What do you think about books that have been adapted for the screen? Was your favourite book ruined or did you actually prefer the film version?
Here are a few examples of books which have appeared on the big screen recently:
- Eat, Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
Shutter Island - The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
- The Road by Cormac McCarthy
- Atonement by Ian McEwan
- My Sister’s Keeper by Jodie Picoult
- The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
- Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
And we can also look forward to adaptations of:
- Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
- The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
- One Day by David Nicholls
- Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Are you a fan of film adaptations or do you avoid them at all costs? Did a favourite book work well on the screen? And how do you feel when screen writers change the ending?
Let us know what you think by clicking on the ‘comments’ link below!
This month’s moderator: Rachel
64 comments:
Dear Bex-Read! This is one to ponder! I normally loathe the way film manages mangle a decent story - but there are exceptions - one of my favourites - "Far From the Madding Crowd" is arguably better on screen ... and the frankly disappointing ending of "I am Legend" (Will Smith) was in fact superior to the bizarre ending of the original book by Matheson. And then .. how successful would Mr.H.Potter have been if there had been no screen version?
Hello,
I agree about exceptions to the rule - one of mine is Chocolat by Joanne Harris. I've seen the film countless times and always enjoyed it but I seem to remember finding the book a little bit dull...
Also, a good point about Harry Potter - how many other people read the series just because of the films? Or avoided it maybe?
Rachel
Hmmm, a thorny subject.
If I've loved a book, I'm always very wary of the film. The Time Traveler's Wife is an example. I avoided the film for ages, then finally plucked up courage ...
Not bad at all. The actress who played Clare was fantastic. I wasn't quite so keen on the Henry actor - he needed to be a bit more appealing, but he was ok. They handled the constant changes in age/time really well. It made me cry, just like the book.
The only bit I didn't like was the changed ending. Why do they do that! But a fairly minor criticism as the film overall was well done.
Chocolat's an interesting one. I read Lollipop Shoes first, not realising it was a sequel to Chocolat, and loved everything about it. Joanne Harris really brings the smell and taste of chocolate to life and her characters are gorgeous.
I watched a bit of the film (Chocolat)and wasn't that bothered about it, especially as they changed the character of the priest, then read the book and enjoyed it, but not as much as Lollipop Shoes.
I'm sure my feelings towards the books and the film were coloured by reading/watching then all in the wrong order.
My most favourite screen adaptations must be Brideshead Revisited ( the original TV adaptation), To Kill a Mockingbird and of course the wonderful Lord of the Rings. I can't wait for the film of my all time favourite The Hobbit which I understand is now being filmed. Personally I prefer to have read the book first though. Did any one see the recent TV adaptation of the Suspicions of Mr Whicher? I enjoyed the TV version having not read the book yet but I'm told the twists and turns in the book were better. I see that there is soon to be a TV version of Case Histories with one of our favourite detectives from last month Jackson Brodie. And finally I can't end without mention of Gone with the Wind. I loved the film but was equally taken with the book which again had far more twists and turns to the plot than I had expected. So in answer to the question book or film I would have to answer both!
Val
I've just finished watching the DVD of Tamara Drewe which was adapted from the graphic novel of the same name by cartoonist Posy Simmonds.
Loosely based on the plot of Far from the Madding Crowd, the graphic novel's wonderful artwork, sharply observed characters, and pointed satirical humour make it a delight from start to finish.
The plot follows the fates of a group of villagers and visitors to a writers' retreat all thrown into turmoil by the arrival back into the village of Tamara, a young siren complete with newly-minted media career, self regard and nose.
The film is also good fun, although sanitised at the end. The acting is especially good by the two disaffected teenagers who have a blast as village mischief-makers.
Gorgeous Dorset countryside and farmhouse locations in the film almost exactly replicate the images in Posy Simmonds drawings and are visually stunning.
I'm unable to say which I enjoyed more, the book or the film, because both made me laugh out loud and both are visual treats.
I shall be revisiting the book though for the pleasure of the artwork, especially the expressions on the faces of the struggling writers.
Hi Sharon, I can't bear it when they change the endings! Charlotte Gray is a case in point - absolutely beautiful book where Charlotte is utterly motivated by her love for Peter Gregory, yet the film relegated Peter to a sideline and totally missed the point! I'm in familiar 'soap box' territory here...
Hi Val, I was slightly disappointed by the adaptation of Mr Whicher. I haven't read the book yet but didn't feel 'I must read that one next' after watching it. I found the adaptation a bit unsatisfying, particularly the unclear end - is the book also unclear?
Hi Janis, I hadn't realised that Tamara Drewe started life as a graphic novel. It's nice to hear that the film makers stuck closely to the novel though - replicating scenery sounds like a really nice touch, particularly for fans of the novel. It sounds like an excellent adaptation if it made you want to rediscover the novel all over again, too!
Rachel
Hello, all…
There’s some interesting stuff here, isn’t there.
Personally, I don’t usually like to read a book AFTER seeing the film, it spoils the mental images for me…
A few comments so far on the books you’ve mentioned…
* I did enjoy the recent TV version of Mister Whicher (I thought the detective playing him was excellent). I`ve not read the book, though…what does anyone else think?...
* I`ve never hated a film more than ‘chocolate`, more tripe than confectionery…
* One of the strangest TV/book experiences I`ve had was watching the (BBC) adaptation of the Wallander crime novels…I love the books, and had a picture in my mind of the scenes and setting, so when I saw them on TV I thought `wow!` - I`ve been there already! They were so accurate, so right…but that’s rare, I reckon.
I am a lazy reader so quite like to see a film first but agree it is annoying when they change the endings Captain coreilli's mandolin for example.
Thought the Lord of Rings was quite faithful to books.
Best Jane eyre adaptation was BBC's with Timothy Dalton and very faithful to the book.
Have also seen Suspicions of Mr whicher which I enjoyed, sometimes this tempts me to read the book.
Dear 'Phantom' - we'll have to agree to disagree over Chocolat! Interesting point about reading the book after seeing the film though - do others find that film images stick in their minds?
Hi Pauline, did you hear that there's going to be another adaption of Jane Eyre in the cinema this summer? I find it quite frustrating to see the same books adapted over and over again. Will you be tempted to see it?
Rachel
Yes, Val – you’re certainly right about the original ITV series ‘Brideshead Revisited’ (they don’t make ‘em like that anymore!) – it was fantastic, (and probably fantastically expensive to make?) and – a rare thing , dare I say it, even more enjoyable than the book?
And yes, the film version of ‘The Hobbit’ could be good…(I’ve heard that it’s being filmed in an old warehouse in Watford, which doesn’t thrill the senses, though…)
One other thought on films and books…How about Charles Frazier’s ‘Cold Mountain’?...A superb, brilliant book, and one which the film did justice to. Anyone else seen or read it?
Hi all
I read The Suspicions of Mr Whicher with North Heath Reading Group and we found the ending pretty frustrating. We expected the author to identify the murderer but she didn't. Reading the book didn't really make me want to watch the TV version.
Thought of another one. Master and Commander is one of my favourite films. I started reading the books after watching the film and love them just as much. Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany were perfectly cast as Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. The film pulled together various stories from different books in the series and it worked really well. If only they'd make a sequel...
I was very disappointed with the film adaptation of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire. I quite enjoyed the books, although did find the first one a bit of a challenge to get in to. I felt that there was a lot of bits missing in the film; things that seemed quite important in the book didn't appear on the screen.
Well, I`ve seen both 'Master & Commander' and 'Girl with the dragon tattoo'and I think I`m going to take a middle way here...
I thought both films were good, BUT neither was as good as the books...The film of 'Dragon Tattoo` didn't leave much to the imagination, which is the whole point of reading isn't it?...(Although the actress who played Lisbeth was just as I`d pictured her).
'Master and Commader' was a really good action & adventure film, but couldn't capture the slow moving psychological bonds between Aubrey and Maturin that the book(s) have.
Still, what do I know know...(I always reckon that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is the greatest film ever made1)
Hello all,
I keep meaning to read the Master and Commander series after seeing the film - I love the music in it.
The Steig Larsson series on the other hand I've found completely unappealing, despite all the hype. Did I read there's going to be another Hollywood remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? Are you hoping for better things from the new version Lisa?
On another note entirely I went to see Water for Elephants at the cinema this weekend - an adaptation of the Sara Gruen novel. The showing was surprisingly empty which got me thinking about whether the screen writers should have changed the title of the film to appeal to a wider audience? What do others think about changing the book titles for films?
Rachel
I can't think of any books or films with different titles...Which ones are you thinkin g of?
Hello there,
I can think of a few films which had different titles to the books they were based on...
* 'Precious' adapted from the novel Push by Sapphire
* 'Slumdog Millionaire' from Q&A by Vikas Swarup
* 'Million Dollar Baby' from Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner' by F. X. Toole
The last two have both been reissued since under the film titles. Would 'Slumdog Millionaire' have been as successful if it had stuck with the original novel title of Q&A? It certainly sounds a lot less exciting to me!
Can anyone else think of any other examples?
Rachel
I read The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and saw the TV adaption, which I felt was effective and close to the book [although it had to be shorter]. As the book was telling a true story from the early days of detective work, it could only give the information available through research into the investigation at the time or stray into speculation and fiction. I admired the TV adaption for avoiding the temptation to change the end.
I generally find films of books really frustrating; I was absolutely outraged by the changed ending of My Sister's Keeper. It changed the entire tone of the book and turned it into a tearjerker, when it really was a thought-provoking book on ethical dilemmas. Highly irritating!
Having said that, I saw the film Eats, Prays, Loves recently and have now downloaded the book to read, which I expect will be much better!
Generally I much pefer the book to the film, mainly because so much seems to be left out of films, including characters which can be really annoying and if they change the ending, well, don't even get me started on that! Tv series adaptations are usually good though I suppose because they have more time to fit everything in. The BBC always do Dickens very well, I loved Little Dorrit, Bleak House and David Copperfield which was on quite a few years ago now but had a great perfornmance from Nicholas Lyndhurst as the "ever so 'umble" Uriah Heep. Also I have to mention the BBC's version of Pride and Prejudice, lots of us Jane Austen fans will never be quite the same again!!
Lisa, you’re so right about BBC adaptations of Dickens etc….(the trouble is, they’re so good, I feel that I don’t NEED to read the books…is that wrong?)
Also, I reckon I`ve got a film that was actually better than the book…’Silence of the lambs’ – a truly terrifying film, but I found the book less good….even a bit annoying (but don’t tell Hannibal Lecter that!)
Hi Paula, welcome to Bex-Read! I share your frustration with changed endings that alter the whole tone from the original intention of the author. I'm interested that you've downloaded Eat, Pray, Love in the hope that it's better than the film. You'll have to let us know how you get on with it! Generally if I didn't like the film I don't go out of my way to read the book - perhaps I'm missing a lot of good things!
And I agree with both Lisa and Will about the brilliance of BBC adaptations - although as you say Will, it can lead to a bit of laziness. On the subject of Austen adaptations, the only reason I kept reading Sense and Sensibility at school was for the bit where Marianne wandered across the fields crying 'Willoughby! Willoughby!'. This scene appears in the film but not in the book - my teenage self was outraged!
Rachel
Dear Will
You really do need to read the books with Dickens - there is so much you miss if you only see it on the screen. It's true that his books are rather long but you miss so many narrator's comments to the reader that are Dicken's observations on life at the time and it is quite likely that even some of the action will have been cut.
Re Dickens -
Thanks, Jil...yes, I know...but I`m so lazy...and life's too short...and it's so much easier just to watch it...One day, maybe?...
So many discussions here that I want to join in with...
Will, I'm really surprised that you feel the Master and Commander film didn't capture the psychological bond between Jack and Stephen. That was what made me want to read the books!
There's all the conflict between them (in the film) over Stephen's desire to discover new species while Jack wants to tear around capturing pirate ships etc but they understand each other and manage to compromise sometimes (and Stephen sulks very prettily). Jack putting Stephen first when his life's in danger... The violin/cello scenes...
There was a lot to cram into the film but I think they did an excellent job with the characters.
Paula - I'm with you on the changed ending of My Sister's Keeper and I haven't even seen the film! The ending of the book had a big impact on us at North Heath Reading Group because it came as such a surprise. Why the need to change it? It worked.
Two other books we read and enjoyed as a group are being/have been made into films:
We Need to Talk About Kevin - I have no idea how they're going to do it because the book is all told from the mother's viewpoint and we're unsure all the way through about whether we can trust her version. It would be really difficult to achieve the same feeling with a film, I think.
We also thoroughly enjoyed Never Let Me Go but apparently you find out something crucial right at the beginning of the film (trying not to give away too much here) that you don't find out until near the end of the book. I would imagine that changes the feel of the story completely too.
Just thought of another film that was very well done and very true to the book - Tracy Chevalier's Girl with a Pearl Earring.
Beautiful to watch and really captured the slow, dreamy pace of the book.
Re film of 'Master & Commander'...
Well knock me down with a feather!
I don't recall any of those bits, only the explosions, cannons and swordfights - which only goes to show how shallow we chaps are, I dare say.
(I remember one bloke telling me once that he'd read the first book in the Master & Commander series, and they were so good that he wasn't going to read any more until he retired, so he could savour them, and ream 'em over and over again...I hope that he got round to it!)
I agree with people who have said that if you just see the film you miss out on so much of the detail, and so often characters who are hardly seen in the film will have been major players in the book.
An example that particularly comes to mind is Harry Potter, where there is so much more to the world that JK Rowling has created that cannot be squeezed into the films.
There is one example of a film I liked so much that I don't want to read the book in case its really different, which is About a Boy. I don't want to find things about the characters that might make me like them less, and if the ending in the book is different I'd be really upset!
I was interested to hear that they are making a film version of We Need to Talk About Kevin. I found the ambiguity in the book was what made it so gripping, it will be interesting to see how the film turns out.
Hello,
I think 9 times out of 10 the books are much better. The Harry Potter films misses so much that are in the books. The Twilight Saga books are much better than the films, the films are good but with the books you use your own imagination.
I read Steig Larsson's triology and found the books more gripping, exciting and thrilling but unfortunately the films were not up to the books. I didn't even bother watching the third one.
On the plus side of films, I have enjoyed watching the Lord of the Rings films, only because I have never read the books - started once but found them very hard going.
What! Never read 'Lord of the Rings'?...
I know the films were good, and most of the characters looked just like I’d imagined them...But really, the hobbits should've much, much hairier...no?
Hello all,
I did try to read Lord of the Rings once (after I'd seen the films) and the detail was fascinating but I found it was a set of books that needed real concentration to get the best out of them and I never even made it half way through the first one. I do feel as if I should go back and try again though. I'm reminded of a quote used on plastic bags at a well known bookshop:'The world is divided into people who have read Lord of the Rings and those who keep meaning to'.
I also agree with Caroline about the Harry Potter films missing so much out. I was really surprised that the detail with Neville and the prophecy was cut out when this seemed quite important in the book.
There's also lots of little details which have been cut - for instance in the book when Dobby dies Harry and Ron carefully dress him in proper clothes before burying him (which I found just so sad) but it was completely glossed over in the film. I do realise that's a tiny detail but I remembered it so clearly from reading the book and it would have only taken up seconds of film footage. Having said that I've just seen a trailer for the new film which looks fantastic - I just really hope they do it justice!
Rachel
Lord of the Rings - it was the first book I read when I started work [on the bus and in lunchbreaks] - my colleagues thought I'd be reading it forever. I can't remember how long it took but I did finish it and enjoy it. Then I went on to read The Hobbit - back to front maybe but it didn't matter.
Hi Caroline
We Need to Talk About Kevin was shown at the Cannes Festival this week.
Unfortunately I wasn't there (maybe next year...) - but the Guardian gave it four stars and a really good review.
And apparently Lionel Shriver loves it.
I read Lord of the Rings in my early 20s and loved it.
By the time the films came out, I'd forgotten so much of the book, which was probably a good thing as I wasn't hung up on things they missed out or things they did differently.
I thoroughly enjoyed the films - the scenery was incredible.
I wonder how much difference it makes whether you watch a film soon after reading the book? Is the book too fresh in your mind?
Hi Sharon,
I think it does make a difference if you watch the film a short time after reading the book. I think all the intricacies of the plot and little character details would still be really fresh - leading to irritation with even the tiniest change!
I've also been re-reading The House at Riverton lately and am really hoping that a screen writer somewhere is considering an adaptation as I think it would make a fantastic film. Anyone else hoping for a favourite book to be adapted?
Rachel
Hello, Rachel…
You were asking for suggestions about books which SHOULD be filmed?...
Well, two newish authors I`m really enjoying at present are Tim Gautreaux (Deep South yarns, great characters, potentially wonderful settings) and Alan Furst (Espionage novels set in 1940s Europe…a bit seedy, a bit sinister, very filmable!)
Any producers out there?...
I finished reading Water for Elephants, a lovely book which throughout is amusing, sad, cruel, delightful. It draws you in so you just have to keep reading it.
Then I made the mistake of seeing the film which I was looking forward to as I had the vision of what it should be like in my mind. It was horrific, incidents were swapped around, characters removed, great chunks of made up rubbish filmed, great chunks missed out. There was none of the essence of the book at all, it was like it was on fastforward and I stupidly kept thinking it was going to get better but alas it was not to be.
Anyone who's seen the film and is put off reading the book, I can honestly say, there is no comparison, the book is a gem.
Barb
Hi Rachel and Barb
Very interested in your comments about Water for Elephants. The book seems to have passed me by completely. Could you tell us a bit about it without giving too much away?
Has anyone read/seen I Capture the Castle (by Dodie Smith). A gorgeous book about growing up and the film was perfectly done. Hugely appealing. I'd highly recommend both book and film - and the film certainly wouldn't make you yell at the screen in frustration.
Hi Sharon and Rachel
I've read the I capture the castle and loved it, I didn't even know that a film of it existed I shall have to look out for it. I agree Rachel The house at Riverton would make a good film in fact Kate Morton's other two titles would aswell, provided they had a good director that didn't leave out characters or decide to change the ending!! According to one of our reader's in the recent series of Vera (Telling Tales by Ann Cleeves) the murderer was changed! Surely that is going too far, it would be interesting to know what authors think of tv/film adaptations of their books, do they have any say in the production or do they just sign over the rights for a nice fat cheque? Not that I'd blame them for that, after all who is going to turn down a good pay package and publicity.
Hi Will,
Your two suggestions sound great - I love a good spy thriller! Any ideas who would play the leads?
Hi Barb & Sharon,
I've yet to read Water for Elephants but have to agree that the film doesn't make you want to rush out and pick up the nearest copy. I didn't understand the relationship between the Jacob and Marlena at all - it seemed completely devoid of romance. Having read Barb's comments however I think I'll give it a go!
Following on from what Barb was saying about the essence of the book being completely missed, I read a review of the new film 'We Need to Talk about Kevin' and it really emphasised that the film was inspired by key elements of the book but not particularly faithful to it. Will fans of the book be able to overlook changes in plot details?
Rachel
Agatha Christie did not just have Poirot or Miss Marple as sleuths - she wrote other stories too and I have long suspected that some of those titles have been adapted to create more stories for the TV favourites, in addition to sometimes altering the original.
Hi Lisa,
I recently met a children's author whose book had been picked up by Hollywood. She was telling me that the producers were negotiating with famous actors over who was going to take the lead and it all sounded terribly exciting! However, she also said that she didn't have much control over the scripting of the film so the screen writers were free to alter the plot as they liked!
I was interested to read your comments about murderers being changed too in the recent adaptation of Vera - I suppose that does keep viewers on their toes if the murderer turns out to be completely different to who they were expecting! Perhaps the producers changed it deliberately to keep the twists?
I think you must be right Jill, about using the plots from other Agatha Christie novels and then substituting in either Poirot or Miss Marple. Although I'd probably be enraged if this happened with other books I don't seem to mind so much with Agatha Christie... perhaps it's because I like watching Miss Marple so much on the TV I'm prepared to overlook anything!
Rachel
Hi Sharon & Rachel
Elderly man, Jacob Jankowski living in a home looks back at his younger self during the American depression, the circumstances of him joining the train circus, the hard life he lead during that time of constantly moving from place to place, the at first prickly relationship with Walter, a dwarf and his dog Queenie and later friendship as they look after an old timer who becomes ill from drinking alcohol laced with something that is added to stop it being drunk. Prohibition at that time.
The story ducks in and out of present and past and Jacob is exceedingly annoyed at an elderly resident's insistence that when he was young he carried water for elephants. Jocob knows from experience that elephants drink huge amounts, so said resident is lying. Hope I haven't said too much.
Of course an elephant features and there is a love interest but you will have to read the book to find out the rest!
I've read the book and seen the film of I Capture the Castle and loved them both!. I've added Water for Elephants to my "must read" list - it sounds intriguing!. Has anyone seen the film of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas? We read the book at Bexley Village Reading Group and found it incredibly moving and very memorable so I wondered if the film lived up to the book? Also The Kite Runner - book and film both good in my opinion.I reread each book of Lord of the Rings before seeing the film and I thought it stuck very well to the books given the time limitations of a film v a book. I agree that the Hobbits should have more hairy feet though!
I love the book of I Capture the Castle too, and have such a clear picture in my mind of the characters and the settings that I don't really have any curiosity to watch the film - maybe if I came across it on TV one Sunday afternoon, but I wouldn't go out of my way.
I saw the film of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, it was a brilliant film and had me in floods of tears - I don't think I could go through it again to read the book, although I've heard it's very good.
Hi Barb
After reading your synopsis I'd really like to read Water for elephants, I hadn't heard of it until all the hype over the film which I must say didn't particularly make me want to see it but the book sounds great.
Hi Val, like Caroline I've only seen the film of The boy in the stripped pyjamas and I was so overcome with tears that I actually ran out of the room sobbing (glad I didn't go to the cinema!) so I'm not sure that I will ever be able to bring myself to read the book as I always seem to get more emotionally involved with books and considering my reaction to the film I'd probably need counselling afterwards.
Hi all
I'd also throw in a vote for all of Kate Morton's books to be filmed. They'd be so beautiful.
Thanks for letting me know about Water for Elephants, Barb - it sounds really interesting. I may well try it with my reading group.
Lisa - I definitely couldn't cope with watching The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - seeing something on film is always worse for me than reading the book if it's traumatic.
One book I love but have never liked any of the film versions - Little Women. I think it's because I read it over and over as a child and the images were so fixed in my head that a filmed version could never match them. They were my characters, not someone else's.
Hello all,
I keep meaning to read The Boy in Striped Pyjamas but someone explained the plot to me a while ago and it just sounds so sad that I've been avoiding reading it - particularly as readers here have said both the film and book has had them in floods of tears.
The plot of Water for Elephants sounds really interesting (and quite different to the film version), Barb. I like stories which interweave past and present so important plot strands don't become clear until the end of the book - just so clever.
Sharon, I have to admit I didn't even get halfway when I tried to read Little Women. It really didn't appeal to me, although I'm not sure why. The only film version I've seen is the one with Winona Ryder as Jo, which did seem extraordinarily condensed from the books, so I can see how fans would be frustrated!
I'm currently reading The Crimson Petal and the White which was adapted for tv recently. I didn't watch the adaptation because it just looked too depressing but a friend recommended the book so I thought I'd give it a go. It's fantastic, written in a fresh, original way and simply a delight. (Don't be put off by the size - it's so easy to read!) I can't imagine the tv version lived up to the charm of the book. Has anyone read the book and seen the adaptation? What did you think?
Rachel
Hi Lisa
I have 'The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas' on my ever growing list of books to read. From what you have said it sounds very harrowing but at the same time a must read.
Hi Sharon & Rachel
On books I would love to see put on film or perhaps a tv drama, for me, it has to be Daphne du Maurier's Jamaica Inn. It was filmed years ago so I think an update is long overdue. On a different theme, Suite Francaise would be a different take on WWII stories to film. Maybe even Irene Nemirovsky's life story would be extremely interesting. What do you think?
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a book everyone should read. I know its very sad ( about a concentration camp in WWII)but I've read it with Bexley Village Reading group and everyone was glad they had read it- it is one of those books that stays with you long after you've read it. I've not seen the film but I understand from those who have that its well done. Has anyone mentioned Mary Ann Schaffer Guernsey Literary & Potato Pie Society yet? This great book would make a wonderful film, as would Andrea Levy's The Long Song and Michael White's Soul Catcher. On a Royal theme I can see Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader making a great TV adaptation.And finally Marcus Zusak Book Thief - another story from WWII that would make a very memorable film.
Hello Barb & Val,
An excellent idea to make a film about Irene Némirovsky's life. I also like the idea of remaking Jamaica Inn. I can't understand why film makers insist on adapting the same books over and over - how many Oliver Twists have there been?
I loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society! I have to admit that initially it was the unusual title that attracted me first of all but it's a really enjoyable story and you're right, definitely a good choice to make into a film!
Rachel
Hello all,
Has anyone else seen the adverts for the new adaptation of Kate Atkinson's Case Histories? Jason Issacs is taking on the role of Jackson Brodie - a character that was very popular when we were discussing 'Top of the Cops' last month. What does everyone think of the casting? I've not read the books but think the adaptation looks very promising - anyone else looking forward to it?
Rachel
Re Kate Atkinson…Yes, I reckon that if the TV series is good, then this could be a real triumph for Kate, crime writing, and her series: I know that all our reading groups love the series (another member spoke to me this week – she’d read one for the first time, and was thrilled with it).
Jackson Brodie – you could be big!
Dear all - catching up...
Rachel - I'm still in a state of shock over you not finishing Little Women! I read itt over and over as a child - I wanted to be Jo of course and have still not forgiven Louisa Alcott for Laurie marrying Amy instead of Jo. I've read it quite a few times as an adult and love it just as much - and still cry every time I read about Beth dying. I think I'm too emotionally attached to the book to accept a film version.
Val - The Book Thief would make a wonderful film. I can imagine it being very atmospheric. How about Shadow of the Wind? That would be fantastic too. And Cloud Atlas.
Barb - Irene Nemirovsky's story is a fascinating one. Another great suggestion.
I'm looking forward to Case Histories but Jackson Brodie has to be just right. If they get that wrong, it just won't work for me. I'm not familiar with Jason Isaacs - I'll have to look him up.
I wonder if any of Linwood Barclay's books will be made into films?
You can picture them as films as you're reading them. Full of tension and action. I think they'd work well.
Hi All,
a very tricky one, this. Whenever you read a book you inevitably develop your own idea of characters and somebody else's idea tends not to match, never mind the issue of 'editing' (or butchering) the story.
Lord of the Rings was a pretty good attempt, but even that missed (to my mind) the real point at the end when they returned home and found Saruman's diminished but still baleful influence at work.
Lucky Jim didn't work - ian Carmichael was too bland in the original film, and the later TV adaptation was tosh.
However, what about Roddy Doyle? - the Commitments and The Van worked really well.
I agree about Linwood Barclay - just the first few pages of Fear the Worst create an instant picture of an every day scene, which I felt I was present in rather than just reading about it.
Re – Kate Atkinson’s ‘Case Histories’ on TV…
Well, I`ve seen the first trailer for this series now…To be honest, I don’t usually picture what the hero looks like when I read a book – (I`m dull, I know)…but I certainly didn’t recognize Jason Brodie when I saw him! What does anyone else reckon?...
Hi Will
I haven't seen the trailer but I've seen a picture of him.
Lisa and I were talking about this last week and both feel he looks right - maybe not quite as craggy as we'd pictured him, but not at all bad...
"Craggy", as in?...
Hello all,
I haven't read the Kate Atkinson books but have to admit that I'm quite looking forward to watching Case Histories on TV. It definitely sounds like an adaptation that's going to divide opinion however - let's hope that fans of the book don't find the stories have undergone too much 'editing'!
Rachel
'Craggy' as in a bit weathered, a bit past his best (in an endearing, still appealing way).
Ah, that sort of `Craggy` then?...Sort of Daniel Craig craggy, rather than Catweasel/Wurzel Gummage Craggy?...
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