原著应该和电影有较大不同,比如The series is set in New York. Some books take place in Genovia, a fictional European country. The Genovia depicted in the films differs significantly from the Genovia described in the books. In the books, Genovia is referred to as a principality between France and Italy that is ruled by Mia's father, Prince Phillipe Renaldi. In the movies, Genovia is located between France and Spain and is a full monarchy ruled by Mia's grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi.
The story of Mia Thermopolis's adolescent turmoil as an average teenager, and a princess of royal descent and chronicled in her ongoing journal, where she explores topics of teenage angst, love and betrayal through a very opinionated eye.
The Princess Diaries is a series of epistolary novels by Meg Cabot in the chick-lit and young-adult fiction genre, and the title of the first volume, published in 2000.
Meg Cabot quotes the series' inspiration on her website as: "I was inspired to write The Princess Diaries when my mom, after the death of my father, began dating one of my teachers, just as Mia’s mom does in the book! I have always had a “thing” for princesses (my parents used to joke that when I was little, I did a lot of insisting that my “real” parents, the king and queen, were going to come get me soon, and that everyone had better start being a LOT nicer to me) so I stuck a princess in the book just for kicks… and VOILà! The Princess Diaries was born."
The books are noted for containing many popular culture references, which include singers, movies, and fads in modern culture. Many critics have taken unkindly to this form of storytelling. In response, Cabot wrote an English teacher into the book, Princess in Training, who criticizes Mia's writing, telling her that it relies too much on "slick pop culture references". By the final novel, this has allowed Mia to progress and grow as a person.
The series ended with its tenth book, when Mia turned 18. However, Meg Cabot has also said that she may 'drop in' on her [Mia] from time to time in the future.
通过主角的人物介绍,窥原著的一斑。
Mia Thermopolis
(Otherwise known as Princess Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo)
She is the daughter to Helen Thermopolis and Phillipe Renaldo, she is the princess and sole heir to the throne of Genovia, a small country in Europe, between France and Italy. Having lived most of her life in Greenwich Village, Mia attends Albert Einstein High School with her few close friends (including her best friends, Lilly Moscovitz and Tina Hakim-Baba). Her special talent is writing and she chronicles the main aspects of her life in various personal diaries. She prefers being called Mia.
Mia Thermopolis is a budding author and writes and publishes her own novel called Ransom My Heart, a historical romance set in England in the year 1291, in the final book of the series, Forever Princess.
She is the slightly obsessive and overprotective sister of Rocky Thermopolis-Gianini, causing her best friend Lilly Moscovitz to refer to her as a BL (Baby Licker), POG ( Princess Of Genovia), or PIT (Princess In Training). Mia seems to hate all of these nicknames, but doesn't object to them. Mia is known for her sarcastic personality, and her flat-chest, 5 feet 9 height, not that girly, weird hair and extremely large feet. Mia grabs an interest for writing during the series, making donations to Greenpeace, with the money her father pays her to visit her grandmother, as well as having a tendency to overanalyze things and worry too much.
She has been in love with Michael Moscovitz, Lilly's older brother, since she was in 1st grade and he was in 4th, when he brought a school project of Lilly's to their classroom. Lilly knows but doesn't really know how to respond, Mia admits her feelings to Michael in Princess in Love and to her delight, he reciprocates. However, because of their age difference, their relationship becomes a bit strained.
In book eight, Princess on the Brink, Mia finds out Michael is moving to Japan to develop his prototype for a robot arm that would allow doctors to perform open heart surgery, an invention he later reveals was spurred by his desire to prove he was "worthy of dating a princess". In an attempt to keep him in the city, Mia proposes sex but is upset to find out that Michael already lost his virginity to Judith Gershner, a former classmate. Mia, behaving immaturely as she is angry and heartbroken, flings back the snowflake necklace that Michael gave her in her fifteenth birthday in Princess In Pink, signifying that their relationship is over. However, Mia quickly regrets the decision. Michael is also quite heart broken about it.
Also in book eight, Lilly is dumped by her boyfriend J.P., who quickly makes a play for Mia. Mia accidentally kisses J.P., which was witnessed by Lily and as well as Michael and left him even more heart broken. As a result, Lilly refused to speak Mia and they stopped being friends despite Mia's repeated attempts to get back in Lilly's good graces. The two finally make up in Forever Princess.
In the ninth book, Princess Mia, Mia confides in her psychologist, Dr. Knutz, about her feelings of inferiority to Michael, whom she expected to dump her for someone better and admits that she overreacted about Judith in order to dump Michael first. She attempts to salvage her romantic relationship with Michael; he refuses, but they become friends again. Michael is hinted to have been abstinent during his tenure in Japan and later returns to New York as a multi-millionaire in Forever Princess.
Despite the fact that she has a boyfriend, Mia remains in love with Michael and toward the end of the final book, Forever Princess, Michael kisses Mia and tells her that he never stopped loving her. Mia breaks up with J.P., who was only using her to get attention from the media to further his playwriting career. Michael and Mia finally reunite and it is hinted that he becomes her royal consort in the future.
Mia is now currently at Sarah Lawrence College and is done with high school.
作为一个出色的YA系列,原著获奖不少:
Awards and nominations
2001 American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults
2001 American Library Association Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
2001 New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
2002 International Reading Association/Children's Book Council Young Adults' Choice
2002–2003 Volunteer State Book Award (Tennessee)
2003 Evergreen Young Adult Book Award (Washington)