Really, really bad adaptation.

I'm not usually very critical with movies, even if they change the story a bit when they're adapted from a book. But this--was not good.

All issues aside with the actress playing Maryam--so much was left unexplained, and the love story between Walter and Maryam was practically left out completely. And just how does the transition between her floating away on a boat and Walter appearing in England work? This film needed another half-hour and some judicious editing to move the story along a bit quicker and add in the important details of them falling in love and their exciting journey back to England.

The book has more of a love story, and a much better ending.
And I was so disappointed the movie left out the part about Walter and Tristram calling Maryam "Taffy" because of the color of her hair.

I'm a fan of so many actors in this movie, and I was hoping for the best, but this was just not a good film. Very disappointing.