Most of the time, the book is better than the movie. At any time, have any of you found the opposite to be true?
Most of the time, the book is better than the movie. At any time, have any of you found the opposite to be true?
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I liked the Big Little Lies series more than the book!
@Janna me too!
@Janna I like them both though they are different
@Janna I loved them both ??♀️
@Janna the series was good but I loved the book
@Christine love them both too!
@Janna this makes me want to watch the series. I wasn’t crazy about the book !
@Jana I loved the book too. I watched two episodes of the series and was done with it.
@Kathi it was ok, but it was a bit jarring to me the way they changed it from England to the US, etc
@Jana yes, I think that made a difference for me too.
A Simple Favor
@Samantha agreed
@Samantha totally agree
Beaches
@Christine the original still is the best movie when I need a good cry.
@Samantha absolutely!
Carrie Holkan I started to respond to this before I realized that it was YOU I was commenting to. I don’t remember much about the book except that it is awful!!!! I can’t believe people saw a movie in it….I’m just glad that they did!
Only when the movie exists before the book
I thought the movie for Boy Erased was better than the book, and that was so unsettling for me. I always think the book is better.
I know most will disagree with me, but I thought that “The Light Between Oceans” was as good, or better than the book. The beautiful, sweeping visuals of New Zealand just took my breath away.
I also thought that “The Book Thief” was very, very well done, maybe better than the book. (And I LOVED both of these books!)
@Karen I agree with you about The Book Thief. For me I couldn’t get into the point of view of death in the book.
@Karen – Agree about the Book Thief.
We Need to Talk About Kevin. I hated the format of the book and barely got through it. I wanted to strangle the mother in the movie, but thought it was well done.
Water For Elephants
Katie Herklotz Agreed! LOVED the book, but the movie was very well done!
@Karen same! Circuses are so incredibly cinematic
I LOVED the book. The movie was very disappointing. WAY too many important elements left out.
Shawshank Redemption, bc the end twist made the whole story and it wasn’t part of the novella
The Devil Wears Prada. Didn’t like the book.
@Sean I haven’t read it but it is one of my favorite movies.
@Sean, really? I loved both!
Agreed
Absolutely! I thought the book was so poorly written! Loved the movie though.
@Sean totally agree!!!
@Sean I love the movie. When I read the book, I really didnt like Andy.
@Sean Ageed
@Christine Me too!
@Sean – Agree
@Sean Yes!
High Fidelity and Outside Providence.
High Fidelity movie had John Cusack, so that automatically makes it better!
Good call on High Fidelity!
50 Shades
Fried Green Tomatoes
@Amy I totally agree
@Amy yes!
@Amy yes!
I have found that I almost always like the book better than the movie, but I usually like the TV shows better than the book. True Blood is one that I can think of off the top of my head.
The Jane Austen Book Club. Hated the book but the movie wasn’t that bad.
I didn’t realize this was a movie! I didn’t care much for the book either, but I’ll look for the movie!
Practical Magic, I love the movie. The book was so different that I did not care for it. I saw the movie many times before reading the cook.
@Melissa Nooooo! The book is SO MUCH BETTER. It was just ruined because you saw the movie first!
@Susan , that could be. I can see loving the book if I didn’t see the movie. I sooooo LOVE the movie. I might have to read the book again.
Read The Rules of Magic too!! Amazing.
@Susan I will definitely do that. Thank you!
I just ordered it. I’m currently reading, “The Return of the Witch” by Paula Brackston. I will start The Rules when I’m done. Apparently, I have a thing for witches.?
Everything by Alice Hoffman feels magical like that. You’ll probably also love The Red Garden, The Museum of Extraordinary Things, Fortune’s Daughter…I may have a problem. Lol
@Melissa I had also seen the movie many times before reading the book. I liked the movie better.
@Melissa I LOVE Paula Brackston!!! Love seeing someone else who is familiar with her books!
@Amanda actually this is the first book of hers that I am reading but I believe I will be a fan.?
I couldn’t get though The Devil Wears Prada or Under the Tuscan Sun… but I loved both movies!
My husband swears Forest Gump is a great movie based on a terrible book. He won’t let anyone else read the book without hearing how boring it is.
@Ann He is right! I was going to answer Forrest Gump, lol!
Favorite movie of all time. Forrest narrates about 90% of things that go on in my head. The book was a trip. Definitely a wtf am I reading type of book ??? I cant believe they got that movie out of that mess!
I totally agree. Loved the movie and hated the book.
@Elizabeth I love everything about your comments!! ???
The Princess Bride. The book was ok, but I love the movie.
I love that movie. I started reading the book too. I just need to finish it lol
My favorite movie. The book is so weird!
Jurassic Park.
Nooooo
Both were so good! The book was so vivid that I get confused about what was in the movie and what played in my head.
I feel like the movie just glazed over all of the science, which was the most interesting part. Lost World too-the movie barely bothered to explain what a Lost World IS
@Nanette We felt that way about The Martian, too. It was entertaining, but we had our kids read the book to understand the science and the parts that were glossed over.
The ending in the movie is totally different than the book.
Both are exceptional! Great movie, great book.
Shawshank Redemption
The Firm
All of the Twilights
@Nanette I read those books on recommendation. I kept asking when is it going to get good… Never take recommendations from a non- reader. I can’t stand the girl who played the lead…although she was perfectly cast…too whiny. Only saw the first movie, couldn’t stomach it. Never saw the rest.
I measure books and movies differently. If a book is not well written I won’t enjoy it, but I don’t pay attention to the writing of a movie, I just get caught up in it. So if the story is good I’ll like the movie.
Bird Box
Definitely Bird Box.
I was not in love with the book.
@Brooke the movie was a lot scarier and more interesting.
I totally agree.
I actually didn’t finish the book. I got 3/4 of the way through and really wasn’t interested in finishing.
Really loved the movie though.
I thought the book was better. The movie changed so many things. I thought it was less suspenseful.
I liked them both. 🙂
Neverending Story
Thank You For Smoking
Forrest Gump was a terrible book! I also like the movie version of The Notebook better than the book.
I refuse to acknowledge Forrest Gump the book. As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t exist.
@Carie agree on the Notebook
I can’t remember which ones specifically off the top of my head, but I do remember leaving the theater thinking a movie was equally good as the book because they did it differently and it worked better for the genre.
A Simple Favor: awesome movie, a w f u l book
Eat Pray Love
@Debby so interesting how different impressions can be. I absolutely LOVED this book, especially narrated by the author. I thought her rich descriptions made me feel I was right there in each country. Couldn’t stomach the movie.
@Jana my husband always says you can’t argue taste. He sure tried when he first saw my music collection, lol!
@Debby Good one!!! ??
@Jana I agree – I loved the book, couldn’t put it down. The movie couldn’t capture the essence of the book.
I loooooooove the movie Something Borrowed. I hated the book. Then someone told me if I read the second one I’d feel better: NOPE. Not a fan.
I don’t think I watched the movie because the book made me So. Angry.
@Kristin Kate Hudson is actually super annoying in it but I think John Krasinski is the best in it and he’s not even a major character in the book.
I love the book! The movie annoyed me because it left out so much, including characters but I still like it
@Debbie I actually loved the book sequel something blue wayyy more which he’s a main character in lol
The Lord of the Rings series is better as movies.
Dances with Wolves was a much more beautiful movie than the book.
Big Little Lies
A Simple Favor
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I couldn’t get into the format of the book.
Forest Gump! The book was terrible, but loved the movie.
The Hunger Game Series
@Katie I liked both equally. ?♀️
The Notebook
@Alisha agree
Agree
I was going to say that too!
Definitely my choice, too!
@Alisha Ryan Gosling makes anything good! ?
Silver Linings Playbook
@Andrea this movie was fantastic, totally the actors made this happen.
Yes they did! I read the book when I heard it was being made into a movie, and then I didn’t want to see the movie AT ALL because I didn’t really enjoy the book. It took the eight Oscar nominations to make me finally watch it – what a difference from page to screen!
The Bridges of Madison County. I was embarrassed the entire time I was reading the book but I kind of liked the movie.
Joy Luck Club
@Joan I thought both were equally as good. You do get the cinematic elements in the movie which help make it come alive more though!
Bridget Jones’ Diary
Not a movie, but I hated the book Wicked so much I couldn’t finish it. However, I’ve seen the play four times and love it.
@Amy because Gregory Maguire is BOR…..(sorry, I fell asleep) ING.
@Amy I haven’t seen it either, but my God, getting through the book was a struggle!
@Amy I did, too. Could not imagine what all the fuss was about. Brainless.
@Amy agree!
@Amy the book is extremely difficult to read. The language is almost foreign. I gave up & listened to the audiobook and I was at least able to finish it. The play was just meh for me, though the costumes were awesome
Gone Girl
For me the book was always better.
Forrest Gump, boy, did Forrest swear a lot in the book!
@Kristen I didn’t realize that was a book
@Colleen another one was “The Color Purple”. I liked the movie much better!
@Kristen the book and movie were so different!!
A walk to remember
The Bridges of Madison County.
Not a movie, but the first few seasons of Dexter are exponentially better than the book.
Dr. Strangelove. The book was just plain stupid, as was the book they made into Notes on a Scandal.
Count of Monte Cristo
Julie and Julia
I agree!
Crazy Rich Asians
@Ivy totally agree!!
@Ivy I couldn’t get through the book. May give movie a try.
Not movie, but Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu was better. Book was good, but I loved how the show went so much further into the story.
Crazy Rich Asians. I saw the movie in theaters first. I tried reading the book after but I couldn’t get into it. It’s one of the few books I didn’t finish reading.
@Rosa I tried reading it and gave up a few times. Just finished the trilogy last night and it is definitely better as a book. There’s so many more layers to the storytelling they had to cut out for the movie.
Not that these movies were better but I actually enjoyed the movie and the book, which is rare! …Like water for chocolate, memoirs of a geisha, the joy luck club, the last of the Mohicans (well obviously because Daniel Day Lewis…be still my heart!).
@Alexis memoirs of a geisha. Loved both the movie and book.
@Alexis My husband loves to watch Last of the Mohicans…I do not love it! I have slept through it multiple times or just leave the room now. Everyone has their favorites!
@Samantha agree!!
@Kathi true!!
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.
Bridget Jones’ Diary
The princess bride
The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials were horribly written books and difficult to get through.?The movies were great by comparison!
@Linda wow, I LOVED the movies ! Maybe I won’t read the books then
@Katie -so did I, which is why I thought the books would be great. They were painful! ?♀️
@Linda that’s just sad :-/
First Wives Club
@Aurora that was my first thought
TV Show, but Dexter.
I read the second book hoping it would get better. Nope. But the imagery of Doakes in “Dearly Devoted Dexter” was truly creepy.
Not a movie but Netflix series – haunting of hill house!
The Time Travelers Wife was the only time I remember preferring the movie over the book.
The Reader
Definitely Forrest Gump. And The Firm as a movie wasn’t necessarily better, just different which made both enjoyable. About halfway through, it veers off from the book & finishes very differently.
I liked the Crazy Rich Asian movie. All the footnotes drove me a little crazy
@Robin agreed!! The books had too many characters and got bogged down in details that the overall storyline got lost. The movie took care of that.
@Becky thanks
I like what I’ve seen of the Outlander series but I can’t stand the books.
Cold Mountain
Crazy, Rich Asians
The Zookeeper’s Wife.
@Anna I couldn’t finish this book .
Yes. Red Dragon.
I really loved the book Wonder, but I may have loved the movie more. I’m still trying to decide.
I just watched How To Be Single and if I remember correctly it was nothing like the book
but I actually liked the movie
Agreed. The book was a weird like sex trip around the world and accomplished nothing? But I love the movie.
The one exception for me is The Joy Luck Club. I enjoyed both, but thought the movie was better.
@Lori That movie had a brilliant cast! Every single one of them was perfect!
Time Traveler’s Wife
The book was sooo much better!!
@Dawn I couldn’t get into the book, but I loved the movie. Lol
@Jennifer I listen to the book at least once a year, it is so much more deep than the movie.
Honestly, Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix! I slogged through the book, but the movie made my re-reads enjoyable.
@Sarah I hated Harry so much in this book
@Nikki Same!
@Nikki Yes! Me too!
Lord of the Rings!!! I love classics but will never attempt any more Tolkien.
@Adrienne, editing, I’m just saying.
@Nikki amen
Yes!
Practical Magic (I liked the book, LOVE the movie)
I like the Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief movie so much more than the book.
@Michelle loved both of those more than the books !
Twilight!
The Princess Bride, Mary Poppins and The Wizard of Oz.
I liked the movies for A Walk to Remember & Stardust better than either of the books.
Interview with a vampire
A Simple Favor
@Becky yes! I second A Simple Favor!
@Becky agree!
The Princess Bride
@Kris so disappointed in this book.
@Amanda it was just weird!
The Last Song – Nicholas Sparks. At least in this case he wrote the screen play (Miley Cyrus begged him to write a movie for her) and then he turned it into a book with differences. The Movie is way better.
@Mary interesting!
The English Patient.
God yes
@Meghan so beautiful to watch. I saw it 3X in the theater! But the book was too close to poetry for my liking. I guess I need to have things spelled out for me!
Handmaid’s Tale – not a movie, but the show was better than the book.
The Vampire Diaries (tv show)
The Godfather!
Legally Blonde
@Julie I had no clue this was a book !
@Julie it’s a book?!
Under The Tuscan Sun
Cold Mountain
@Deniece yes! One of my favorites but the book pales in comparison to the movie.
Like water for chocolate they are pretty equal, I thought
Eat, Pray, Love. I felt the book droned on and on and was over written. The movie did a better job.
@Amy I thought so too!
Good to know. I’m not a big fan of the book, but I wondered if I’d like the movie better.
I think The Handmaid’s Tale tv series on Hulu is better than the book.
I might like Annihilation more than the book. But are bizarre wonderful trips though
I thought Ready Player One was better than the book but that was because the book was terrible.
@Niki I’m the opposite on this one. I loved the book and thought the movie was horrible. All they did was keep character names.
@Niki I agree, but I liked the book. The movie expanded and was very interesting. Loved it.
If you don’t count the movie as being based on the book but more ‘inspired by’ then it was good. Nothing like the book and I Loved the book!
@Autumn agreed!!
Princess bride. I think To Kill a Mockingbird the book is still better than the movie but it was close!
The Glass Castle
@Sherrie really? I thought the movie cut so much as to make the story trite.
@Ann Maybe more vivid on screen than the book protrayed.Also, The Wife with Glenn Close was very good.
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
@Ellie that was a movie?
@Megan yes and a good movie. The book – I didn’t like the format.
I liked both equally but differently. May have been because I listened to it instead of read it.
Forrest Gump, boring book
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 10000%
The Devil Wears Prada. The book ending sucked.
@Bree my sister’s keeper for the same reason
@Katie – oh yes, loved it.
@Bree yes
One of the John Grisham books – The Client, I think.
Also The Firm. The book was unreadable but I like the movie.
I loved the book until the ending – the movie ending was so much better!
Beaches was a terrible book & so was Forrest Gump.
@Cindy I had no idea either was a book before this thread. Several people mentioned Forrest Gump sucking so I’ll add both to my do not read list lol.
Beaches was an AWESOME book. Sorry but it was. The movie was meidocre (Except for Bette Midler)
@Colleen Agree Gump the book is less than good, but Beaches is fabulous!!! I read it years BEFORE The film came out. Iris Rainer Dart is a great “chick book” writer….all of her books are wonderful.
The Road, although it is a classic, I couldn’t stand reading it :((
@Marilyn I couldn’t finish it!
Very few, but there are 2 for sure. A Time to Kill and How to Train A Dragon
@Jennifer yes, A Time To Kill was excellent.
Never.
I liked Wild the movie better than the book.
Legally Blonde.
@Jen it’s a book?!?
@Ann I didn’t know this either.
Die hard.
That was a book??
Yeah, wait what? That was a book?
Holy crap! It’s a whole series!
Nothing Lasts Forever https://g.co/kgs/jCCkQ9
Well I’ll be damned !
@Jen touché.
I liked the YOU series better than the book…. and that never happens
@Melissa I quite enjoyed the series and I was very excited to read hidden bodies and that I was a bit underwhelmed and the ending it left much to be desired
The Devil Wears Prada hands down!
Game of Thrones
Silence Of The Lambs was an excellent movie.
The English Patient