do you like the book or the movie?

Question

Just in general, do you usually like a book, or the movie based on the book?
I always like the book better than the movie, I havent once come across a movie that is better than a book.
What about you?
just a random question

( I have to agree with those who said "The Princess Bride" movie was equal or better than the book. They did a good job with it, it was almost word for word, they didnt change much. Its one of my favorite books and movies.)

Answer 1

I have never seen a movie that was better then the book. I keep trying though. My hubby hates watching a movie that I've read the book of cause I sit there and tell him everything they didn't put in or got wrong.

Answer 2

I used to read the books before I saw the movie, but after being disappointed in so many movies made from books I loved, I have changed up. Now, when I go back and read the book, I still like it, but am not as disappointed in the movie. Only the movies that stay true to the book are the ones that are awesome. A couple of examples are The Green Mile and Shawshank Redemption. The Godfather is one of the few where I read the book first, but the movie was still awesome. Dune was a disaster to me because one didn't get all the thought nuances in the movie, yet other people who hadn't read the book first loved the movie.

Answer 3

Generally, the books are far, far superior. Because (usually) movies don't have narrators, or at least not narrators in the constant way books do, you can't get the full scope of the characters' thoughts and motivations and viewpoints. A lot of story gets marginalized in that way when books are turned into movies.

There are several movies that have been made that have done immense justice to the books; they aren't better or worse, but equal works of art: The Lord of the Rings, the James Bond series, and so on.

I have, though, come across movies that are better than the books. Generally, these are ones where the books were rather sketchy, or short, and great screenwriters have come in and filled in the 'blanks' to give it a richness that isn't necessarily there in the original text: Brokeback Mountain, Under the Tuscan Sun, several of the comic-book franchises like Spiderman, and so on. Those movies, in my opinion, are better than what they began with.

Hope that helps!

Answer 4

I definitely seem to always like the book better. There have been times I wanted to see movies when they came out so I read the book first and was greatly disappointed (Devils Wear Prada for example). When I watch a movie I always scrutinize and compare it to the book and I don't like it when they change things, especially if they're stupid things that could've been left alone. But if I read a book after seeing a movie, I don't compare the two. Don't know why, but that's the way I work. So I've resolved to never read a book before a movie that looks really good. See it first and then see how the book is.

Answer 5

Most of the time I like the book better. Sometimes I like the movie and book equally for different reasons. I rarely ever like the movie better except when the book was written after the movie like a novelization then the movie is usually better.

Answer 6

The book is always better than the movie because the book goes into details of certain situations. Whereas the movie, changes parts of the story to fit in a time frame and the audience.

For example: in the movie A Walk to Remeber, based on the book by Nicholas Sparks... in the book they actually walk. I do not recall that whatsoever in the movie.

Answer 7

The book is usually better. there is so much more detail. there is just no way that a movie can tell you everything a book can in such a short amount of time. the only movie i liked better than the book was the princess bride

Answer 8

Often it seems I like the one I come across first, but not always.

Silence of the Lambs was equally good in the film version as the book was because it was so well made and acted.

The movie Forrest Gump was better than the book.

Answer 9

Most readers will say that the book was better. It's always more vivid in our own imaginations than in the limited interpretations of someone else's imagination.

I cannot think of any examples to disprove this theory. There are a few movies that come really close to being as good as the book(BBC Pride & Prejudice, Lord of the Rings series) but they can never do better.

Answer 10

As a library assistant, I typically love the book better than a movie adaptation. I do have one exception: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The books were massively drawn out. The movies were beautifully done (in NZ!), editted to just the good parts, & had Orlando Bloom & Viggo Mortensen!