If you read a book before you see the movie...?

Question

do you tend to dislike the movie as a general rule?

Answer 1

generally yes

partly because when i read a book i create my own visualisations whereas the movie has the director's visualisations and partly because directors always cut parts from the book and sometimes add new material

Answer 2

If both the book and film are excellent, then yes, I will generally be somewhat disappointed. For example: both Silence of the Lambs and To Kill a Mockingbird were cinematic masterpieces, but they couldn't really "live up" to the books (To Kill a Mockingbird is a top 5 favorite book of mine). However, in some cases the films have been better, like with The Godfather and 2001: A Space Odyssey (although I do love the book), and generally any great film that is based off of a less-than stellar novel.

Answer 3

I have read many books and then seen the movies and loved them. I loved the notebook movie, the harry potter movies were done well until they got a new director, and many other good ones. A few have been not so good. It just depends on how well the director wants to follow the book and/or if the scene will be popular enough for audiences.

Answer 4

Yes, I think I do that. I am a book lover first, a movie goer second, so I prefer the details presented in a book more than the movie.

I mean, stuff like The Da Vinci Code and Harry Potter is such a lame imitation of the way the book can make your imagination soar.

Answer 5

Yep. My mind almost always creates a better internal "movie" than they could ever put on the screen...

A few exceptions where the movie was just as good-
The Grapes of Wrath
To Kill A Mockingbird
Old Yeller
The Yearling
The Shawshank Redemption
Stand by Me (from the Stephen King short story "The Body")
The Color Purple

Answer 6

I think it really depends. Sometimes I hate the book, but love the movie. Sometimes, like with Harry Potter, I love both. Most times, though, if I like the book the movie is a dissappointment because the movies don't always put in the parts that are most important to me.

Answer 7

For the most part I would say yes.

2 Exceptions I can think of though is Shawshank Redemption and Don't Say a Word.
In the Don't Say a Word book they had a completely unbelievable ending- the movie ending was much better.

Answer 8

Yep, cos most movies which are based on books didn't stay faithful with the books. The only exception is The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe. I found that it stays faithful to the original book!

Answer 9

With Few Exceptions:

The Great Gatsby

Mary Shelly's Frankenstein

Gone With The Wind

in general, the book ruins the movie for you and vice versa.

Answer 10

If you read a book before a movie you'll probably looking for your favorite parts to be included in the movie. Often that doesn't happen and can be a little disappointing when it does but for the most part I like them.

Answer 11

Whenever I read a book *and* see a movie based on it, no matter which one I experienced first, I always like the book better. The nature of movies forces a simplification of books that inevitably ruins them, at least for me.