Adaptation: Book VS Film discussion

One flew over the cuckoos nest. I'm gonna have to say the movie, because I watched it when I was twelve and to this day it's favorite film of all time. I usually go more towards book but hey Jack Nicholson. On the contrary mystic river was amazing in both book and movie caliber but to me that book was better. Clockwork orange, I'd say film because I like how he was bad again at the end.

Depends on which I see first. Sometimes I think it's fair to love both. Cuckoos Nest for me is one such example.

One case of loving the movie more than the book: Naked Lunch.

gee everyone seems to love cuckoos nest- perhaps we shoud set up a discussion link. had not heard of naked lunch,
yes JC i agree, - if the story is great and speaks to you, .... you can just adore both regardless :)

I like to read the book first. the times that I have watched the movie the actors are in my head while I am reading and I don't like when that happens

Maya wrote: "I like to read the book first. the times that I have watched the movie the actors are in my head while I am reading and I don't like when that happens"

Hey Maya, see SOMETIMES i really like that, (for tone of voice, soft, loud, unsure, assertive, etc) of a character.... other times i hate it too :Majority of the time, 10-1 i like to read the book and get the 'whole' story :) too, (as films leave out- for a reason of course- extra characters and story lines,

I agree. I like to read the book first so I can get the whole story.

Usually I try to read the book first, sometimes however, I succumb to the urge to watch the movie beforehands. The Wolf of Wall Street would be such a case. Wanted to read the book for a long time, yet always, after finsihing a book, I started reading something else, not Wolf. So after some time I just watched the movie (liked it a lot) and probably will never read the book.

On the other hand, I often read the book and am not interested in watching the movie. The Martian would be a great example here. Loved the book, saw a trailer of the movie and knew immediately, that I did not want to watch it...ever.

wow really..... what gave you such a strong reaction to the martian? (i] have the film ready to watch but have not yet and only just found out it was first a book.) i know nothing of the story yet,

yes sometimes, seeing the film fir]st actually helps in] the understandin]g of the book.....w]e have a thread on that topic :)

I don't know. For starters, I guess I never pictured Mark Watney as Matt Damon.

The humour as well as the solitude of the protagonist, is something I cannot picture being adapted properly as a movie.

A problem for me is that the book is written from the narrators point of view, and that is something that is really really hard to adapte. There might be books made into movies that managed to do so pretty good ("Remains of the Day" and "Never let me go" come to mind, both highly recommended, book as well as movie), yet they usually have to change the narrative or the tone quite a bit. For some reason I don't want that to happen to The Martian, therefore I'll disregard the movie…for now. At some point I’m probably too curious (or drunk) to watch it anyways, and have all my doubts and fears confirmed.

In literature, I'm usually a big fan of the idea of the unreliable narrator (again Ishiguro's novels are a prime example here) and by adapting this sort of book, we change sides, start to observe the characters, are directed in a very different way, and therefore lose the connection to the narrator. Of course there are movies with unreliable narrators (it worked really well in ”The Sixth Sense”), yet usually when movies try this sort of trick, they fail big time, or actually cheat the audience into believing something that simply is not true.

SIMON..... I saw the film THE MARTIAN last night. omg it is sooo good. very addictive. great photography. Damon on his game. I had never heard of the book or ever seen a trailer of the film so I went into it very fresh. 9\10 so good.
it was so good I'm unsure if this book would do it and me and favours.

You're part of a bigger group of people who have suggested to watching the movie because it's supposed to be great. still, I have my doubts (no offence)...there are so many things that bother me too mch about this adaptation, yet, as I mentioned earlier I probably will watch the movie at some point.

Just out of interest: What other movies would you rate 9/10?

Simon wrote: "You're part of a bigger group of people who have suggested to watching the movie because it's supposed to be great. still, I have my doubts (no offence)...there are so many things that bother me to..."

oh gosh, I'm an even bigger tv-film addict than i am a book- and thats saying something. (i used to be a film student :) ) so that question could go on forever! and depends what genre and what category (how theyre being rated - i wouldnt rate a great comedy the same as a great drama or litterature adaptation, but both could be solid 8's you know).

but yes. v v good film The martian....however i did show it to my housemate and he found it boring (if that helps?) which surprised me. he didnt even finish the whole thing. (i happiy watched a 2nd time). I THINK i'd like 2 read the book, as you say its so wonderful (intrigued me). think i get myself a copy :)

Is it one of ir fave books would you say?

Cinema is audio-visual language, It has some restriction to portray on screen .. Same other side also with literature.
Time is most main factor in both medium.
words into image.

Kerry wrote: "oh gosh, I'm an even bigger tv-film addict than i am a book- and thats saying something. (i used to be a film student :) ) so that question could go on forever! and depends what genre and what category (how theyre being rated - i wouldnt rate a great comedy the same as a great drama or litterature adaptation, but both could be solid 8's you know)."

I studied film for some time as well at university...and I can very much relate to what you said. Genres ought to be rated differentially yet they can get the same good ratings.

Kerry wrote: "Is it one of ir fave books would you say?"

I wouldn't call it one of my all time favs...but it definately was the best book I read in 2015. I think I rated it 4 stars on goodreads, which is very good. There are few books I lightheartedly give 5 stars to.

Just saw The Girl on the Train. Read the book last year. I'd say it stays fairly true to the book, but the movie is a bit slow-going. Casting was ok.

Meyrem wrote: "Book before film...definitely! Only downside is that by the time I get to read the book the film gets old"

Lol see in a way i actually like that, so i can view it without crazy hype or critics around it.

Leslie wrote: "Just saw The Girl on the Train. Read the book last year. I'd say it stays fairly true to the book, but the movie is a bit slow-going. Casting was ok."

I hate hate hated girl on the train movie and the book i wont bother with. rubbish obvious story to me.

I almost always try to read the book before I watch the film or TV show.

I heard about Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff becoming a series I believe, so I just picked up the book. Even if I dont like the book, I'll give the show a chance. It sounds interesting!

hi happy,. yes I agree with you, in the case of handmaids tale which I saw u are reading and I am aswell, I found having seen some of the series first was helpful in pacing the books dialogue in my head :)

I loved "The Perfect Couple" on Netflix so much that I grabbed the book afterwards. How does everyone else feel about the adaptation?

Read first. Sometimes I didn't even know the book had been made into a movie - found out on another GR forum that Jane Harper's "Force of Nature" was filmed long after I read the book.