Struggling Authors

This is a great topic.
I thought LOTR was brilliant. For the simple reason that the film matched very closely the 'film' that ran in my head when I read it.
Perhaps that is the measure of how well a book transfers to film. It would then make it a highly personal matter and everyone's experience would be different; thus making this discussion irrelevant!
If one has a highly visual imagination as a reader then the Hollywood version is almost bound to be disappointing - the writer has already directed your film, in your head, and it is 100% true to the text, by default.
One of my favourite passages of all times is 'The piper at the gates of dawn' from 'Wind in the Willows'. No one has ever come close to creating the mystical atmosphere of that passage on film. In fact, I don't know why they bother trying.

That's one of the main reasons I think the Harry Potter films are so terrible. In my head the books are so real, and the film just doesn't match up. The way I imagine it the schools so much bigger, Dumbledore is so much older, and the kids (well, I say kids, the actors are only a couple of years younger than me) are definitely much better actors... (if only I'd been two years younger I could've gone for the part of Hermione!).

I'd just like to throw in The Silence of the Lambs as a film that did the book justice.

I have never read LOTR but I thought the films were brilliant.

I've thought of another film that although not better than the book, certainly does it justice (even if it's not totally true to the original story) - Bridget Jones Diary (the first, not the second). If I remember rightly Helen Fielding had something to do with the film as well, which is probably why.

I don't think I've ever seen the whole of Silence of the Lambs - large chunks of it, but not the whole thing. Don't know if I'd want to read the book of that one...

I went to see the film P.S I Love You the other night. It is a few years since I read the book, so I can't remember all the detail, but I could tell that the film is quite a bit different to the book. Okay, the basic premise is there, that Holly loses her husband at a young age, then starts to receive letters from him, which help her to move on with her life. For starters, Holly is supposed to be Irish and the book is set in Ireland, whereas in the film, Holly is American and lives in the US (though Gerry is Irish and they do go to Ireland for part of the film). Holly does not become a shoe designer in the book, and in the book her parent's are still together, whereas in the film her mum has been deserted.

The book therefore, is better than the film, but you can enjoy the film in its own right. I think it is a good thing that they have changed some of the details, because it means that the book and the film can be enjoyed separately (if you know what I mean).

In general, when a book is made into a film, I try to enjoy the film for its own sake, rather than making comparisons.

I have to say that I thought the two Bridget Jones films were excellent, and just as enjoyable as the books.

Sorry guys, this is all about chick-lit and chick flicks!

Actually, I was quite annoyed that they've changed the book so dramatically (even though I haven't seen it yet...) I loved the book the first time I read it - not brilliantly written, but the story was good enough that I could get past that. It wound me up a bit that they moved it from Ireland - and in the trailer is a clip of her falling over when doing karaoke, but in the book that was a very tender scene, where she was terribly bad at singing, but did it because Gerry told her to. From what I've read she's a good singer in the film, and likes singing.

I just think that if they're going to change things so much they should give the film a different name.

OK, rant over.

Sorry.

The Devil Wears Prada was a far better book than movie. Sorry to lower the tone...

I loved the book and the film - although once again it annoyed me that they changed it so much! What happened to Lily's alcoholism and car crash? And why was Nate called Alex? And why was he a cook instead of a teacher? And why wasn't Miranda English?

Do love this line though:

"Wish me luck!"
"No, shan't."