My dilemma always seems to be: Read the book first, then watch the movie. Or vice versa What do you guys suggest?
My dilemma always seems to be: Read the book first, then watch the movie. Or vice versa What do you guys suggest?
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i always read then watch
Read first
Always book first. I figure I’d rather a movie, in which I invest 1.5-2 hours, be spoiled than a book which takes me longer.
Exceptions being screenplays that were movies before they became books … than I prefer watching before reading .
Watch the movie so you aren’t disappointed by it after reading the book.
Yes, exactly!
Omg thank you!!! Finally someone agrees lol!
If I have the chance I wat h before reading. Nothing I can do if the movie comes out after I have already read something.
True, but if the movie is there when I decide to read, then I go for the movie first. I hate thinking a movie sucks because I’m comparing it to the book.
@Quevina I agree. If given the opportunity I always watch first. I watched the first 5 Harry Potter movies before I even started reading them and thank god I did or I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the movies.
Yea I did with the first 4 @Sam and I’m so glad I did. Because people who just watch the movies don’t get certain parts and I had to explain to them.
Book then movie
Book first… I’d rather take my time and enjoy the book as opposed to having it ruined in two hours by movies that usually never live up to their paper counterpart.
Always read the book first…..to me the book is the true story…movies cut stuff out to allow for time….effects….etc
I cant do both Ì either read or watch
Read then watch
I like to watch first. I feel like I enjoy the movie more if I am not comparing them.
Always read, then maybe watch. They are turning every book into a movie now, I’m not feeling it.
Book first 🙂
Typically, I don’t find out that there’s a book until I’ve already seen the movie
Book first, ALWAYS !!!
Read the book first because it has details you would otherwise miss in a movie. Watching the movie after reading the book is so much more interesting, especially if they are both at par. But, of course, it has its own negatives – you sometimes do not appreciate a movie as much as it deserves only because you are partial towards the book.
I try to do book first then movie – but honestly, I’m not always aware said movie was a book until after. ??♀️
If I watch movie first, it’s like a huge spoiler for the book and don’t enjoy it as much, so if movie comes first, I rarely read the book after.
Book first always
Read first else if u knew the story from the movie, you’d never enjoy the book.
See I enjoy the book so much more reading after the movie cuz I feel like he book is the extended version of that makes sense.
But you’d already know the story/plot. Would you still enjoy the book after the movie?
If yes, then I’d like to say, “To each his/her own”. No?
I would never be able to pick a book once I knew the story. Even if a friend or cousin told me the story orally, I can’t read then.
Oh yeah for sure. To each their own. Very few people in fact agree with me there lol! But I watch the movie knowing when I read I will be getting so much more from the books. But it’s definitely a personal preference… I just fall into the smaller group who like to watch first is all. I have done it both way and I find I won’t enjoy the movie at all if I read because I am always comparing. Plus when I watch I know no matter how good the movie is I am getting a book that’s even better.
My reply was in no way meant to criticize and I am sorry if it came across hat way ?
No no pls…you dint sound negative at all.
In fact I was wondering that maybe I should try your idea of watching the movie first n try the book next.
I do know that a movie cannot accommodate everything from the book due to screen time limitation and definitely the book has much more than the movie but somehow, I cannot read any book if I already knew the story.
But will try one and see how it feels.
Thx so much.
@Seema no problem, the worst that can happen is you find that you are right about the way you prefer them.
I always read first until I just happened to watch the first 5 Harry Potter movies prior to reading and realized that I enjoy the first 5 movies more than the last 3 because I was always comparing the last 3 to the books.
Awww thank you! That is actually my niece. She is a couple months old.
She’s beautiful. My eldest niece is expecting a baby sometime in March ’18. Can’t wait to hold a new little baby in my arms. My youngest nephew is all grown now and its many years since we had a new baby in the house.
I don’t have any children so maybe thats my attraction for new babies (they smell heavenly).
I typically like to see the movie first, because the movie 99.9% of the time will disappoint you if you read the book first. Only problem with that is like @Seema said…sometimes you know the plot and that doesn’t make the movie as enjoyable. The flip side of that is if you watch the movie first, you don’t develop your own ideas of what the characters look like.
Actually, i watched the 5th wave and then read the book, and i was kind of bummed that the thing that’s supposed to catch you off guard, i already knew was coming. So i guess it works both ways.
Read the book. Never watch the movie.
I always like to read the book first when possible…HOWEVER I find that if I watch the movie after a book it is usually a let down where as if I watch the movie first I can actually enjoy the movie and the book ends up still being better but it’s like an upgrade..if that makes sense.
Since the books is almost always better than the movie, I prefer to watch the movie first then read the book. That way the movie doesn’t disappoint me. But it usually does not work out that way cuz the books come out long before the movie is made.
I watch the movie first, if I can. I generally enjoy the movie more that way. I’m not looking for all the things they screwed up. Unless they completely screw it up(like Eragon, which I watched and enjoyed right up until I read the books), I can generally still enjoy the movie after reading the book.
I was in LOVE with the eragon books and I didn’t even realize the movie was based off them for quite awhile as it was sooo different!
Movie first
I’m so glad there is more than me.
I prefer to read the book first.
I read the book and never watch the movie ?
Always, book 1st !!
I always read the book first. I feel like I should. But then I’m just PISSED the whole time. I find I enjoy the movies much more when I find out it’s a book after I’ve watched it. But I still insist on reading the book first Everytime lol. It’s a conundrum.
… Always read first. Easy
Always Book first because movies adaptation is such a failure most of the time that it will make you hate the book, you will be discouraged to read the book if you watched the movie first?
Book first every time x
Book then movie, Always!!
I usually read the book first. And I try to wait a while before watching the movie- that way the details are not as fresh in my mind
There has been the odd one in which the movie was better. Ted Danson in Gulliver’s Travels.
I read the book
Book first ALWAYS!!
In my experience, the book is always amazing and the film comes a poor second, “The help” was an amazing book, whereas I didn’t like the film at all.
Movie first, that way you can enjoy it. Then read the book.
I go with movie first.
Book first!
The book!
Book first!
Book, book, book.
Depends. I don’t not watch a film cause I haven’t read the book.
same
Always read the book.
Book first
Read the book, don’t bother with the movie!
For me, it depends. If the book in in a genre I don’t care to read, for example, hard science fiction or horror, then I go ahead and watch the movie. Oddly, I LOVE sci-fi movies. Otherwise, reading the book first is optimal, in my opinion. I saw the Twilight movies before reading any of the books. When I tried reading the first book, all I could picture in my head was the actress from the movie being all pathetic and whiny. I couldn’t finish the book.
There are a few of downsides to reading the book first though:
1. Most people are disappointed by the movie because they expect everything in the book to be in the movie. Not possible.
2. You start telling your friends, “that wasn’t in the book!” during the movie.
3. You already know what happens.
Book first
Always book first I think
Depends how good the film looks! I watched The Maze Runner first and then went out to buy the books! Did the same with Misery! 🙂
Different media, different narrative style, ergo, either way :):):)
It honestly really depends, though most of the time I watch the movie first and – if I get around to it because my to read list is already so huge – read the books.
Book first. It takes longer.
book first. though NEVER watch the movie while reading the book. huge mistake.
Read first. Movie is not as good but if you watch first your imagination doesn’t get to envision so many things, like what the characters look like
Always the book first! Then the movie may or may not follow, but not until you’ve basked in the afterglow of the book for some time..?
If I have not read the book, I watch the movie first and put the book on my to read list to read later when I don’t remember the movie too well. Watching the movie after you have just read the book will sometimes just make you notice what they have left out and how they have changed characters rather than just enjoying the movie.
I usually read the books first, but sometimes to really understand you have to watch the movie.
Sometimes the movie complements the book, but sometimes it is just a mess that you cannot understand without having read the books. I watched the movie The Lovely Bones and was totally confused. The only reason why I had any idea of what was happening was because I had read the book. I enjoyed the movie The Joy Luck Club so much because it showed details of the culture that I could not understand until I saw them in the movie.
Sometimes, I see the movie and then find out there’s a book.
Always, ALWAYS read the book first. 🙂
Read the book first!!
Nothing wrong with getting to the movie first. It does cost equally, but it’s often easier to put a DVD in.
I ALWAYS read the book first. Movies seem to ruin the book for me….. example Jack Reacher threw me off the rest of the book series.
I love to read the book first, I can picture the characters how I want!
Movie first then book. The other way around is always disappointing.
As others said on here, it depends. Yes, watching a movie first can ruin the book, especially thrillers and horrors, but it can go the other way as well. I also think seeing a movie first can help understand some of the more complex and densely written books. Just like @Zoe, if it’s a genre I don’t care for, like for me I’m not a romance fan, with the exception of some classics, so I would rather watch a romance, I just go see the movie.
Always read the book first, books are always better.
I read the book and if I enjoyed it I watch the film
I don’t think I’ve ever watched a film that’s better.. I guess the film should help to add pictures to your imagination
Read book first.
I don’t know…whichever way you want ?
Read the book if you want the whole real story then watch the movie and complain how nobody looks like you imagined them and why did they leave out so much good stuff and I can’t believe they changed so much.
Generally the book first. Some movies though, are done from books I may not ordinarily read, so I can decide if I want to give the book a go.
Book first always!
It depends – sometimes I don’t realise the film was a book originally. For instance I love old black and white films and 2 of my favourites are The Ghost and Mrs Muir (not black & white but you know what I mean) and Mr Skeffington. I loved the Mr Skeffington film and was delighted to find it was a book by Elizabeth von Armin. I read that and then all her other books and she is now one of my all time gave authors. So, although I would normally say book 1st I am always open to new spheres of influence ?
I try to do the book first, but sometimes not always the option 😉
Book
Book..the screen writer butchers the poor book for his own ends.they dont care.films are just money spinners to them.a book is somthing pure..
If I read the book, I won’t watch the movie. If I see the movie, I won’t read the book
I watch the movie first if there is any..than I read the book..It makes me adopt the situasion and hero..and I can imagine things like the forest..the weather…the real dress…the smile….the pain…
I don’t bother with the movie
If I read the book first then I usually end up watching the movie. But if I watch the movie first, I never bother picking up the book.
I never know. When i watch a movie first i wished i’d read the book but then i already know the end when i read the book…
And when i read the book first then the movie is always boring. The only time i was good surprised was twilight Breaking Dawn part 2 in the fight at the end. And also the special effect for the amazon clan was great
But i usually prefer reading the book first. More details. You know better how the character feels.
I prefer to read the book and let my imagination “see” the characters and the action. I’m usually unhappy with the movie and some times down right mad!!
see the movie first because they’re never as good as the book and you’ll be disappointed but might like the movie if you’re not comparing it to the book.
It depends on what it is! I’m not usually disappointed, because I expect a movie to be an “interpretation” rather than the same. I started reading “A Dog’s Purpose” and was appalled at how bad the writing was, I couldn’t get past the second chapter, but I enjoyed the movie. I decided the idea was good, and I was right that the movie was cute, in spite of the book being lousy.
Which proves that sometimes the movie is better. Of course, it’s always in matter of opinion.
Yes this happens to me too. Like papertown… could finish the book
The longest ride(with the sexy cowboy) i wish i would have read the book first!!!!
Read first!
Read the book and skip the movie! Lol. I find that movies based on novels are always disappointing!
Book first always
book first however big the movie is
Why do you need a movie if you can imagine all tha happenings in the storyline in your mind.
Book first — to see how the movie is supposed to be.
Book
Always
I read the book first. It’s fun to see how the movie compares, even if it’s bad.
Also, people who think they don’t need to read the book because they saw the movie make me downright rage.
I used to read the book first, but I was disappointed by the movie so often, that I have come to prefer watching the movie first, THEN fill in with the book.
Read the book first
Book first.
Definitely read the book first!
Book always first. Then you’re ready to be disappointed by the movie.
Don’t bother watching the movie. 🙂
If you like the book, don’t watch the film. It’ll spoil it. If you thought the book was just o.k., watch the film. Hitchcock used to say that awful books made great movies.
I used to read first then watch the movie but I always ended up judging the movie. So now I watch then read so I can appreciate both. If that makes any sense. ?
I like to read first than will check with the movie. But on rare occasions I end up getting to know the book through its movies and tv shows. On this contrary I end up reading them later. ?
Books first!!!
Book always first
I always read the book first. So much more details than films which often have time constraints meaning parts of the book get left out if the director feels they’re not crucial to the overall story.
Read the book ? first
It varies for me. Usually, I see the movie first, because I don’t even know there is a book. Sometimes that doesn’t happen though. Usually, I can separate the movie as being different from the book, and I’m ok with it. Usually. The Hobbit is one I couldn’t do that even a bit, as well as Eragon.
Depends on the book or the movie. If the dilemma is about Harry Potter, read the book(s) first. I myself have seen the Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones and Twilight movies/series first. I intend to read the Lord of the Rings. I don’t intend to read the books by GRRMartin or the Twilight books.
Book!
I always read the book first . If I hear good reviews about the movie I end up watching it otherwise I avoid watching films.
Book then movie, so you can whine about how many scenes were distorted to adjust to the timeline
I always read the book first, and it’s usually better than the movie, IMHO.
I’m watching Home Alone first then ima read the book haha ive watched it a zillion times haha
Book first
Book first 🙂
Book first and then sometime i’d watch the movie too..
I read book first and I am usually disappointed with the movie