I have a very strict books-on-film policy. I always read the book before seeing the movie. Always. When I read a novel, I want to imagine the characters and the setting on my own without someone else’s interpretation popping into my mind. I prefer to discover the story for myself. It doesn’t matter if the work is contemporary, a classic, or a book for children, I am adamant about reading first.
I mentioned in a recent On Reading post that I treated myself to a viewing of all the movies based on Jane Austen’s novels. In keeping with my policy, I read the books first and watched the movies later. Most of the movies adhere closely to the original story lines, and although some of the actors didn’t mesh with the images in my mind, I enjoyed watching the stories on screen. As I watched the movies, I was thankful I had read the books first so I could compare them with the scenes I had pictured while reading.
However, when I started rereading Pride and Prejudice for the Classics Bookclub that we are hosting here in September, I began to doubt my convictions. The story is much easier to follow now that I have the plot firmly planted in my mind. I catch even more of the wit and sarcasm because I can hear the voices of the actors, and I have a better understanding of the setting and landscape thanks to the images from the film. I don’t know if I am ready to change my habits completely, but I admit that I am enjoying the novel even more than I did the first time because of the understanding that I gained from the movie.
What about you? Do you prefer to imagine the scene on your own, or are you just as happy to watch someone else’s interpretation first? Do you have different feelings if the book is a classic as compared to a more contemporary work?
I would love to hear your thoughts. Perhaps I might be willing to amend my own rules for watching books on screen.
Lauren is a wife, a mother of two, and an avid reader. She blogs at Baseballs and Bows.
I generally prefer to read the book first, but there are simply too many books I want to read and a film takes a lot less time. So…for a thriller or something like that I’ll easily watch the film without reading the book. (i.e. Dennis Lehane’s books made into films)
I try so hard to read the book first but often fail at that effort, especially with the classics, where it seems there is always a movie and the movie always looks amazing. The HP books I always read first, ditto with the Golden Compass, Memoirs of a Geisha, etc. But I’ve seen a lot of Austen movies and Vanity Fair and a few others I’m sure.
My “policy” has been to read the book first if I can find time, but with Austen I have found I don’t mind watching the movie first. Part of it is that Austen requires attentin to read. I can’t just read her while I’m watching my kids run through the sprinkler. Watching it on the screen saves me time and helps me along when reading the books. However, Austen is always better in a book to me.
Oh, I’m with you Lauren. There are a few movies I’ve seen first, simply because I didn’t know they were based on a book. But it is imo, better to read first and watch later lol. Oh, except for Harry Potter…I’ve got to say that I understood the books soooo much better when I saw the movie first. I just finished Pride & Prejudice and then rented the movie (newer version) and have to say I’m glad I read the book first. I think the movie took a few liberties with the Bennets’ conditions. Great post!
I had never thought about this before your post, but I realized my pattern. With classics, I read the book first in order to judge the director’s ability to translate the written work onto the screen.
With contemporary works, I tend to watch the movie first. If it sparks my interest, I read the book. Although I tried that with one movie that I loved & was surprised to find the book was full of such foul language that I couldn’t read it. I think I started the policy with some of the Grisham books. After reading “The Firm”, I was sorely disappointed in the movie…I thought the ending was too watered down. If I’d seen the movie without reading the book, I would’ve liked it much better.
I don’t always read the book first, as there are movies I’m not interested in reading. But if it’s something I want to read then I do try to read before watching. I remember years ago reading “Interview with the Vampire” after seeing the movie and all I could picture were Tom and Brad. It took me out of the book so often I barely got through it.
There are also movies that I don’t want to see because I’m afraid they won’t do the book justice. I’m very apprehensive about the movie version of “The Time Traveler’s Wife” for that very reason.
Great point Lauren. I never looked at it that way.
For the classics, I have read most of them first (because I read them long ago – before I had babies and blogs taking all my time.) I prefer to have read them first and then it is exciting to see what different direction, impressions etc the director makes in the on screen version.
I have told my son that he isn’t allowed to see the Harry Potter movies until he is old enough to read the books himself first. Not only is this putting off him watching the movies until I think he is old enough to handle the often scary images, but I want him to benefit from his own imagination not the directors.
I definately prefer to read a book first and then see the movie based on it later. If I see the movie first then I never have the opportunity to imagine it myself.
For me I think it really all depends on the movie/book. With the Harry Potter craze, I read all the books first and then saw the movies. I reread them later (all before the final book was released) and found that having watched the actors on the screen it made it easier to read the books and I picked up on so much more that I missed the first time through.
But, at the same time I enjoy watching the movies and then going back and reading the book to see what the movie left out. I often find I’m pleasantly surprised to find that there was more to offer than what the movie held.
I must admit that I’m not a reader. I have a hard time concentrating on what I’m reading unless I can really follow it. I find that after having seen a movie, I can easily follow the book
I know that Pride and Prejudice was easier to follow after I had seen the movie. I do like to usually read the books before seeing the movie. We read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe out loud before we saw the movie.
If the book was written first, I most ALWAYS read the book first. And I most always like the book better. However, I recently tried reading Atonement and just didn’t get deep enough into it and just saw the movie instead. Wow- I must say it was a good movie.
Steph
I almost always read the book first. The downside to this is that it really makes the movie not as enjoyable for me. I just get annoyed at the changes they make and all the things they have to leave out. There’s one that I still haven’t seen– Les Miserables– because I can’t see how they can possible make an over-a-thousand-page book into a 2 hour movie and do it any justice whatsoever.
However, most of the Jane Austen movies have been pretty good because they do a good job sticking to the book’s details.
I NEVER watch the movies. I prefer to read anyhow, so I’d just like to keep it up in my head, exactly how it happened in the book. They can never it right in the movie anyway!
I prefer to read the book first (usually when I do, I find that the movie falls short…P.S. I Love you, for example.) When we watch movies it annoys my husband that I know what is going to happen before he does.
It depends. If I see the movie first I will be sure to read the book, Just for the very reasons you stated above.
If I read the book first, and then watch the movie, most times, I am disapointed with the movie, because it never follows the book. Except for Pride and Predjuice, which I think the movie (A&E version of course) may even be a bit better than the book. 😉
Great comments here!
Sometimes I never knew a movie was based on a book, and I’ll often read it later. Generally I like to read the book first.
In fact, I’m so weird, that I like to read it first, and then let some time pass (at least 2 months), so it’s not too “fresh.” I’m weird.
One movie that I saw first and fell in love with was Beaches. When I read the book (which was quite different), it just didn’t compare. That’s one of the only times I think that’s happened.
It depends on which I’ve seen or read first. Lately I like to read the book first and then I watch the movie.
I usually try to read the books first and for the most part, I have. A few get by me, though.
I read the Lord of the Rings for the first time right before the movies were released. Recently I finished Holes and can finally rent the movie. I bought the book when the movie came out but had put off reading it so missed seeing the movie.
I usually read the book first, but that might be after I have seen previews for the movie, so I find myself imagining the actors anyway. Sometimes I don’t realize there is a book to be read until after I have watched the movie too. So, I prefer reading first, but don’t mind the other way. My favorites are books and movies that don’t take away from each other. It is difficult to do. The best are the LOTR books and movies and HP. You can watch the movies and lvoe them, without ever cracking open the book. But you can have read the book and still love the movies. Rare indeed.
Oh, you should definitely read the Lehane books. They are so much better than the movies. There is a depth to the characters that the movies just don’t convey adequately.
I prefer to read a book first and then see the movie as well. I don’t like to know the ending of books first and if I’ve seen the movie, I’ve seen the ending. Now I don’t want to take the time to read the book because I know what’s happened.
I read the book first and then watch the movie. I tend to like the book better because of the rich detail and added scenes that cannot be contained in the movie version.
I almost always read the books first. And it generally ruins most of the movies for me, because the book was soooo much better.
I almost always like the book better regardless of whether I read it before or after seeing the movie, but watching the movie after reading the book tends to be more disappointing. I can only think of two exceptions–The Princess Bride and Sense & Sensibility, which I preferred on screen.
I did implement a new personal rule after watching a horrible BBC adaptation of The Woman in White immediately after reading the book, and now I try to wait at least a year after reading a book to see a movie adaptation of it (no reading a book right before the film comes out for me!). I don’t mind doing this so much if it’s a children’s book that I watch and discuss with my kids after reading it with them, though.
I prefer to try to read the book before watching the movie version. A lot of the time the books are just so much better. I love all of the details reading provides, some times you cannot capture that on the big screen.
I usually prefer to read the book first & picture the story in my mind. However, that always makes for the movie never being half as good as what I made up in my own head. lol. I thought about watching Pride & Predjudice actually for the same reasons that you said though. But I decided against it. I’m going to finish the book first & then catch the movie.
fun topic! i used to be a voracious reader, fiction and nonfiction. slowly i stopped reading so much and became more of a movie viewer. a voracious movie hound. i challenged myself this summer to read the LOTR series. i had read them in jr high and loved them. then watched them when they came out and have watched them on DVD too. i finished the first and now am on the 2nd. i’m amazed at how different they are from the movies and how much the movies left out. i must confess, i enjoyed the movies more than i’m enjoying the books, tho some of the dialogue and writing is quite poignant and makes you sit up and take notice.
i have watched some of the classics and enjoyed them, but am not sure i’d enjoy reading them now that i have the actors in mind. i really enjoy shakespear and have enjoyed reading them more than the movies, so go figure …
Oh no — I must must must read the book before I see teh movie.
I’m usually disappointed in the movies if I’ve read the book first. This especially was the case after I read The Devil Wears Prada. I’m starting to think I should watch the movie first, and then really enjoy the story by reading the book.