THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion
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Which books were better as a movie than a book.
I think I would have to say Bridget Jones's Diary. Loved the movie but had a hard time with the book. Hmm, and The Snapper which came out in 96'.
Twilight - haven't watched the others in the series. Not in any real hurry to see them.
I generally prefer the book over the movie, to the point that if I really love a book and they make a movie of it, I am pretty hesitant to see the film. I have imagined those characters in my head and I don't want to ruin that... I guess the only one I can think of right now is "Breakfast at Tiffany's". :)
The Princess Bride. Did not like the book at all.
Shay, same here! I heard that the actual book goes on and on. I read I guess the shorter version that fits the movie.
Much preferred the movie ending to About a Boy than the book
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I equally loved the movie & book version of "A Time to Kill" ... I would have to agree with Barb, i feel the movie version of "Eat, Pray, Love" is better because they were able to compress the story to include the more essential parts of the book....and maybe "The Notebook"
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never read The Notebook- but cant be better then film because of two words...JAMES GARNER
I know I'm probably going to get slammed for this one, but the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The books weren't bad, but I did have to struggle to get through them at points. The movies, however, are some of my favorites. Side note: I liked The Hobbit (book) much better than the LOTR (books), and I'll be curious to see how that movie compares (it doesn't come out till 2012 or something like that).
Rick wrote: "never read The Notebook- but cant be better then film because of two words...JAMES GARNER "Oh yes definitely! and I have to give credit to the two leads (Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling) they played their roles really well, great chemistry too ...
Alex wrote: "I know I'm probably going to get slammed for this one, but the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The books weren't bad, but I did have to struggle to get through them at points. The movies, however, are s..."Alex, I am a life-long fan of the books and have read them multiple times, and I still think the movies are wonderful. The movies do a great job of telling the main story. The books are much richer in detail. I love both!
Alex wrote: "I know I'm probably going to get slammed for this one, but the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The books weren't bad, but I did have to struggle to get through them at points. The movies, however, are s..."I could never get through the LOTR trilogy, but I liked The Hobbit. It was just awful, though, when the movies came out. People kept telling me to read the books and going completely nuts on me when I said I didn't like them.
Oh, and Stand By Me. I loved the movie. I guess also, from the other thread, Willie Wonka (the Wilder version).
Shay wrote: "I could never get through the LOTR trilogy, but I liked The Hobbit. It was just awful, though, when the movies came out. People kept telling me to read the books and going completely nuts on me when I said I didn't like them."I get very irate when anyone derides another person for not liking something they've tried. Not everything is right for everyone.
Gini, the thing is that I can recognize that the LOTR trilogy is very well written. From the parts I've read, I can see what it is that other people who enjoy it see. It's just that for some inexplicable reason, they're not for me. I've never been able to figure it out because I love fantasy books.
I agree with Alex and Shay, the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy was more enjoyable, to me, than reading the books. In fact, I never could get through even the Hobbit in print form. And I love fantasy... I also agree about the Julia Child book/movie. Enjoyed the movie more, no doubt due to Meryl Streep.
Shay wrote: "Gini, the thing is that I can recognize that the LOTR trilogy is very well written. From the parts I've read, I can see what it is that other people who enjoy it see. It's just that for some inexpl..."For a lot of people, it's that Tolkien is too much about the world-building, and they find it tedious. I can understand that: in the first two books there are long, long passages where almost nothing happens. For lots of people, that's really boring. I happen to be really fond of that kind of world-building immersion, but it doesn't mean that everyone is - my very-well-read hubby can't stand Tolkien.
Leslie T, oh, ITA with you The Devil Wears Prada! Loved the movie but just couldn't get into the book. I really wanted to like the book too..
Shay wrote: "Gini, the thing is that I can recognize that the LOTR trilogy is very well written. From the parts I've read, I can see what it is that other people who enjoy it see. It's just that for some inexpl..."My thoughts exactly. Tolkien was clearly a very talented writer, and I enjoyed The Hobbit, but LOTR...well written, but not for me, as much as I love fantasy. As Gini pointed out, Tolkien is too much about the world building for my liking. I enjoy it to an extent, and more so with certain books than others, but not to that extent, and not with LOTR.
Have any of you read The Painted Veil? I've heard people say the movie is better, but I haven't read it. The movie is wonderful, so it would be hard for the book to be better.
Mod
never read the book but loved the 1930's film
Wiki:
The Painted Veil is a 1934 drama film made by MGM. It was directed by Ryszard Bolesławski and produced by Hunt Stromberg from a screenplay by John Meehan, Salka Viertel, and Edith Fitzgerald, adapted from the 1925 W. Somerset Maugham novel The Painted Veil. The music score was by Herbert Stothart, the cinematography by William H. Daniels, the art direction by Cedric Gibbons and the costume design by Adrian. It made $1,658,000.
The film stars actress Greta Garbo as Katrin Koerber Fane, Herbert Marshall as Dr. Walter Fane and George Brent as Jack Townsend, with Warner Oland and Jean Hersholt.
as far as the remake- I don't do remakes very well
I didn't even know the new one was a remake!
Heather wrote: "Leslie T, oh, ITA with you The Devil Wears Prada! Loved the movie but just couldn't get into the book. I really wanted to like the book too.."Her books, including the recent Last Night at Chateau Marmont, always show up on my library's "frothy" summer reads recommendations. So, I check them out, but I've never been able to finish one of her novels.
Leslie T. wrote: "Have any of you read The Painted Veil? I've heard people say the movie is better, but I haven't read it. The movie is wonderful, so it would be hard for the book to be better."I read it a few months ago for another group and I enjoyed it. It made me a convert to Maugham. I think before that I had read maybe one or two short stories and Ashenden. Check out the archived file for it in The Bright Young Things group.
Just one more comment on LOTR. I wanted to read it, so started with The Hobbit. I STRUGGLED to get through it!! So much so that I've never read the LOTR trilogy. Now many have told me that they are much better than The Hobbit, but I'm not willing to do that much struggling to read a book. Give me an R. A. Salvatore over Tolkien anyday!! I read the Dark Elf trilogy very quickly. Could hardly put it down until I finished it. It's all a matter of taste &, as Rick so often says, our diversity is a wonderful thing. It's what makes this group, and life, so wonderful!!
Shay, that just kills me! You would think the book would be great since at least the movie was. I am not tempted enough to try another one of her books. I bought The Devil and then gave it away.
Legends of the Fall. It's one of my favorite movies and so when I saw the author was from Michigan I checked the book out from the library. First of all, the book is really a collection of short stories, and secondly, the short story that Legends of the Fall is based on, was incredibly boring. I think it was less than 100 pages but it was really painful to finish. For once, Hollywood did something right, the movie is very good, better and more developed than the short-story it's based on.
Julia and Julie, I loved the movie and could not make it through the book. Boring, long winded, stupid comments and swearing for no reason.
Connie wrote: "Legends of the Fall. It's one of my favorite movies and so when I saw the author was from Michigan I checked the book out from the library. First of all, the book is really a collection of short ..."I loved the book and hated the movie, I guess we are all different. The authors notes on the book were disturbing.
Lisa/Connie, how different is the movie version of Legends from the short story?
Connie wrote: "Legends of the Fall...."I haven't read the story, but I really objected to the movie's message, which was pretty much, "Everything will be better when all the women are dead." Kind of creeped me out.
Funny how that happened eh? I didn't pick up on that until you mentioned it..
Gini wrote: "Connie wrote: "Legends of the Fall...."I haven't read the story, but I really objected to the movie's message, which was pretty much, "Everything will be better when all the women are dead." Kin..."
Lol, alternatively "Brad Pitt is death to women...."
I'm a newbie, so I'm not sure if somebody mentioned this one already - Last of the Mohicans. I find the book all but unreadable, but the movie is one of my favorite historical films of all time. Swashbuckling action, heroic men, equally heroic women, a great love story, and fantastic scenery - what's not to love?
One of the stories inThe Killers and Other Short Stories. by Hemingway was of course, "The Killers". Hollywood expanded it and made it into one great film with Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmund O'Brian and a host of great supporting players. It was better than the book because the screenplay fleshed out the story without ruining the intent of Hemingway's tale.
Mod
I believe that was Burt Lancaster's first film
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excellant choice!!
Rick wrote: "Jill wrote: "One of the stories inThe Killers and Other Short Stories. by Hemingway was of course, "The Killers". Hollywood expanded it and made it into one great film with Burt Lanc..."It was on tonight and but for the post on it I probably wouldn't have watched it. I don't believe that I had seen it before. Ooh, it was taut. And good. They said that Hemingway had his own copy of the film and used to show it for guests, including Ava Gardner. I was reminded yet again just how beautiful she was. I thoroughly enjoyed her memoir, Ava.
Jan C wrote: "Rick wrote: "Jill wrote: "One of the stories inThe Killers and Other Short Stories. by Hemingway was of course, "The Killers". Hollywood expanded it and made it into one great film w..."Jan....I'm glad you got to see "The Killers" and liked it.....what a great film. You are so right about the timeless beauty of Ava Gardner.
Although a fan of Philip K. Dick, I have to say that the film BLADE RUNNER (either version) was superior to DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP. Granted the novel has a different feel than the movie, but I can go back and watch Harrison Ford's performance over and over.
Steve, I finally read DAROES and was somewhat confused and slightly disappointed. I really liked the movie and was hoping it was going to be close but it wasn't. Here is the question for you, do you prefer the ending with the voice over or not?Gatorman, read a lot of SK in my time and I believe I read this one. Don't recall if I saw the movie or not.
Heather wrote: "Lisa/Connie, how different is the movie version of Legends from the short story?"Its been awhile, but the book gave more detail and the lead woman was sent back to the lead man, but she was dead. If I remember well enough, she killed herself from not being with her true love. The details the movie left out and the story was more everything. Its been awhile, I just know I was really disappointed in the movie.
I love the original theatrical-released version with Ford's voice-over. Can understand why Ridley Scott may have wanted his cut and can appreciate it, but I'm going with the producer's choice of endings. Like you I read the book after seeing the film and was a bit baffled, even though I generally like Dick's work.I don't recall seeing "Needful Things" either.
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LOL, hmm, well Steve we seem to be on the same wave length! I like the producer's choice of endings, without the voice over.I do remember the Max Von Sydon (sp) was in it and played the bad guy right?
Rick, there was a book of M*A*S*H?? I didn't know that! What was different between the book/movie/TV show?
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THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
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One comes to my mind right away and that one is "Eat, Pray, Love".
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