Would you rather read the book first or watch the movie first?

[Barbara, Founder and Moderator]

Would you rather read the book first knowing a movie is coming out or would you rather watch the movie first then read the book?

[Barbara, Founder and Moderator]

I like reading a book first if I know I will see a movie. Once I watch a movie I usually don't go and read the book.

I'm really glad for instance that I read "The Hunger Games" before seeing the movie. It helped to know what was going on.

I also read "The Help" before seeing the movie.

I'm not sure I ever read a book after seeing the movie.

What about you?

[Jennifer]

If it is based on a nonfiction book I like to read the book before the movie, but if it is fiction I like to see the movie first. My reason for this is that most nonfiction based movies I have seen have remained close to the book but fiction ones often change many things. I like to be able to judge a movie by itself rather than making judgements on the movie based on the book it is about. Many times I will really like a movie and the book but in different ways and for different reasons.

[Tui]

I ALWAYS prefer to read the book first. The reason for this is that when I'm reading, I always see the story as a movie in my head. The words generate pictures in my brain. Few movies can reach the standard in my brain because my brain has an unlimited budget whereas movies all have budget constraints.
If I see a movie first, then my reading of the book is coloured by the movie I saw, instead of being a pure illustration invented by my unlimited brain.

[Inge]

Only too often, one should SHUN the movie after a great novel (i.e., Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel (the movie was downright ghastly).

An exception, IMO, was Rebecca--but that movie was put out by PBS and had Charles Dance as Maxim de Winter. Oh, he did strangle his first wife, but what a hunk! For the earlier version with Laurence Olivier, I was not as forgiving.)

And, of course, Gone with the Wind was superb, I thought.

Pick and choose carefully, I'd say.

[Tui]

Yes, when I go to see a movie, I always prefer myself mentally by thoughts like, "This is just someone else's illustrations of the book."
I thought the movie of the Dragon tattoo story was way better than the book as it weeded out all the unnecessary padding.
The Hobbit was a great illustration but it still somehow failed to portray the "feel" of the real story.