I refuse to watch "The Grapes of Wrath." I saw ten seconds of it on YouTube and ran screaming out of the room. God, it looked so corny. I love the book too much to let the movie "alter" my idea of Tom Joad.

I have seen some good movies, and then I can't read the original novel upon which it was based. (High Fidelity, Mystic River, etc.)


What are your thoughts?

If you're talking about the 1940 movie, I thought it was really good. Granted, it didn't go exactly by the book, but compared to other book movies, it was great.

As for movie to book/movie novelizations, I love 'em. They definitely enhance the movie, and can go into so much more detail than film can. I really like the novelizations for the Resident Evil movies and Nolan's Batman movies.

It depends on what you want to get out of it. In books you can get more detail about appearances, locations, feelings and find out what certain characters are thinking, whereas in movies the story may become altered for cinematic effect, for example, Pride and Prejudice- the turning point in the movie where Mr Darcy played by Colin Firth goes for a swim. This scene does not occur in the novel. Also in the Twilight series the novels detail Bella's thoughts about everything, mainly Edward Cullen. They have tried to demonstrate this in the movie, however it is not easy to pick up on without first reading the books.

Making a movie about a book is tough business and I imagine nearly impossible. There will always be disappointed readers that find the inconsistencies unbearable. I agree with what you've said, Becki, but what is the solution? There will always be an audience for great books made into movies. The trick is in doing it right.

I try to read the book before watching the movie. The book is usually more entertaining. There where a few instances that I thought the Movie was better: Howard's End, The Joy Luck Club, and The Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian.

Perhaps a happy medium could be found if the movies followed the exact story as written, but made scenes more dramatic for cinematic effect?

Sometimes watching the movie after reading the book can destroy our own images and ideas of the characters, and especially appearance.

becki_uk wrote:Sometimes watching the movie after reading the book can destroy our own images and ideas of the characters, and especially appearance.

I read that Thomas Harris never saw Silence of the Lambs, perhaps for this very reason.


Although it's a book I'd never read, I totally respect him for that

becki_uk wrote:Perhaps a happy medium could be found if the movies followed the exact story as written, but made scenes more dramatic for cinematic effect?

That's where "focus groups" muck everything up. Perhaps the studio simply won't allow a non-upbeat ending.

reader2121 wrote:

becki_uk wrote:Perhaps a happy medium could be found if the movies followed the exact story as written, but made scenes more dramatic for cinematic effect?

That's where "focus groups" muck everything up. Perhaps the studio simply won't allow a non-upbeat ending.

LOL I know what you mean. Did you see "I am Legend"? Terrible endings! Even the alternate one was lame.


Sometimes the writer of the books writes the screenplay which can help the translation. I know Stephen King sometimes(?) does this.