My Oxford Year: 5 differences between the Netflix film and the book that give the viewers a new perspective

If you’ve just watched My Oxford Year on Netflix and found yourself crying into a cup of tea, just wait till you crack open the book.The film gives you all the feels, dreamy romance, British banter, and a plot twist that sucker punches your heart.

But what if we told you the book tells a totally different story? As most novel adaptations go: Not everything in print made it's way to the screen. Here are 5 key differences between the My Oxford Year book and movie that’ll have you rethinking everything you thought you knew.

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The protagonists in both the versions of My Oxford Year are different

A major difference between Netflix’s My Oxford Year and Julia Whelan’s novel lies in the protagonist’s identity. In the film, Sofia Carson plays Anna De La Vega, a Cornell graduate from New York bound for Goldman Sachs.

In the book, she’s Eleanor “Ella” Durran, a Rhodes Scholar from Ohio set to join a U.S. presidential campaign. This shift changes the character’s motivations, finance-driven ambition in the film versus political passion in the novel.

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The book and the movie shows different familial backgrounds

In the book, Ella's loss of her father is a significant trauma she carries, that shapes who she becomes as she grows up. Meanwhile, the film’s Anna has a supportive, living father cheering her on from New York, trading Ella’s buried grief for a lighter, more hopeful backstory.

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The character of Cecilia is different in both the versions

Netflix’s My Oxford Year keeps Cecelia Knowles played by Poppy Gilbert a mystery until late in the film, revealing she was dating Eddie, the male protagonist Jamie’s brother who died of cancer. She stays close to Jamie out of loyalty to Eddie’s memory.

In the book, Jamie’s brother is named Oliver, and Cecelia’s role is deeper. Her love story with Oliver unfolds more fully, starting with a charming train breakdown meet-cute between London and Reading during her second year at Oxford.

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How Jamie's illness is discovered

In the book, Jamie tells Ella he’s swamped with his dissertation, but when she checks his supposed study spot and finds it empty, alarm bells ring. That’s when she uncovers the truth, Jamie has the same cancer that claimed his brother, Oliver. The emotional breakthrough happens during a quiet punting trip, just the two of them, where hot chocolate and vulnerability flow.

In the film, Jamie gives Anna the same excuse, but it's a librarian who hints something’s off. Here, his brother is Eddie, and Cecelia was his girlfriend. Also, the story leans more on group dynamics, turning private moments into shared ones, such as the punting scene.

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The film takes a different route for the ending

The biggest difference between My Oxford Year’s book and film lies in the ending’s emotional weight. In the novel, Jamie survives after joining a clinical trial post-pneumonia. He and Ella take their long-promised European trip, and while their future remains uncertain, it’s filled with love and hope.

In the film, Jamie stops treatment and likely dies off-screen. Anna takes the trip alone, and the final scene shows her teaching at Oxford, carrying him forward, but moving on.

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My Oxford Year is streaming on Netflix.