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The Book Was Better: The Triumphs and Travesties of Book to Film Adaptation
Not yet published
Expected 1 Oct 26- GenresNonfictionFilm
Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 1, 2026
About the author
Louise Willder
3 books6 followersLouise Willder (Gravesend, 1972) es escritora y redactora publicitaria británica. Por más de veinticinco años ha escrito textos de contracubierta para más de cinco mil libros, que van desde ensayos clásicos hasta novelas posmodernas.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 3, 2026
I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.
I am a big fan of both books and films so I was intrigued by the premise of this book. This is a non-fiction book that looks at film adaptations of books. Some good, some bad. The title gives away that in most cases, the author preferred the book. However there are sections related to where the film outdid the book.
I have quite a broad knowledge of films but I really liked that this book introduced me to several I had not heard of before. It gave me some really good ideas for our film club and it was fun to go and look up these titles after reading. The book covers a fair few films, mostly Hollywood made.
I think it’s key to go into this remembering that this is the author’s opinion. There are quotations from other film critics throughout the book to back up where films had been scathingly reviewed. However the author themself does often go into some quite ferocious criticism. This can be quite effusive and I believe this was to be amusing (which is achieved at times), but it also veers into just mean at times too, which I was less keen on. I liked the genuine comparisons between books and their film adaptations. I liked it less when it felt like the author was tearing something to shreds.
It’s an interesting premise, lots of titles covered.
I am a big fan of both books and films so I was intrigued by the premise of this book. This is a non-fiction book that looks at film adaptations of books. Some good, some bad. The title gives away that in most cases, the author preferred the book. However there are sections related to where the film outdid the book.
I have quite a broad knowledge of films but I really liked that this book introduced me to several I had not heard of before. It gave me some really good ideas for our film club and it was fun to go and look up these titles after reading. The book covers a fair few films, mostly Hollywood made.
I think it’s key to go into this remembering that this is the author’s opinion. There are quotations from other film critics throughout the book to back up where films had been scathingly reviewed. However the author themself does often go into some quite ferocious criticism. This can be quite effusive and I believe this was to be amusing (which is achieved at times), but it also veers into just mean at times too, which I was less keen on. I liked the genuine comparisons between books and their film adaptations. I liked it less when it felt like the author was tearing something to shreds.
It’s an interesting premise, lots of titles covered.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Book Was Better by Louise Willder is, as the author admits, a subjective look at film and television adaptations that started off as books.
While there are more than enough truly terrible adaptations out there that could have made this book a complete burial, Willder also looks at successful adaptations from great novels, terrible films from awful books, and rare examples where the film was better than the source material.
Much to my delight, there was a whole chapter that takes a long, hard gaze at the continuing and never-ending hatchet job of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. It was humorous and scathing, with only the brilliant Andrea Arnold version escaping her wrath.
Overall, despite some mildly surprising omissions, this was both humorous and informative, particularly when it cast an eye on old Hollywood.
Recommended.
With thanks to Oneworld Publications for the ARC.
While there are more than enough truly terrible adaptations out there that could have made this book a complete burial, Willder also looks at successful adaptations from great novels, terrible films from awful books, and rare examples where the film was better than the source material.
Much to my delight, there was a whole chapter that takes a long, hard gaze at the continuing and never-ending hatchet job of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. It was humorous and scathing, with only the brilliant Andrea Arnold version escaping her wrath.
Overall, despite some mildly surprising omissions, this was both humorous and informative, particularly when it cast an eye on old Hollywood.
Recommended.
With thanks to Oneworld Publications for the ARC.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews