The MOVIE Was Better Than the Book ?

[W.]

I’m really into this kind of stuff too. Thanks so much for sharing.

[Fran]

Wow! This is so cool! And I'm not a geek at all. Or maybe I am because I read so much?

[Michelle]

This certainly won’t be a popular opinion, but I liked the Harry Potter movies better. Book Harry was more and more annoying as the books went on. It’s hard to read from the perception of someone you hope gets killed off. Some of the subplots were tedious and boring.

I am curious to hear the audio versions now. I wonder if that will change anything.

[Jeanie]

Michelle wrote: "This certainly won’t be a popular opinion, but I liked the Harry Potter movies better. Book Harry was more and more annoying as the books went on. It’s hard to read from the perception of someone y..."

The audiobooks are great. But I have to admit that I was ready to thump our favorite boy wizard through about half of The Order of the Phoenix! ;) It was important to know that Harry wasn't perfect,but I must admit that some of his less than stellar moments were throttle-worthy. As with many hero stories, Harry's journey was an important part of the tale, not just the triumphant ending, so I guess we had to expect to endure a few bumps in the road.

[Gary]

Michelle wrote: "This certainly won’t be a popular opinion, but I liked the Harry Potter movies better. Book Harry was more and more annoying as the books went on. It’s hard to read from the perception of someone y..."
I've only ever listened to them on audio and I have to say Stephen Fry is an outstanding narrator...He could read the telephone directory and make it sound interesting...:)

[Michelle]

Thanks. It makes me look forward to hearing the audio. 😄

[Stephanie]

The The Princess Bride as a movie was better than the book. They took all the funny parts from the book and added a lot to it to make it far more funny and charming. Note, the author was also the primary screenwriter for the movie!

[Brock]

Stephanie wrote: "The The Princess Bride as a movie was better than the book. They took all the funny parts from the book and added a lot to it to make it far more funny and charming. Note, the author w..."

I totally agree. I'm glad I'm not the only one. Probably doesn't help that I'd seen the movie 5 times before reading the book.

[Bill (Just a)]

Outlander Diana Gabaldon

I know this is heresy. I listened to book 1 of the Outlander series and I was done. My bride had been watching the series and she went out of town for a week. In her absence I started watching the series. I like the TV series much better than the book.

[Belinda]

I read The Girl on the Train before watching the movie, which ruined it since I knew who the murderer was so it's hard to judge.

[Anya]

I loved better the ending of "Memories of a Gheisha" in the movie than the one in the book..maybe this is because I read the book after seeing the movie..

[Specs]

Book vs movie (TV) - kick.

Any one watching the new BBC series Dublin Murders (In the Woods)?

I needed some 15-20 minutes to get into it, but very well done. I almost always like the book better, but still, very well done this.

Margo what is your verdict?

[Margo]

Oh lord, I forgot all about it! This's my nights viewing sorted for tonight :-D

Will report back!

[Specs]

Another kick to this topic.

Yesterday I watched the BBC production of Elizabeth Is Missing with Glenda Jackson doing a star performance.

Wow, just wow. Cried a lot of tears.

I can't say it was better than the book because I didn't read/listen to the book. I wanted to but so far was afraid it would be too upsetting...

https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2019-...

[John, Moderator]

Specs wrote: "Another kick to this topic.

Yesterday I watched the BBC production of Elizabeth Is Missing with Glenda Jackson doing a star performance.

Wow, just wow. Cried a lot of tears.

I c..."

The book, read by Davina Porter, was excellent. Author clearly conveys that the main character doesn't think she has a "problem" as well as showing the frustration of her daughter and the others.

[Specs]

Thanks John, I have been eyeing the audiobook, and no doubt it is a good one, I just have to wait for another time/period in life I can handle this better...

[Kandice]

I didn't read through every post, so I apologize if these have already been mentioned.

Cider House Rules (loved the book, but…)
Ella Enchanted
The Princess Bride (but I still loved the book)
Wonder Boys

Just to name a few. I’ve been attending a movie/film club for over ten years, so I definitely have more!

[Gretchen]

Kandice wrote: "I didn't read through every post, so I apologize if these have already been mentioned.

Cider House Rules (loved the book, but…)
Ella Enchanted
The Princess Bride (but I still loved the book)
Wonde..."

Kandice Wonder Boys is one of my all time favorite movies. However, I have yet to read the book. Maybe I should move it to the top of my TBR.

[Cynda]

The Education of Little Tree
The Education of Little Tree
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119052/
It isn't a big movie like most of previous listed, but it is one of my favorites. The set location and wonderful performances by James Cromwell, Tantoo Cardinal and Graham Greene surpassed the print version.

I thought the book was better than the movie for Maze Runner, although I agree about the character development that others mentioned. I think it was more like someone else mentioned about knowing who the murderer was, I knew what was going to happen, that spoiled any suspense.

[R.S.]

I seem to like the one better that I do first... Like if I see the movie first I tend to like it better than the book and vice versa. I still haven't watched Game of Thrones since I loved the books so I figure I'll hate the shows. Trying an experiment on that one though. I read the books years ago so my memory is fading. Hoping that helps me enjoy the Shows!

[Cynda]

R.S. wrote: "I seem to like the one better that I do first... Like if I see the movie first I tend to like it better than the book and vice versa. I still haven't watched Game of Thrones since I loved the books..."

RS, I have wondered that, and it makes perfect sense for the books/movies I listed. I had watched The Education of Little Tree several times (rare for me to watch any movie more than once) before I came across the book. And I had read the Maze Runner several years before seeing the movie.

Due to the length I have skipped the Thrones books, but may give them a go a few years after the series fades in my memory.

[Bill (Just a)]

Cynda wrote: "R.S. wrote: "I seem to like the one better that I do first... Like if I see the movie first I tend to like it better than the book and vice versa. I still haven't watched Game of Thrones since I lo..."

I read Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" in high school and liked it then. In 1998 there was a made for TV Movie but I had 20 years of distance so it was only marginally related to me and I liked it fine. Fast forward 20 years and I reread the book but again it seemed unrelated to the 1998 video. Now I see that we are in for a TV series of "Brave New World".

I like it in all its incarnations and looking forward to this one. At least for the book, Huxley seemed prescient in his message (both fiction and non fiction) that mass media may distract us from the fundamentals of freedom as well as dangers of misinformation.

I expect the TV series not to be as good as the book but I expect I will like it all the same. It is timely.

[Specs]

To those that liked The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - this will be broadcast on BBC 2 saturday 2 May.

[Margo]

I've seen that already Specs. I will be interested to hear what you think of the movie.

[Specs]

This time I'm not able to watch it (past my bedtime, and can't use BBC iPlayer) - I'll just wait patiently for it to be broadcasted here on a Dutch or Belgian channel; or a repeat on BBC on another time.

I must confess that I think listening to the book will be better, but I don't know of course.

[Mandy]

I skimmed as many responses as possible, but my personal "movie was better" is Warm Bodies. I watched the movie first and really enjoyed it, and when I picked up the eBook...I wasn't that into it.

[Kandice]

Mandy wrote: "I skimmed as many responses as possible, but my personal "movie was better" is Warm Bodies. I watched the movie first and really enjoyed it, and when I picked up the eBook...I wasn'..."

I agree with you here!

Another that comes to mind is Big Fish. It was a lovely novel, and very touching, but the movie was simply magical.

By the way, I saw The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society movie. I loved it! I can't really see comparing the book to the movie, though, because it's epistolary and so completely different. Dangerous Liasons
was the same for me. Loved the movie, but couldn't really compare because that novel was epistolary as well.

[Specs]

Kandice wrote: "By the way, I saw The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society movie. I loved it!"

Ditto! Boy was I wrong when I wrote "I must confess that I think listening to the book will be better" some 8 months ago...

But it made me want to listen to the book again, also!

[Specs]

Sorry, I'm coming back to this topic because I love it...

Just watched another series, and now I want to listen to the book again:
Magpie Murders
Very well done, really enjoyed watching the series.

I must say, while watching I completely understood why John wanted to be able to read all the Atticus Pünd books - he has mentioned that in the past in our group.

[John, Moderator]

Indeed!

A bit related to the "Bible" of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series: Principles of Private Detection by Clovis Andersen. McCall has had so many inquiries about that fictitious book that he said he's been tempted to just write one to shut those people up!

[Robin P]

Specs wrote: "Sorry, I'm coming back to this topic because I love it...

Just watched another series, and now I want to listen to the book again:
Magpie Murders
Very well done, really enjoyed wat..."


Both were good but different. The original is a book within a book while the TV one switches back and forth. Both were very effective. Anthony Horowitz worked on the TV show himself. I thought it was brilliant the way it switched from past to present with the same actors.

[Specs]

Robin P wrote: "Specs wrote: "Sorry, I'm coming back to this topic because I love it...

Just watched another series, and now I want to listen to the book again:
Magpie Murders
Very well done, real..."
Yes, the actors in past & present really made me smile!
John, thanks for sharing the bit about Clovis Anderson... didn't know people really thought it existed. Funny!