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A lot of what has been showing in the cinema recently is not a new idea but an adaptation of a book. What do you think about books being made into films? Are the books always better? Books are able to go into so much more detail, and you get an insight into what the character is thinking and feeling. Do you prefer to be able to picture the setting and the character's faces yourself, or is it easier to be shown the director's vision on screen?But would such books as Harry Potter or the Twilight series have taken off quite like they did without the films? Do films sometimes promote the book better than anything else could have? Encourage even more people to pick up your favourite books and give them a read- do films create more exposure for the books that might otherwise be ignored?
Film production is rumoured for some of my favourite books- The Hunger Games, The Mortal Instruments series, the Vampire Academy series, L. A Weatherley's Angel- and I'm scared that the film will ruin the book for me- as obviously the film version has to cut so much out, and it is never quite as you pictured it. I'll still have to go and watch it- but I know it won't be the same. Look at what happened to some books when it's not done right- Inkheart, The Northern Lights, Eragon, How to Train Your Dragon- All fantastic books, but all really bad films!
I'm half-excited and half-tense about the upcoming releases of Beastly and the final Harry Potter (will the film version do them justice?!).
What do you think? Do you love it or hate it when books are adapted for cinema? Are there any films that you thought were better than the book? Are there any books that you would love to see made into a film? Let me know! Comments below!
I had so much to say by way of response that I went and made an entire post on the subject which you can read here... http://that-book-blog.blogspot.com/2011/03/books-into-movies-response.html
ReplyDeleteI hope you don't mind, I just had a lot to say on the matter :)
The whole thing with beastly though, is he dosnt look like he does in the book. hes less beastly and looks like a human in the movie, anyone could look like that if they wanted to.
ReplyDeleteAlso i think Inkheart wasnt that bad, but that could be because of my crush on Brendon Fraiser lol.
I blogged briefly about this the other day, mostly because loads of books I have waiting to be read are being made into films and people now think I'm reading them because of the films. I try not to compare the 2 too closely, they are different media though I like to read the book first. I enjoyed both book and film of Never Let Me Go though knowing the plot softened the impact of the film. I do get annoyed when bits get changed if it's a favourite book especially if I can't see any reason for it.
ReplyDeletel know what you mean. With such good books, the films have to be good too!
ReplyDeleteI would prefer to always read the book first as l can't watch a movie then read the book!
I do think the books would have done well anyway without the films. Of the ones you've mentioned, I read all the books before I knew they were going to be films and loved them then. I wont read a book AFTER I've seen the film though unless it's a re-read. Watching a really crappy film adaptation of a book I love has never stopped me liking the book :)
ReplyDeleteI always try to read the book before I go and see the film, but then sometimes end up so annoyed because it's not right- and then wonder if people will avoid reading the book because the film didn't make sense.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of 'I am Number Four' before I went to see it at the cinema though, and have now bought the book because I liked the film. I expect the book will be better though- so I suppose it works both ways.
The only films I thought were better than the book were Lord of the Rings because I thought it was more heartfelt, more action-packed and cut out all the waffle in the books, and the 1995 version of 'Pride and Prejudice' (with Colin Firth), for the same reason really.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I saw the film of 'The Jane Austen Book Club' I hated it because I'd just read the book and in the film all the characters looked too young and pretty, and it cut most of the backstory out, and changed it so much. But I watch that film now and love it just for the story that it tells. I think you're right pwb, that they are different forms of media and you have to look at them seperately and enjoy the story as it is told. It's just sometimes it's so hard when you think they've got it all wrong (*cough* The Golden Compass *cough*)
I agree that when a movie does not live up to the book, it ruins the entire series for me. Take Eragon, i haven't read the last book due to the fact that the movie did not live up to the expectations i had. Producers have a lot to do in pleasing both the audience and the company.
ReplyDeleteit really depends on how close they are to the original. I loved the twilight films (well the ones I've seen so far) but when I saw the fil of Charlotte Gray I was so cross I turned it off half way through and threw away the DVD
ReplyDelete