gonna turn to fanfictions for the unfulfilled wants. (Chuckles)
Thanks to the production team and scriptwriters and Dubowski, of course, for making me happy, if only, for a day.
December 15, 2014
This was just like the movie, but more detailed. It was a fast-paced, quick read and held my attention all the way through. I really liked how it switched back and forth between Jane and John's POVs; it was interesting to read the same scene narrated in different ways. This obviously isn't for the "serious reader" but it was a very fun way to pass a few hours.
October 27, 2013
Told from the two main characters viewpoints, the alternating voices became a bit tiresome. An interesting exercise, but after a point the story became tedious to read, being reminded over and over again that Mr. & Mrs. Smith were each so 'hot,' capable assassins, cold blooded, intelligent but couldn't get past lies to each other...
July 23, 2017
My mom had this lying around, and I wanted a silly beach read so I gave it a shot. It was a very, very easy read, and I think that's the only reason I managed to finish it, because it was repetitive and a bit dull. I wanted an easy read, yes, but this didn't feel like a worthwhile one. would not recommend.
June 28, 2013
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The pace matched the quick barbs of Angelie and Brad in the movie. It did read like a movie script at times but it was a fun book with no pretension of being a serious novel.
July 22, 2016
Everything about this writing was atrocious.
This book was ruining the movie for me (if you don't know, this novel is based on the screenplay of the movie). I had to stop halfway through.
It is all kinds of bad. Just don't do it.
This book was ruining the movie for me (if you don't know, this novel is based on the screenplay of the movie). I had to stop halfway through.
It is all kinds of bad. Just don't do it.
April 24, 2017
Took this book to a two week sleep over camp right when I was a teenager. Made the mistake of making it the ONLY book I brought. I read it over and over and over and over again. I loved the movie and this was just as funny.
Read
September 8, 2007dar hadde khodesh bad nist. amma ali ham nist.
May 27, 2009
Loved the book and loved the movie. I think that Ms. Dubowski caught the unique veiw of the two spys.
July 26, 2010
Very entertaining, def a good book to grab for a card ride
March 4, 2011
Not all that exciting... it felt like it was more of a book for teens. Kinda boring.
November 25, 2012
chyba pierwsza książka na podstawie scenariusza filmowego, którą da się czytać... poza tym jest nawet niezła! polecam! :)
January 9, 2017
In this book, I think this is goal to me because they have each other back when the bad people trying to kill them..
November 25, 2016
A diary I will never tire of reading. Love it so much
September 9, 2018
A fun quick read, nothing too emotional or heartfelt, but I’m glad I read it. I love the style of writing and anything in “diary” or “journal” form. Now I think I’ll watch the movie.
April 23, 2020
okay So i was watching traliers and came on this one's movie one and I thought I want to read a book based on this topic !!! Assassins help yeah !! and in marriage God why not!!! and then they get to know about each other!! Save the marriage or what?? and I goggled "Books like Mr and Mrs Smith movie" and here I landed that this book exists , uk what woow this could have been my dream come true too!!!
Of course The plot is bam!! but execution naaah .... Ya there are many good bits , I had a laughs but maybe not my dream come true though.... But we approach the climax it gets better , I am enjoying it more coz of action , love , assassins ....
Of course The plot is bam!! but execution naaah .... Ya there are many good bits , I had a laughs but maybe not my dream come true though.... But we approach the climax it gets better , I am enjoying it more coz of action , love , assassins ....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2025
A comfortable silence doesn’t bother a person whose mind is at ease. But a pregnant pause seems to compel people who are nervous to completely spill their guts.
p. 4
Very interesting . . . Eight is a very telling number. Safe cruising altitude. No drama— high or low. No passion, one way or the other.
p. 6
Sometimes we don’t know what our story is until we tell it to ourselves.
p. 11
Face it. He’s a man. They should all come with an expiration date.
p. 133
p. 4
Very interesting . . . Eight is a very telling number. Safe cruising altitude. No drama— high or low. No passion, one way or the other.
p. 6
Sometimes we don’t know what our story is until we tell it to ourselves.
p. 11
Face it. He’s a man. They should all come with an expiration date.
p. 133
April 21, 2022
I remember, in high school, discovering the micro-section of the library devoted to film and tv novelizations. It was HEAVEN. And this novelization in particular... well, it should surprise no one that it's one of my favorite movies, so of course I loved reading it too. I know there were other ones I read too, but this is the one that stands out in my memory.
November 7, 2022
How well does a couple really know about each other? Through funny and intimidating situations a couple learns much about the other's carrier. Reading this book is a great way to spend a quiet afternoon.
June 3, 2022
Great novelization, even better than the movie!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews