I have not seen the movie “I Love You, Beth Cooper.” I don’t really plan on it and not just because of the bad reviews the film has received. Reading the book pretty much gave me the same experience.

That’s not to say the book deserves criticism like the film. It’s just that author Larry Doyle made his name as a screen writer for “The Simpsons,” and the book reads more like a very long and detailed movie summary than a novel. Plus, I liked it more the first time when it was a movie called “Superbad.”

None of that kept me from enjoying the book, however. The rollicking adventure of graduation night featured more than a few opportunities to laugh out loud. In fact, from what I have read about the movie, all the good stuff (Beth’s violent boyfriend and her sexual favor to get beer) never made the script. That was much of the fun for me.

All in all, this was a fun book to read, especially on vacation. I just hope diluting the action and turning it into a crappy movie will keep others from having the same experience.