But Have You Read the Book?: 52 Literary Gems That Inspired Our Favorite Films

by Kristen Lopez

For film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 52 cinema classics and the literary works that served as their inspiration. 
 
“I love that movie!”
 
“But have you read the book?”
 
Within these pages, Turner Classic Movies offers an endlessly fascinating look at 52 beloved screen adaptations and the great reads that inspired them. Some films, like Clueless —Amy Heckerling’s interpretation of Jane Austen’s Emma —diverge wildly from the original source material, while others, like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , shift the point of view to craft a different experience within the same story. Author Kristen Lopez explores just what makes these works classics of both the page and screen, and why each made for an exceptional adaptation—whether faithful to the book or exemplifying cinematic creative license.  

Other featured works
Children of Men · The Color Purple · Crazy Rich Asians · Dr. No · Dune · Gentlemen Prefer Blondes · Kiss Me Deadly · The Last Picture Show · Little Women · Passing · The Princess Bride · The Shining · The Thin Man · True Grit · Valley of the Dolls · The Virgin Suicides · Wuthering Heights
 

Genres: Nonfiction, Books About Books, Film, Media Tie In, Audiobook, History, Reference

240 pages, Hardcover

First published March 7, 2023

About the author

Kristen Lopez is the former Film Editor at TheWrap and former TV Editor at IndieWire. She has worked as a journalist and pop-culture essayist for nearly two decades, and her work has appeared in Variety, Forbes, MTV, Roger Ebert.com, and The Hollywood Reporter. Some of her more memorable (or controversial) articles on disability include her discussions of how The Shape of Water broke down barriers with regards to sex and disability, Joker utilized mental illness as a punchline, and Shazam promoted one's “best self” as being able-bodied. She is the author of But Have You Read the Book, from TCM/Running Press (2023). She was nominated in 2021 for a SoCal Journalism Award for her reporting on IndieWire about the lack of a ramp at the Emmys. In 2018, The L.A. Times spotlighted her in an article about marginalized critics. Kristen is active on social media, cultivating 10.3 thousand followers, many of whom routinely engage with her on disability in entertainment. She is based in Los Angeles. In her free time she produces and hosts the classic film podcast, Ticklish Business.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw the author chat with Alicia Malone on TCM and had to get this book. With it’s gorgeous cover it’ll be the coffee table book everyone will crack open with curiosity.

As a classic film love and voracious reader I had to see what I’ve read and seen and what I haven’t.

Each chapter is a bite size recap of both, how they’re similar or differ and why both work.

Of the 52 I have seen more than half, and read 15. I’ve got some catching up to do!

In the past year alone I’ve read books like Psycho, Goodfellas & Passing (included). I’ve also read Veritgo, The Postman Always Rings Twice & more that are not included.

My favorite chapter is on The Princess Bride.
Check it out if you’re a Biblio & Cinephile!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to review this in a different way because the book is about books that have been adapted. I'm simply going to tell you if I've seen the movie, read the book, both or neither. Overall I thought the book was fun and quick but I wish she had focused on lesser known adaptations like Die Hard for example.

Read The Book:
-Wuthering Heights
-Rebecca
-In Cold Blood
- Valley of the Dolls
-Devil in a Blue Dress
-The Great Gatsby

Saw The Movie:
-The Thin Man
-Gentleman Prefer Blondes
-Invasion of the Body Snatchers
-Dr No
-The Last Picture Show
-Blade Runner
-The Princess Bride
-Goodfellas
-The Joy Luck Club
-Clueless
-The Virgin Suicides
-Cruel Intentions
- Fight Club
- The Talented Mr Ripley
-Lord of the Rings
-The Social Network

Both
-Frankenstein
-Psycho
-To Kill a Mockingbird
-The Godfather
-Willy Wonka
-The Shining
- The Color Purple
-Jurassic Park
- The Silence of the Lambs
- The Hunger Games

Neither
-Dune
-Passing
-Mildred Pierce
-Kiss Me Deadly
-The Haunting
-Rosemary's Baby
-True Grit
- Jaws
-A Clockwork Orange
-Coraline
-One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
-The Age of Innocence
-The Remains of the Day
- Children of Men
- Little Women
- No Country for Old Men
- Call by Your Name
- Crazy Rich Asians
-If Beale Street Could Talk

I'm interested in watching/reading all these except True Grit. I really hope she does more installments because she left a lot adaptations out.

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a fun time both reading this book, and also making a list of everything mentioned so I could mark off all I have already read or watched, the unmarked items creating a pleasant project of sorts. Inspired by this, I finally watched One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, and look forward to reading the book soon. Of the 52 titles mentioned in this book, the only one I will be skipping is The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, upon which the film The Social Network was based. Although I thought the film was good, I didn't enjoy it at all, and have no interest in the source material.

I have read 17 of the books, and seen 26 of the films, leaving plenty to catch up on.

Of the films my favourites so far are:
-To Have And Have Not
-One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
-The Age of Innocence
-The Remains of the Day
-The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
-No Country For Old Men
-Coraline
-If Beale Street Could Talk
-Little Women (2019)

Of the books:
-Wuthering Heights
-Rebecca
-Rosemary's Baby
-The Joy Luck Club
-Coraline
-Little Women

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfect example of an inoffensive but totally average "it was okay" 2+ star book. Basically a great bathroom companion, as you can read 2-3 of these brief essays in a single sitting (pun intended).

I read part (probably most) of the book, because I frankly can't imagine anyone reading the whole thing, as everyone has such different tastes. I focused on those books I've read (19) and movies I've seen (30), as well as a handful of random others. In general, it was fun to see how the books and films differed, but nothing surprising - much less revelatory here.

That said, I did have one light bulb moment (that most other people probably had years ago), regarding the book version of Fight Club, in that as described by Lopez I couldn't not see the similarities between Palahniuk's underground network of clubs - a violent loser cult founded by an unhinged yet charismatic, "burn it all to the ground" messiah that once established could not be undone, even once its creator was gone - and Donald Trump's MAGA America. Again - surprised that this never occurred to me before, especially after the 2020 storming of the Capitol, but there is no denying that the Far Right wing of today's Republican Party IS "Fight Club;" and Donald Trump is a bloated, wheezing, but even more dangerous parody of Tyler Durden.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of But Have You Read the Book?

I'm that person who reads the book first before watching the movie.

Of course, it depends on the book. And the movie.

I won't read the book if it's 1,000 pages, which is why I haven't read Lord of the Rings.

But Have You Read the Book? was a cluttered, scattered mess, with the author's description of the movies versus the book's original text was muddled and hard to follow for some of them.

I liked the inclusion of classic, golden age movies with modern movies but the format of the book left much to be desired.

I did like the trivia and how in the fun timey old timey past, filmmakers turned to books for inspiration, and not rehashing or rebooting classic movies or superhero movies like they do now.

I would have liked to know more about how the moral code of the past influenced how movies were made, supplanting happy endings opposed to the very unhappy endings in some of the novels.

See Cujo.

I wanted to love this, but couldn't see past the disorganized structure and the feeling the author wasn't sure how to organize and format the books she was interested in discussing.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read exactly 5 of these books, but have seen 22 of the movies featured in this book. This book takes readers through film history focusing on 52 books that inspired famous movies. The short chapters (2-3 pages each) compare the plot of the book and that of the movie focusing on what was adapted directly and what was changed. A few of the chapters also include vignettes of additional fun facts. The book is well written and clearly explains things well without crossing the line into pretension. I do wish that there would have been stills or movie posters included in the book as I am a visual person and found myself pulling up the films' IMDB pages just so I could see the characters and actors referenced. This book is very approachable and one that can be recommended to the more casual movie fan.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting series of essays on books that have been made into movies, and how faithfully were the books followed in the movie. I'm sure the author has enough material to do a Volume 2 as there were certainly books missing from this list (e.g., Dr Zhivago, Gone Girl, Wuthering Heights, Dracula - to name just a few).

[Brennan Klein · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was basically expecting a Buzzfeed list and what I got was significantly less than that. The analysis ranges from surface level to deeply incorrect and I really don’t know what to make of it. Like, this is a book that posits that a film that was nominated for 8 Oscars and won 1 wasn’t appreciated in its own time.

Also this is a very silly nitpick, but I found it annoying that when characters were mentioned in the book synopses, the actors from the movies were credited for playing them. Like I’m sorry, but Malcolm McDowell didn’t star in the book A Clockwork Orange.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun book!

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing spectacular in this book, but it is a nice offering of comparing book to film.

[Alyssa Terrill · Rating 1 out of 5]

Basically a buzzfeed listicle.

[Trevor Seigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

For as long as cinema has been around, many filmmakers have gotten their best ideas from novels, plays, and even songs. It's a tale as old as time that adapting books to the big screen is a surefire way to make money, earn artistic credibility, and perhaps ruin the mental images readers have of their favorite characters. At any rate, talking about books made into movies and how one differs from the other is a fun subject to pursue.

"But Have You Read the Book," by Kristen Lopez, is a pretty entertaining look at fifty-two films based off of novels or non-fiction books and how the basic story in print became something much different on the screen. Lopez at times makes some baffling comments (having read "Wuthering Heights," I would say that book is only a romance if you find abusive co-dependency "romantic"), but it's still an interesting look at some of the classic literature brought to the silver screen over the years.

This isn't an in-depth breakdown of each film and its difference on the printed page; these are bite-sized essays, which can be read quickly, and which serve to show some of the differences and to make the argument that many of the books that inspired these movies are worthy of consideration on their own merits. I've read about twenty or so of the books featured here, and can confirm that many of them are really good (I'm often not as familiar with the cinematic versions). There are obvious callbacks to classic Hollywood (the aforementioned "Heights," "Frankenstein," and others), but just as much space devoted to more recent fare. All in all, it's a fun, breezy look at some of the many times that Hollywood studios and creative types got their best ideas from existing properties. And it might just motivate you to hit up the local bookstore for some new reads.

[Rae | The Finer Things Club CA · Rating 3 out of 5]

But Have You Read the Book? is an interesting collection of short essays about film adaptations and the novels that inspired them. 52 movies are covered, and each piece presents some background on both the film and its source material and their similarities and differences. A variety is covered, from classics like Frankenstein to critical darlings such as The Remains of the Day to modern blockbusters including The Hunger Games. The essays aren’t particularly extensive or eye-opening but do give enough basics and interesting tidbits to be a good trivia source.

Thank you to NetGalley and Running Press for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, quick gap-filler.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explains why “the book is always better” because too many cooks are spoiling the broth in Hollywood productions due to codes, censors, and the moviegoers’ desire for happy endings. Fun read, but I did see a typo or two in the beautifully printed version I borrowed from the library. Good ideas within to build your TBR.

[Laina Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was nice because it wasn’t too long but it had a well written synopsis of many book and movie pairs that I have never read nor watched. Many of them I never will; I am absolutely too queasy for the horror genre but it’s nice to know something about why these titles and movies are so prolific in pop culture.

[Emmy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I waited weeks to get the audiobook of this from the library, and was so excited about it... but it really fell short. The information seemed really surface level. There were a couple books that I wanted to put on my TBD list after listening, but for the most part I found it pretty boring. Even movies/books I absolutely love I didn't find interesting. It reminded me a bit of the little paragraphs TCM reads between films, where you are just waiting for them to stop reading so you can just watch the movie.

[Brenden Gallagher · Rating 2 out of 5]

The kind of depth you get from an Urban Outfitters bargain bin, the sub-Wikipedia level details are sometimes so basic and generalized as to be misinformation (Silence of the Lambs launched the true crime craze? Source for the claim!). I listened to the whole thing because I wanted to remember some movies as I am thinking of the next thing I will write. Not much to be gleaned her beyond that.

[Nostalgia Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

[Donna Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I realize I rated this book higher than most. I think it is because I listened to the audiobook version. My daughter and I listened to it while we were Door Dashing and I just thought it was wonderful, because it gave me a little history on the movies and the books while also increasing my “to read” list. I had read and seen some of the listed, movies and books, but even with the ones I had, I learned something new about them.

I can see if one was reading this book it might have been tedious, but the audiobook was great!

[Carlymor · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐. A pretty interesting list of books that were made into movies throughout the years, starting with the 1931 adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. There is a lot of information but it's not too detailed so it can be read in increments. This would be a perfect coffee table or bathroom book.

[Yvonne Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun, just learning some history behind some of our beloved book-to-movie adaptions. Half of the movies I have not seen myself, but information about my favorites is always welcome.

[Megan Gerheart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just an overview of some of the most famous books to film adaptations. It doesn't contain a huge amount of info and just basically summarizes the differences between the two versions, but I particularly love this topic, so I enjoyed it. It took me back to my days of Literature and Film class at VT.

[Ian D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Έχετε κι εσείς στον κύκλο σας έναν ή περισσότερους ενοχλητικούς τύπους που το πρώτο πράγμα που θα σχολιάσουν σε μία ταινία είναι ότι Ναι, αλλά δεν είναι σαν το βιβλίο... ;
Στην δική μου την παρέα, αυτός ο party pooper είμαι εγώ (εντάξει, μην κρυβόμαστε) γι'αυτο και βρήκα πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα την ιδέα.

Όμορφη έκδοση, λιτή εικονογράφηση, άπειρα σπόιλερ, αναμενόμενοι τίτλοι αλλά και πολλές εκπλήξεις: το ξέρατε εσείς ότι Τα Σαγόνια του Καρχαρία είναι βασισμένο σε βιβλίο κι ότι Clueless είναι (πολύ) ελεύθερη μεταφορά της Emma της Jane Austen; Εγώ δεν το ήξερα!

3/5

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Interesting but I wasn’t super interested in most of the older movies and books.

[Julie Trapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Within these pages, Turner Classic Movies offers an endlessly fascinating look at 52 beloved screen adaptations and the great reads that inspired them. Some films, like Clueless—Amy Heckerling’s interpretation of Jane Austen’s Emma—diverge wildly from the original source material, while others, like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, shift the point of view to craft a different experience within the same story. Author Kristen Lopez explores just what makes these works classics of both the page and screen, and why each made for an exceptional adaptation—whether faithful to the book or exemplifying cinematic creative license. [amazon synopsis]

Do not know why I checked this book out. Of the 52 movies adapted from books, I have read 6 of the books and seen 3 of the movies. Not a very good record. Was fairly interesting.

[Mary Lou]

Reading and watching old movies are two of my favorite activities, so this book should have been right up my alley. I read the first few selections, which compare each title in both formats - plot deviations, mostly. The author managed to stick to facts and somehow stayed away from sharing personal opinions on things like casting and omissions in the scripts. Perhaps those opinions would have kept me more engaged. The bare-bones facts are kind of dry.

So then I skipped ahead to some favorites. Same experience. THEN I scanned the long table of contents for anything by my favorite author, whose stories have been put on film since the advent of motion pictures. No Charles Dickens. Not even "A Christmas Carol". At that point, I called it a day and returned the book to the library.

[Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess this is a fun enough exercise, but it feels lazy. There's no mention of the selection criteria, making it seem like it's meant to appeal to the least common denominator among audiences, and the structure lacks any real creativity. Synopsis of book, synopsis of movie, with a focus on deviations. Still this might have gotten three stars, but the synopses are lazy too. The most egregious example occurred with the mislabeling of Sauron (rather than Saruman) as being played by Christopher Lee in the Lord of the Rings. And if you say that's too minor to get upset about, then I beg to know for whom this book is intended.

[Amandasantana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The minute I heard about this book, I knew it was for me. It combines the two things I love, books and movies, though books rank as my first and biggest love. I decided to listen to her podcast on the same topic but found it so bad I was afraid I had just wasted my money on the book, but if there is one thing I am, it is persistent. I had the book, and by God, I was going to read it. Lucky for me, the book is what I had hoped for.

It is arranged chronologically by the date of the movie, from 1931 to 2021. In this I am so sorry because to co er that time period so very many great early movies from books were left out. For example, from 1931 to 1946, only six book adaptations were covered. Really? In Hollywood's Golden Age, she could only find six?

Suspicion, released in 1941 and adapted from the chilling book Before the Fact, by Francis Iles, didn't make the cut, and yet, though not entirely faithful, it is one of the most iconic suspense movies ever made IMHO. On the other hand, she has eight movies made in the 1960s alone. Granted, they're good movies, but I just can't get over her missing so many in the 30s and 40s.

So what do I like about the book? I appreciate that she stays on topic and keeps all the pieces at four pages equally split between book and movie. I'm sure it was a TCM requirement. I also like that the book, unlike her terrible podcast, is politics and PC free, again probably a TCM requirement. The price is very reasonable, and the book is small enough to tuck in your purse. And lastly, I now have a long list of books I need to read!

*I've got to add a little note here. I've found a few mistakes in some of the entries. For example, in To Have and Have Not, the author says Captain Morgan is offered a large sum of money by the resistance. That is not correct. Morgan specifically says the amount is very small. He only agrees to do it when the police take all his money, leaving him with nothing. This is just one of several I found.