OnlineBookClub.org

I am curious, when there is a movie that is based on a book, do most of you read the book first then see the movie or do you see the movie and then read the book?

I would read the book first. I would get the book because you get to see the entire original story. When you see the movie after you get{and read} the book the director sometimes rewrite the some of the story. Either way is okay but I would prefer to read the book so your imagination could take off =D

TimeKeeperApprentice wrote:I would read the book first. I would get the book because you get to see the entire original story. When you see the movie after you get{and read} the book the director sometimes rewrite the some of the story. Either way is okay but I would prefer to read the book so your imagination could take off =D

Good point. When I read "Runaway Jury" I thought that the ending was fantastic, but then I saw the movie. The ending was completely different and not nearly as good. If I saw the movie first, I probably would not have read the book.

I have to read the book first, but I enjoy watching movies after reading the book just to see how they translate it onto screen. For instance, I think the Time Traveler's Wife was a bad movie as movie itself even though I love the book. And I imagine I would have hated the movie had I not read the book first, but I still was glad to watch the movie just to see parts of the story enacted in that way. The same goes for Atonement, in that I think the movie in itself is awful but I enjoyed the book, although I only moderately like that book.

If I watch a movie first, I have no interest in reading the book even if I like the movie.

In most cases, if there was a book that I was lucky enough to have read and then found out that the rights were bought to be made into a movie, I will wait until all the hoopla dies down before I see the movie. If there was a movie that I see was adapted from a book, I generally will also wait till all the hoopla dies down before I will read the book. In both cases I like to forget what the general reviews were for either. I guess its because I like to form my own opinion.

DCMerkle

I would read the book, especially if it's first. I like to compare between the movies and the books and see what's different. 99% of the time the book is better, because it can do better things then a movie can do.

My preference is to read the book first because so much has to be omitted in the movie & it's just one guys version of the book anyway. If I've already read the book then I can give out about how they ruined another good book!
Shutter Island was one where I saw the movie first & was so frustrated with the ending I had to get the book immediately.

-- Sat Dec 24, 2011 12:09 pm --

My preference is to read the book first because so much has to be omitted in the movie & it's just one guys version of the book anyway. If I've already read the book then I can give out about how they ruined another good book!
Shutter Island was one where I saw the movie first & was so frustrated with the ending I had to get the book immediately.

Book first. Always. But then again, the movie will always be a disappointment, unless it is Lord of the Rings.

I definitely would read the book first. I enjoy watching a movie based on a book especially if I liked the book just to see how it turns out - never as good as the book of course but there have been some gems of a movie that have really put the magic of the book on screen from my pov.

Scott wrote: If I watch a movie first, I have no interest in reading the book even if I like the movie.

That is absolutely true of me also. I could not read The Client even though I really enjoyed the movie. Same goes with PS I love you. I think the only instance that I have been able to read the book(s) after first having watched the movie(s) was Lord of the Rings.

I have a general rule where I don't read a book of a movie I saw. Just think it's wasted valuable reading time where I could be reading something else. There has been an occasion here and there where I read a book after a movie only because I had already got the book and then saw the movie before I got to read the book. But normally, I try to chose book or movie. Extremely rare I will do both.


Scott B.

I usually read the book first. But sometimes when I do, the movie is disappointing, Except as someone said, LOTR, and The Dirty Dozen. I read The Godfather and it was one of the best books I ever read. When I saw the movie I was really disappointed in it.

My first real book was, 'Wind in the Willows', and I still have that copy safly tucked away... 1976 I think was the year. I also read a some of Enid Blyton's works, then moved to Arthur C Clarke, Isaac Asimov and onward....

Always the book. I'll look up the movie first to get like the character pictures in my head, but always book first

love_aud wrote:Always the book. I'll look up the movie first to get like the character pictures in my head, but always book first

That's one thing I try to avoid when it comes to reading books that have movies based on them! I always prefer my own interpretation and image of a character and the actors never match up, just imo.

I will always read the book first, however I am always very interested in what sort of a movie the director, cinematographer, producers etc, etc, make from the book.