The Book is Better

     From the Harry Potter series to the classics like The Great Gatsby you will always find that the book is better than the movie.

     

     This claim has proved true for majority of movie adaptions of books. They are not just better because bookworms, like me, swear by it and are attached to them, but several factors play out that make books generally better that their movie adaptions.

     

     When one reads a book they have their own interpretation of it. This leads everyone to have their own versions of the book. Of course everyone has the same descriptions and physical expectations.

     

     Screenwriters are not exempt from these fact and so writers write the depiction of the books that they imagined. This also includes their opinion of things that they believed should be changed.

     

     Also these physical views characters being one of the subjects that all readers will agree on makes for a strong impact. So when these beloved characters and their journeys are manifested into life their physical attributes are very strict to follow.

    

      As said by Rich Santos in his article “6 Reasons The Book Is (Almost Always) Better Than The Movie” on Barnes and Noble Reads website, there is limited time to tell the story when making a movie.

     

     When stories have many aspects and curves to them it has to be hard to get them into two hours and 30 minutes. This leaves many scenes left out of many movies, some of which can be very vital to the movie.

      

     As in Perks of Being a Wallflower there is a scene with Candace and Charlie when Charlie helps his sister go get an abortion. This I feel is very vital to the movie because it shows the relationship that Charlie and his sister have is stronger than what it may seem. In the movie I believe this is lost until the end when Charlie attempts suicide.

     

     Of course the fact has to be taken in to context that these are adaptions and are allowed to take a new light on the story, but when taking the name of that story you take its fans also.

     

     Another fact has to be put into play also, that books and movies have different expectations. Books are left widely up to imagination and opinion where many aspects of who a person is and what they believe can alter their view on the book.

    

      Movies have the same affect, but because they are visual have a different criteria to fill. This goes into seeing the reactions on the characters faces which can play on your emotions and tell you what to feel at that moment.

     

     The soundtrack of a movie can do this also, the rise and fall of the music build on suspense and tension. In books it is left totally up to you and how you read it.

     

     Lastly but most importantly, physical books will always stick with you. Yes, you have DVDs and the internet now, but a book is different. With their beautiful covers and pages, you will always have that memento. As said by Ralitsa Peykova in her article “5 Reasons Why Books Are Better Than Movies” on thoughtcatalog.com, and they smell great.

     

     Movies are not always the underdog of the debate, some films are better than their book counterparts. It is shown in this poll, though, done by LoveReading.co.uk shown on shortlist.com in an article called “Books Vs Films: The Infographic” that books won 39-19.