I have always loved this film, and didn't even realise it was a book. But perhaps the reason why no one talks about the novel and everyone knows the film, is that the book isn't that good. I like that the disappearance is never explained (although apparently the original version that Lindsay submitted did have an explanation), and I enjoyed the setting, and it certainly kept me reading. But, it was very old fashioned, and became ridiculously melodramatic by the end. Plus there was the annoying detail that all the beautiful girls were loved by everyone and all the fatter, ugly girls were portrayed as being annoying and stupid.