movie vs. book...which one is better?

Question

in this question, you have the chronicles of narnia by c.s.lewis.....movie or book? what are the differences?by your opinion, which one is better?

Answer 1

i,ve not read the book, however i have seen the film ( which is great ) my Girlfriend however has bothe read the books & seen the films & insists that the books are better. ( my GF is usually right about most things ) !!!!

Answer 2

The book is easily better...I won't spoil it for you by telling you the differences if you haven't read it, but generally all books are better than the movies because you have more time to develop characters, the reader's imagination plays more of a role in the story so there's a personal investment by the reader, and you don't have the problem of actors, who are good sometimes but many times don't truly reflect the author's intent. The thing that bothers me about this series as a movie is that the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was the best book out of a seven book series...where do the filmmakers go from here? I don't think it's going to end up being as good of a franchise as Harry Potter (which seemed to be made for the movies)....

Answer 3

I like my entertainment as fast as possible. Therefore the film wins.

2 hours vs a few days, no contest really, Even if the film does miss bits out, it misses those bits because in most situations, it's not integral to the storyline.

But forgetting about the Lion, witch and wardrobe, in general I find films more exciting. Can you imagine a hollow, yet ultimately entertaining kung-fu film in book version? How about moments of slapstick? Even the music in a film helps build atmosphere and at times you can hear songs that you've never heard of before. And we all know that a horror movie can make you jump, when was the last time a horror book made you jump?

I would say books are technically more informatic, but films are more emotive. Let's take, for example, that chapter in the Bible that corresponds to the Passion of the Christ. The film has no more information, but loads of people were affected by it, more so than the Bible. In fact, the film is rated 18 over here in England, although technically I'd argue that it should be suitable for anyone. In this case, if you can see it happen, somehow it's more real, if that makes any sense.

I can see why people prefer books, though....

Answer 4

Always the book is the better, because it is exactly as the author intended it, and it is in more detail. "Narnia" (or the original "The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe") did not bring out adequately C.S.Lewis' intended Christian theme of Jesus' (the Lion's) sacrifice to save every sinner (the bad boy) from Satan's (the Witch's) clutches. I suppose it was assumed that an overt Christian theme would put off unbelievers.

C.S.Lewis, an " Oxford triple 1st" academic and atheist, became a Christian at the age of 31. It may surprise you to know that, in that, he was influenced by J.R.Tolkien, well known for the films made of his works.

Answer 5

Usually a book because you can add/modify many things with your mind's eye as opposed to what the director wants you to see. Your imagination can add so much more to the setting,plot and characters , so the book becomes partly your product. Of course there are some great mood enhancers in a movie such as good looking people, music etc but it takes a really good director and story to out do a book usually. 9 out of 10 times you can ask the question and the viewer/reader will generally respond that the book was better. There a good reason for that,
but if you have to read War and Peace for an exam and it's tomorrow, rent the video.

Answer 6

Without fail, the book is always better than the movie...and The Chronicles of Narnia is no exception.

Answer 7

Generally books are better, in my opinion, as you can use your own imagination and they tend to go into so much more detail. However, in the case of the chronicles of narnia - the movie is far superior.

Answer 8

books are usually better ,by far. I did think "the lord of the rings " movie was done very well though. I usually read the book before seeing the movie, except I saw Memoirs of a Geisha and have the book , but don't seem to get around reading it, despite being told that it is excellent.

Answer 9

C. S. Lewis wrote the Chronicles of Narnia as a book. My impression is that films of his work struggle to represent satisfactorily things that Lewis intended you to fill in with your imagination.

The book is not always better, particularly when a story has been written with a film primarily in mind.

Answer 10

Generally it is always the book as so many scenes are either cut from films or it is impossible to convey the written concept into acted form, say for instance if a book relies heavily on the private thoughts of one character. Also many novels work because of their descriptive powers, these can only be conveyed in an upfront visual sense in film and are rendered so sublte they are often missed.

Answer 11

Book.
Sometimes it is better to see first the movie and then read the book, but the most times it is better to see the movie after you reading the book.
The best is a book with some photos and/or drawings with persons, places, objects and maps of story.