My teenage daughters are really into the Stephanie Meyer “Twilight” series of books. They love them and have devoured them all. Next month in November, the first book in that series will be hitting the big screen at a theater near you. My girls have seen the trailers and previews, and even though they haven’t even seen the full-length version of the movie, they are already disappointed by what they’re seeing and how the story in the actual book is being portrayed as a movie.
My girls have also read all the Harry Potter books and watched each of the HP movies that have come out. Usually, on some level, they’re disappointed by the movie — either the characters weren’t right, the plot wasn’t the same, or some key elements that were in the book were missing altogether in the movie. Now I’ve never read any of the Harry Potter books, and I’ve loved the movies — maybe because I don’t know any differently?
These days, there are so many books that are being made into movies. Most recently, there’s The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd), Nights in Rodanthe (Nicholas Sparks), The Tenth Circle (Jodi Picoult), The Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis), The Devil Wears Prada (Lauren Weisberger), The Other Boleyn Girl (Philippa Gregory), The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown), The Bourne Series (Robert Ludlum), P.S. I Love You (Cecelia Ahern), etc. in 2007, there were over 70 books that were made into movies! Then there are all the Broadway plays that have been made into major motion pictures: Chicago, Rent, Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray, Dream Girls, and most recently, Mamma Mia.
I have to admit that I haven’t read a lot of the books that have been made into movies over the years, and for the most part, I do enjoy the movies. Would my opinion be different if I HAD read the book first, then saw the movie version? Maybe.
What I want to know today is, which do you prefer: The book or the movie version of a story? And why? Also, have you ever seen a movie that is/was actually BETTER than the book version? If so, which one (because I want to see the movie, LOL!).
And now, I want to take a moment to wish my daughter, Danielle, a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Today, my baby girl is 18 years old! Where did the time go? It’s so hard to believe, but her dad and I are so proud of the big-hearted, beautiful, smart young woman she’s become! Happy Birthday, Dani! WE LOVE YOU VERY MUCH! :wub:
Janelle Denison finds it hard to believe that it’s been nearly 25 years since she first started writing romance novels. At first, it was a way to pass idle time while her husband worked swing shift, but before long it became an obsession to get published. Luckily, she kept at it (it took her over 5 years to get that first book published!) and is now a Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and USA Today Bestselling author! Now, after selling over 45 plus novels, she finds that her Plotmonkey pals help to keep her stories fresh and unique, and she can’t imagine writing a story without their input. Janelle lives in Oregon with her husband, Don, along with two teenage daughters that keep life interesting.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
Subscribe to Posts 
Comment
I prefer books to movies although…. Lord of the Rings being the exception. It was great to see Tolkien’s world brought to life and I didn’t mind the play with the events in the books.
I try to have my children read the book before the movie. We wanted them to use their imagination before it was spoiled by the vision of the movie makers.
Comment
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment
Awww, happy birthday to your “baby”! My oldest turned 15 this year; I know her 18th will be here in a blink.
I have no problem with most movies because they are such a different medium. I take what I like and block out the rest (such as Dumbledore in the HP movies–ye gads, have they botched his characterization!) The books will always be best.
And yes LOTR rocked—it could have gone on even longer.
Comment
Good morning Jungle buddies and the very special :monkey :monkey :monkey :monkey.
First and foremost I would like to wish everyone a Happy Columbus day…for the first time in years I don’t have to work on this day, and it is great…for those of you who do have to work today, I hope that they day is not so busy that you can’t take time to relax andd maybe sneak in a quick read…lol.
Janelle, I would like to wish Danielle a very
. Danielle, I hope that you have a blast (not sure if you are reading this, but if you are, I hope that you have fun and get the things you desired.)
Now on to the topic: Janelle, I must say that I haven’t seen many movies that are better than the books, but I have seen some that are “true” to the books if you will…The Lord of the Ring series, IMHO, was true to the book and it didn’t vary greatly from what the whole premise of the stories were…and Vito Morgensun (sp?) is worth watching too…
Personally, I prefer to read the books before seeing a movie, because I wouldn’t want to be disappointed if I did it the other way. I feel like the movies, at least a majority of the time, lack some depth of character…the storyline becomes more of a production and it becomes way to theatrical and unrealistic to me…Plus, sometimes I feel like I get a much clearer pciture in my head of what is going on in a book versions a director’s perspective…afterall the adaptation is that particular persons perception of what is going on and alas, we all don’t see things the same way…I will swing by again later…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Comment
Happy Birthday Danielle.
I prefer books to movies. I love discovering a world between the pages and I have found no matter how a director or scene designer set up the scene they never match what my image portrays.
Comment
Happy birthday to Dani! Have a wonderful day!
I would say that in most cases, the book is always better than the movie. This is the case with the “DaVinci Code” especially, because there were so many details that have to be omitted in order to fit into a 2-hour window.
Then there are some movies I’ve seen but have never read the book, like “The Notebook”. I loved this movie. I don’t know if I’ll ever go back and read it though. I don’t want to spoil my feelings about the movie.
Comment
Comment
I liked both PS I LOVE YOU in book and movie form, though they were radically different. I prefer the movie. Same with Lord of the Rings. Pride and Prejudice in movie form is dang close to the book, so I’ll watch the movie.
Maybe I’m just lazy???
Comment
With very few exceptions, I’m a lover of books rather than movies. I like to journey through my own mind while reading a book, visualizing the characters and places portrayed in the story. If I read a book first then see the movie, way too many times the characters will be vastly different from how I pictured them in my mind. Then there’s the storyline which, often, varies greatly from the book. That’s especially jarring if it’s a book that I loved.
I’m a fan of Tom Clancy’s novels. The first of his books that was made into a movie was HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER. It was terrific! The storyline was true to the book and I thought Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery were both perfectly cast in their roles. That all changed with the next Clancy movie, PATRIOT GAMES. They brought in a new director, the storyline only minimally resembled the book and Harrison Ford (at least 20 years older than the character in the book) replaced Baldwin. My husband liked the movie (he hadn’t read the book) but I was supremely disappointed. I’ve read that Clancy was as well.
Comment
I look at the Harry Potter films as a representation of the book rather than as a literal interpretation so I enjoy them on a whole different level…though I have to say that I loved the movie version of Order of the Phoenix and thought it was the only film that was every bit as good as the book even though they had to cut a lot. I thought the writers did a great job of paring it down correctly. Actually, Sorcerer’s Stone was pretty on-target, too. My favorite of the books is Prisoner of Azkaban and it’s my least favorite movie…well, next to Goblet of Fire, which I imagine must have made NO SENSE to anyone who hadn’t read the books.
I’ve read the Chronicles of Narnia and seen the movies–and I prefer the movies. They are so huge in scope and beautiful to look at and still stick pretty darned close to the books themselves. I actually found the book version of Prince Caspian kind of boring and in that case, I’d seen the movie first.
So I go back and forth. Usually, the book is better…but sometimes the film just stands out–in it’s own right. Like The Devil Wears Prada. I hadn’t read the book, but I can’t imagine me liking it more than I liked the movie simply because as a film, the movie was fabulous.
As for Broadway…that’s tough. I loved Chorus Line on Broadway and it did okay in the film because they stuck pretty close to the storyline and didn’t futz too much with the music. I loved Mamma Mia on Broadway and in film, but again, for different reasons…but I think they captured the essence of the play. I just saw Phantom of the Opera (film) for the first time and now I’m dying to see it on Broadway (is it still playing?) I know the traveling show is in Tampa…I think next week! Hmmm….
I think people have to realize that it’s impossible to capture the whole of a book on film. Film and books are two different media. The trick is to compliment each other, I think.
Some movies that just were AWFUL representations of the books include: The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter. UGH and DOUBLE UGH. They totally tried to sex it up and it didn’t work. Subtlety is sometimes so much more powerful.
Comment
I never watch a book based movie expecting it to be as good as the book, or even, sometimes, resembling it other than title. So I try not to compare.
I just spent the weekend at a scifi convention and I am one of the Non-LOTR fans. Hate the books. Can’t bother with the movies. Would much rather go watch the original Star Wars over and over.
I did find out in talking to Todd McCaffrey that the option for DragonFlight has been sold to someone new and that they have veto options, however, they are trying to do it true to the series. Which is good. I think I would be disappointed if they changed it at all. Which some idiot tried and was shot down.
Comment
I love the books better than the movies. I like making up my own pictures in my head when I read. The movies aren’t true to the book – the one I was really disappointed in was The Firm by John Grisham – the movie was so far off the book and I thought the book was intense – I didn’t get the same feeling from the movie.
The one movie that I won’t see because I loved the book so much is The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. I just don’t want to ruin my feelings about the book.
So before I watch the movie – I will always read the book first.
Comment
I always read the book first (although, many of the books that have been made into movies, I haven’t read the book). It’s the student in me. Remember, in high school how you had to read the book first and then watch the movie?
Happy Birthday Dani!!!
Comment
I have to agree with Julie on the Harry Potter movies. I knew they could never make the movie exactly like the book and for the most part I’ve enjoyed them all. POA is my favorite book, but I really didn’t love the movie.
I’m excited to see Twilight. I’ve read all of the books and I’m going with my oldest niece(17) over Thanksgiving weekend. We both plan to see it before as well, but since I got her reading the Twilight series, she wants to see the movie with me. I know there will be many things left out or changed, so I always make sure not to re-read the book too close to when I will see the movie.
I normally enjoy books that have been turned into movies. I just always go with the theory that it will be different from the book.
Comment
Thanks everyone for Dani’s Happy Birthday wishes. She’s reading them and is smiling big-time! :grin1:
Stacy — I feel the same way about The Notebook. Never read the book, but absolutely LOVED the movie! And I won’t read the book because I’m afraid it will spoil the movie, LOL. Same with The Devil Wears Prada.
I think if I see a movie before reading a book and I love or enjoy the movie, then I won’t bother reading the book. Now, if I read a book that I love, I’ll think twice about seeing the movie because I don’t want to be disappointed! LOL.
Julie – As a family we watched Phantom of the Opera as a movie a few years ago and really enjoyed it. Just this past August we went and saw the Broadway play and enjoyed it just as much. I think the movie version kept pretty close to the theatrical version — and both were great for different reasons. The one Broadway play I’m hoping they eventually make into a movie is WICKED. I’ve seen the play three times already (we’re going a 4th time this Spring here in Portland!), and absolutely love it.
Comment
Hi, Janelle! Another big
to Danielle! Hope you all are doing something fun to celebrate! (Cake!? 
)
Count me in as definitely more of a book fan. Agree with others who’ve said that it tends to work best to treat books and movies as separate beasts–it keeps the expectations down :) I do think that sometimes the movie versions can be as good–I remember seeing The Joy Luck Club (yes, I don’t get out much!
) with my family, and my mom and sister and I sniffled all through the movie–it definitely clicked for us on a visceral level. Loved the book, too, but it was different seeing it!
Comment
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANIELLE!!!
My daughter, Lilly turned 18 this past Saturday.
I read the first Harry Potter book. My husband has read all of them. I have seen snippets here and there of one or two of the movies but never watched the whole thing.
I watched this movie called, The Magic of Ordinary Days. I love it. Then I read the book. The book was good and I enjoyed it but the ending was totally different. It was made for Hallmark. I think in this case I probably liked the movie better.
Have a great day all,
Cher
Comment
Janelle, I agree with you on WICKED. I saw the play on Broadway last year and loved it! I bought the book after seeing the play but I haven’t read it yet.
Comment
Happy Birthday to Danielle!
Enjoy this very special day and if it not to late in your state–go register to vote, today!
Janelle,
I usually prefer the book to the movie. BEcause I love my own imagination of the characters, setting, etc.
However, there are always exceptions to the rule. I agree the NArnia movies are more than I could have imagined.
Have a gerat Monday everyone
Comment
Count me in as yet another who prefers books to movies. The book has so much detail and backstory (e.g. Gone With The Wind) that isn’t possible in the movie.
Also, while watching movies with my DH, if I’ve read the books I find myself having to explain stuff to him that was in the book but not the movie. One example is the miniseries Pride and Prejudice–which my husband likes, but he’s never read the book. I explained to him how in the book, Charlotte Lucas was 27 years old and in those days, when women had almost no options outside of marriage, that age put her high on the shelf with almost no hope of ever landing a husband. That’s not clear in the miniseries, but the knowledge helped DH to understand why such an otherwise bright, insightful young woman was so willing to leap for a jerk like Mr. Collins when he was at his most vulnerable.
Just don’t get me started on the books that have been screwed up by Hollywood.
And Happy Birthday to Danielle–18 is a major milestone!
Comment
Happy Birthday baby girl!!!! I will go with the book because they are usually better then the movie. I think they have more detail.
Comment
The Bridges of Madison County is good. Better than the book, I think. Maybe Dune, too. The original movie with Kyle Maclachlan is even weirder than the book, yet somehow more accessible and cohesive.
I really love Gone With the Wind, too, but the book wins there.
I’ve read all but one of the Harry Potter books and seen most of the movies. They all confuse me! I can’t keep up with the intricate plots of childrens’ stories, lol.
Maybe Silence of the Lambs? Great book, awesome movie.
Comment
Children’s stories, I mean.
Comment
I prefer books myself, becuase I pictures it in my head as I’m reading it.
I can not wait for Twilight the movie either though my 13 year old daughter and I are going!
Comment
Always the book. There’s so much more that’s not included in the movie, and more opportunity for me to use my mind’s eye to see what the author describes.
I insisted that my son read the HP books before seeing the movies. Was hard for the first one, because I think we had to read through like the first three books but then it became a bit of a game. He enjoyed seeing how the story he already knew played out on screen.
No time to do that as a rule anymore but I always prefer the reading the book first.
Comment
I prefer books… they tend to have so much more to them than the movie version! :flower4you:
Comment
I also am a book over movie fan. Even though the movie industry tries hard to match the book, there is nothing like the book to bring the plot and the charaters to life.
Comment
I agree with Julie about the Harry Potter movies. I generally prefer the book over the movie, but one exception for me was Charles Baxter’s Feast Of Love. I definitely enjoyed the movie version with Morgan Freeman and Greg Kinnear more than the book.
Comment
I generally prefer the book to the movie, because it’s impossible to keep all the good stuff in a 2 hour movie and no one can match your imagination. The only movie that I’ve enjoyed more than the book was The Firm (John Grisham)…I hated the ending in the book.
Comment
Fedora, I own The Joy Luck Club, and I felt that the movie did justice to the book…I also read the Bourne series by Robert Ludlum, and felt that the movies did justice to the characters…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Comment
:readdabook: I’m a book lover. And as for Broadway going to film, being a New Yorker I prefer Broadway, it just doens’t compare! I’m hoping to see Wicked so I am going to read the book first and then see the show to see how it holds up.
Comment
I’m alway disappointed in the movie versions of books. They leave so much out or they take creative ‘license’ and change the story. The last HP movie was a HUGE disappointment. It should have been and hour longer or a 2 part movie. It was such a big book. I’m hoping they do better with Twilight, though I doubt they will. :wallbash:
Comment
Books vs. Movies. The Great Debate(tm). Ludlum’s Bourne franchise was done well. LOTR was spectacular. I’m reserving opinion on the Narnia Chronicles.
For the most part, my imagination is so much more vivid than what is seen in the movie version. And if I particularly enjoyed a book, I find myself second-guessing the director and producers on casting and scenes and sets and…and… Well, ya’ll get the point.
Broadway vs. Movies is another kettle of fish. I love the immediacy of a live production but movies can do more visually so it’s a bit of a toss up.
Just my two-cents worth.
Comment
I love both books and movies. Yes, the movie is usually different but sometimes that is okay. I saw The Notebook movie first then later on read the book, neither disappointed. There were some things I wondered why they changed but the basic bones of the book were all there. Since books and movies are different media I know there will be differences. I read Nights in Rodanthe but didn’t especially care for it which makes me not inclined to rush to see the movie. However, I like Richard Gere!
Great subject for today, plus celebrating Danielle’s 18th birthday.
Comment
If I have read the book, I never see the movie. Gone With The Wind said it all.
Comment
Happy Belated Birthday! I hope it was wonderful.
As for books and movies, I tend to watch the movie first. If I read the book, I’ll hate the movie, but if I enjoy the movie I’ll usually love the book.
Ella Enchanted was a movie I loved so much on the way home I bought the book. Now, I love both, but it was easier for me to see and admire how they had to change the book while still keeping the ideas to make it more visual and a movie we would enjoy. If I had read and loved the book first, I’m sure I wouldn’t like the movie.
Chocolat is a movie that I think is WAY better than the book. It’s the first time I HATED a book (especially after I loved the movie). Just for the record, I read it after seeing the movie. The tone of the book is much darker and creepier than the movie. I liked the light-hearted magic of the movie way better.
See the movie, then read the book. It works wonders for me.