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Sunday 31 May 2015

Is the film ever better than the book? - Part 2: Children's Books

The problem with book adaptations

The picture above illustrates one of the main problems with book to film adaptations -  that key plot points and character details are deemed unimportant by the film-makers but of utmost importance by the readers. The is often much more upsetting when it comes to children's books because we, as readers, have so much more ownership of a book that was part of our childhood - as Harry Potter was to mine.

Tuesday 12 May 2015

Is the film ever better than the book? - Part 1: First Person Narratives

Book vs. Film

I am prone to making sweeping statements in life concerning my bookish loyalty, such as:

"Oh my God the book is always so much better than the film."
"Do film makers have any original ideas at all?"
"You haven't read the book!?!"
"I don't like to be told how to think and feel - I prefer to use my own imagination."

And I will continue to use them on a regular basis so people know I am more well read than them and generally better at life than them - obviously. Despite the smug joy of almost always having read the book first, for the most part it is always true - how could the intricacies of the book ever be properly translated? Particularly in books written in the first person.