Book vs Movie.
Who reads the book after they watch the movie? Who? Anyone?
No one. No one will read the book after they watch the movie. Why? The movie has polluted their entire view of the characters. No imagination is necessary now. It’s a sad, sad world now — for the reader.
Harold “I want to be a bad wizard” Potter no longer remained this million strong youthful boy in glasses and scar after the first movie came out. No. Harry Potter became Daniel Radcliffe; Harry – No More Imagination Need Be Applied – Potter.
The fact remains that, if you read the book AFTER you watch the movie you will find yourself ROBBED. Robbed of your own imaginative powers. Your own view of how the world of the author should play out in-your-own-mind.
The Girl with all the Gifts is a great — great — zombie novel. It’s a great novel in general. But, yes, it’s a zombie novel — the only one to ever have approached the concept with valid and realistic science — but zombie nonetheless. Were you to watch this novel as the movie, before you read the book, you would be robbed of your mind’s own powers of imaginative projection. A great and noble power indeed.
Would you EVER read the book after you watched the movie? No. No you would not.
Book -> movie works.
Movie -> book does not.
A cinematic, theatrical interpretation of a novel KILLS the written version. At least for a generation. Perhaps, in 2020 or 2030, readers of Harry Potter or The Girl with all the Gifts might, once again, enjoy the written versions. Until then? Movies killed the literary star.
Anonymole - apocryphal agitators 
I wonder what the woman in The Shadow Shoals will look like in the movie.
I have her dark haired cut above the shoulder, sturdy, slightly bent, older, (45-55 years) and kind looking.
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From my notes: Kasmira: “K” 52 year old woman, strong, taciturn, stoic, calm, methodical, determined, stubborn, kind, cautious, vicious when cornered. “Kasmira” means command peace, spiritual.
She does show her short cropped grey hair when she removes her cap, laying in the leaves above the grave.
Chpt 2 didn’t come out as finely finessed as I’d hoped. The next 2k words, are hopefully better (pending edits.)
Again, warm thanks for reading any of this story.
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I think I make it a must now to seek out the novel to read before watching a film that intrigues me. I found it impossible not to imagine Harrison Ford when I read the Blade Runner novel after reaching the film.
There is often something “raw” about the first form of something. I learned a lot when I read then watched, and then listened to the commentary of The Hunger Games series; films become the director’s take and how the actors interpret the characters, although in this case they had the author on hand. Some things have to be adapted to make them work well on screen, other times people make a hash of things.
Incidentally, I recently watched the 2012 version of Total Recall and really enjoyed it. The name sounded familiar but I did no research prior to watching it. I then learned it was “inspired by the short story ‘We Can Remember It For You Wholesale’ by Philip K. Dick”, which I have found is part of a collection of ebooks I downloaded after watching ‘Electric Dreams’ ( https://bmhonline.wordpress.com/2017/11/08/p-k-dicks-reality ) over a month ago. I have started to read that story, but may well get a copy of the original Total Recall film (1990) – so my digesting order will be totally messed up. Critics say the 2012 isn’t as good as the 1990, but since I enjoyed the former so much I’m thinking it’s a matter of perspective.
I wrote more here: https://bmhonline.wordpress.com/2015/07/11/books-before-films
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I’m the same. If a movie is coming out, that has a book that I might like, I’ll hunt the novel down first. Then of course, as I refuse to see any movie in a theater anymore – I have – we have – the luxury of waiting forever to see a movie, fitting them into our schedule and not the film industry’s.
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By the way, I will run to the library to check out :The Girl With All The Gifts.” Sounds good!
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It’s no Heinlein, or Foster, but upon nightly retirement, I found myself anxious to continue the read. This is the gauge I use to evaluate a novel.
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Agreed. The movie version is shallow and much is left out. But I have read the book after watching the movie…not often, but it does happen…only to learn how much I missed.
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I tend to speak in absolutes, if for no other reason than to spur reaction. Yes, I too have read a few books after movies. Recently, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which, oddly enough, was a thin and uninspiring visage compared to Gene Wilder’s rendition. But, perhaps that should have been my expectation, I mean, how could anyone compete?
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I think you’re right for the most part.
I’ve seen all the Harry Potter movies, but read maybe half of the first book when I was younger. Because I’ve seen the movies my desire to read the books is pretty low. However, even before the movies came out…I only read half of the first book…I didn’t really want to read them to begin with.
Also, I actually have read the book after watching the movie. I first loved Pride and Prejudice the movie / miniseries before I even thought to pick up the book. The love for the movie grew to curiosity about the book. Now that I’ve read it I obviously love it more than the movie, but the movie is what inspired me to try to read the book.
And if I’m honest that’s the case for North and South (Elisabeth Glaskell) and Bleak House (Charles Dickens)
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As you’ve pointed out, there are undoubtedly some duos that work well both ways. Stephen King’s novels often are like that. The Shining? The book/movie pair are like two halves of a complete story. Clan of the Cavebear? The Hobbit. All are worthy reads before or after viewing the movie.
But, many, as I allude to, end up having the movie fully pollute one’s imagination. Maybe that’s OK. You could have worse visions of Hermione Granger than Emma Watson.
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