Introducing a weekly advice column for all your book and movie related questions and dilemmas: Dear Lit and Flicks.
I received the message above asking for advice about whether or not to read the book before watching the movie. Here is my response:
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Anonymous,
I am generally of the school of thought that you always read the book first. I think that a book can give you a depth of characters and story that simply cannot be achieved by a movie. Character development and motivations are not always easy to portray on screen and movies are often limited by time constraints. However, the issue of a never ending want-to-read list is a compelling reason to toss the “book first” ideology in the trash. I think there are a few specific times that it is acceptable (or even better) to just go ahead and watch the movie first.
1. The movie is considered a classic in itself. Why deprive yourself of a movie you KNOW is going to be good? (i.e. The Godfather, The Wizard of Oz, The Exorcist)
2. You have heard the book is not as good as the movie. Don’t waste your time! (i.e. Jaws, Silence of the Lambs [apparently])
3. The book is impossibly long or be honest with yourself, you will never read it. If you keep pushing it off, it’s never going to happen. (i.e. Gone with the Wind, Anna Karenina)
4. The movie version is radically different from the book, so it doesn’t matter which one you consume first. (i.e. Frankenstein, Jurassic Park)
Not to say that some of the books mentioned above are not worth the read, but if reading the book feels like a chore or something that will never happen, take the pressure off and enjoy the movie! Either way, you will get the benefit of knowing the story and understanding the pop culture references.
Sincerely,
Lit and Flicks
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