Review of “The Dig”, book by John Preston & Netflix film based on the book

I highly recommend the book “The Dig” by John Preston.  I read this book because I first saw the Netflix movie “The Dig” in April 2021, and I wanted to learn more about the burial ship at the Sutton Hoo House.  The book and the movie added an item to my bucket list as I plan a future visit to the British Museum to see first-hand the Sutton Hoo ship treasurers. 

The book has a nice focus on three characters, Edith Pretty, Basil Brown and Peggy Piggott, all set in England in 1939 at the beginning of the second world war.  The discovery of the burial ship is another character as well and the burial ship is weaved among the characters, England and current events.  I especially liked the focus on Edith and learning about her background up to 1939.  Her background made her the perfect person to own Sutton Hoo House and a strong voice to promote the excavation of the mounds.  The book provides a nice wrap up of the story (spoiler alert) as an Epilogue from Edith’s son Robert.  Be sure to read the whole book, and the Epilogue will then be a satisfactory end to the story. 

The movie provides a visual of the mounds and the burial ship that my imagination could not conger up.   The movie also provides more of a developed storyline on Peggy Piggott and her reaction to the circumstances she finds herself in during 1939.  While all the acting across the movie was excellent, I especially liked the acting done by Ralph Fiennes.  In fact, I did not recognize Ralph Fiennes until the actor credits at the end. 

I recommend the book “The Dig” by John Preston as well as the Netflix original movie “The Dig”.  My recommendation is to read the book first and then watch the Netflix movie.  The book gives enough information on the characters to prepare you for what you are in for with the movie.  While the book is a good read, the movie compliments the book and providers the viewer with a better appreciation for the size of the burial ship and the efforts made to discover the ship. 

Me:  I am Diane M. Spolar and I live in Willowbrook, Illinois (a suburb outside of Chicago) with my husband, son and cat.  I am a CPA by day, and a reader by night and on the weekends.  I am a lifelong lover of books.