Books : do you read the book first or watch the film first? adaptations.

do you read the book first or watch the film first? adaptations.

I always thought you should read the book first because its always better and more detailed then a 90 min film could ever be.

Recently a few of my friends have said the other way around is best. Watch the film first then read the book.

what say you?

Re: do you read the book first or watch the film first? adaptations.

I think it depends.When Harry Potter first came out,I saw the first 2 or 3 movies first and then read the remaining books before their movies came out.

Re: do you read the book first or watch the film first? adaptations.

Depends. I've noticed that sometimes I like whatever I see/read first. When I read the book of a movie I love, I am often disappointed by the book. Stardust, Jurassic Park, Howl's Moving Castle, Big Fish, and Matilda are all movies I love, but found the books kind of meh. (I need to reread Howl and see how I feel about it now. The plot does a complete 180 about halfway in). When I read the book first, I am, for the most part, disappointed by the movie.

Re: do you read the book first or watch the film first? adaptations.

Whenever I read the book first I'm always disappointed in the movie, so I try to see the movie first.



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Re: do you read the book first or watch the film first? adaptations.

In actual fact most of us do the same thing. And we are altogether unaware of what we do.

When we see a movie that is an adaptation of a book, we will hardly ever detect that the movie had any relation to any book. Hence we will not read the book after having seen the movie.


How many of us detected that "The Lace-Maker" is an adaptation? And how many read the book?

How many detected that "Something Wild" by Jack Garfein is adapted from "Mary Ann" by Alex Karmel? And how many read the book?

How many detected that "These Are the Damned" by Joseph Losey was adapted from "The Children of Light" by H.L.Lawrence? And how many read the book?

Note that it is superstition that the book is always better. The explanation of the superstition is that extremely few people detect that a book was involved.

Re: do you read the book first or watch the film first? adaptations.

Dear Deadpool_vs_theLeprecorn, you could not be more right when you state: “When I read the book of a movie I love, I am often disappointed by the book.” And so am I. But very few people read the book after having seen the film.

Re: do you read the book first or watch the film first? adaptations.

Whichever way I find more convenient. And I don't buy the "book is always better" theory. More detail is not always a good thing. For example I don't need to read the entire life story of some character who ends up playing a tiny role in the plot, but sometimes authors feel the need to supply information of that sort.

Re: do you read the book first or watch the film first? adaptations.

I've always read the book first.

We were always told by the kids teacher's to have them read the book first then watch the movie. Doing it that way they generally seemed to like the books better than the movies.

Re: do you read the book first or watch the film first? adaptations.

i always see the movie before reading the book for i got so tired of being disappointed when i see it on screen and it's terrible and is nothing like the book.

The easiest thing i have ever had to do was give my heart.

Re: do you read the book first or watch the film first? adaptations.

The movie. If I like the film then I read the book, as the book is usually more in depth.

Re: do you read the book first or watch the film first? adaptations.

If i have any interest in the book I won't see the movie until I've read the book.

If I've seen the movie I probably won't ever read the book. I want that book experience to be unsullied. Eg The Constant Gardener is probably the only Le Carre book i haven't read....because I saw the movie before I was a fan of his writing

Re: do you read the book first or watch the film first? adaptations.

The book, not because books are always better, but because spoiling the book is a greater detriment than spoiling the movie. Spending several hours in a book knowing the plot beats and how it all ends (which can matter more or less depending on the book or movie)can be way worse than just a 2 hours or so. And with the movie, at least there might be things to enjoy beyond just the story. There may be great performances, or great directing, cinematography, etc. And if it IS spoiled because you read the book, than it's only a couple hours of your life, versus more in the book.

Re: do you read the book first or watch the film first? adaptations.

My preference is usually to have read the book first, but if it happens that I see a movie of a book I didnt get to read first, I don't really mind reading the book after that, and I often will.

However, I agree with those saying the book and its greater detail isn't always better.

I've seen movies that presented the purer essence of a rambling book and was a more satisfying experience because of it.

Re: do you read the book first or watch the film first? adaptations.

If I have a choice, I would watch the movie first.

After reading the book, I usually end up disappointed watching the movie.



It`s far easier to start a war than to end one.

Re: do you read the book first or watch the film first? adaptations.

I always watched the film first and I end up read the book either book is or not better than the movie, but I little bit read the book first (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Coraline, etc.).

Re: do you read the book first or watch the film first? adaptations.

Its kind of strange...If I know its a book, I will read it before seeing the movie. And then I'm always of the "the book is better than the movie" mindset.

But there have been a couple that I had seen the movie before knowing it was a book...and in several of those cases, I have found that the movie is better than the book. ?? (example: Beaches, Forrest Gump, Shawshank Redemption)

I still tend to read the book first, but maybe I shouldn't be so quick about it.
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