Tuesday, September 3, 2013

The Novel Films Blogfest II #1 and #2



I goofed! Somehow, I got my dates confused for the blogfest, so  I'm doing day one and two together. Sorry everyone! 

#1

I'm supposed to write about movies I loved, but where the original novel left me cold. Or the movie that prompted me to read the book. 

Usually, those are one and the same. 

I know it sounds odd, but I have this interesting (and often useful) issue. I don't forget something I've read or seen.  Ever. 

Yes, details might grow squiffy, but I only need to see an image associated with the story or read a bit of it, and I recognize it instantly. 

The blessing in this is that I have this living encyclopedia of plots in my head. 

The curse is that if I read a book first, the movie will be ruined, because it jars with the story I have in my head already (and hopefully liked). The same is true for the reverse. 

So, to think of a recent example, The Lucky One, by Nicholas Sparks. The changes to the movie weren't all that big, but big enough to spend most of the book going "hey wait" and comparing it with the movie I'd enjoyed. 

And anything that jars me out of the story gets to me. 

In a sense, I'm more forgiving if I read the book first. I guess it's because I can see film adaptions as items to themselves, while the book always feels connected to the movie for me. So that's what I do these days. I either read the book first, or I avoid reading it at all. 

Anyone else share my unique brand of insanity? 

#2

The adaption I'd most like to see (yep, as far as I can think, there is only one...):

A modern remake of Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini. 

15 comments:

  1. A movie is one person's vision and it's usually not ours. However, seeing the movie first helps me visualize the book better.

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  2. I glad I don't have your *problem*, Misha, if it can be called a problem. I tend to read a book and/or see a movie of it as two separate entities. I've learned from experience that the two are seldom the same. One example that comes to mine is the Wizard of Oz. The book is way better than the movie. But... I enjoy the movie too, it's just different.

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  3. Same here. I either read the book first or skip it. Once I see the movie (even if the movie is drastically different) I just can't read the book.

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  4. I'm finally reading I Am Number Four--after seeing and absolutely loving the movie years ago, seeing the book at the library, re-renting the movie, and falling all over again.

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  5. I prefer to read the book first or not at all. However, I don't have the picture perfect memory that you do. If I see a movie and then several years later read the book... the details of the movie are often fudgy enough for me that I don't get jarred by the experience.

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  6. I am very much the same when it comes to my memory. I remember Watching the Vampires Apprentice and going..Whaaaaa. I may have enjoyed it without reading the book who knows.

    Also I will admit the the second HP movie brought me finally to the books. Nothing was ruined there, I love the books more, but still love the movies, even if I ache to see certain things in them.

    Hmm, Brent Weeks's, Night Angel trilogy, would make awesome movies.

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  7. I understand your issue though I don't exactly have it. I read Beautiful Creatures before I saw the movie at home. While it was a really good movie, it wasn't a good adaptation and clearly fell below par for me. Which ruined part of the experience. My brother who never read the book enjoyed it completely. A book I'd love to see as a movie is The Homecoming Masquerade by Spencer Baum, he does an amazing series.

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  8. If I see a film and then discover it's a book, I have to read the book. But I don't feel that same compulsion in reverse.

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  9. I remember watching the movie A walk to remember, then went back and re-read the book. I've read that book so many times now!

    Nas

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  10. I'm with you. I like to read the book first-- then the image and story and characters are "mine". Then if I see the movie and don't like the adaptation, it's ok. I can chalk it up to artistic interpretation. The exception to this was Julie and Julia. LOVED the movie, totally. Really didn't care for the book too much.

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  11. I catch when the movie changes things from the book, but I'm okay with that. I know movies are much different than the books they come from. The one thing that can get me disappointed in a book, though, is the novelization of a movie into book form. I like for there to be extra things in the book, but if it's exactly like the movie with nothing extra, then I feel cheated.

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  12. I enjoy reading Sparkes. Most of the films from his novels are pretty good.I loved the House at Rodante, but mainly for the scenery and the house I think. And one of his latest, can't think of it's name -- geek (Ah, Safe Haven, thanks Mr Google) ! But I love Message in a Bottle. I don't always think they choose the right actors for the parts.

    I"ve finally posted.

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  13. I can understand what you are saying about the movie/novel, but it is not the same for me. Despite expecting to see something (point in case, Hunger Games), that I read from the book and I did not see it, I may be a little disappointed, but it doesn't ruin anything for me. I remember watching the NANA anime and it prompt me to wanting to read the manga. I read it and loved it just as much as the anime. So, sometimes certain things may depend! :)

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  14. Yep, after watching one particular movie where I'd read the book previously, I kept picking out all the changes they made for the movie. Normally I'm forgiving when it comes to movie adaptations, like you, however, they'd made far too many changes and added whole characters and well, it was just silly. ;)

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  15. Thanks for helping out with the Blogfest Misha. My mind is spinning for the past few days and weeks of family crises. Interesting choice. I have neither seen nor read Scaramouch.
    I am similar in that I remember lots of details when reading and watching, though rarely the opening 5-10 mins I always swear I have not seen it. Now I realise this part of the film is often the least memorable for me.

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