Bad Book - Better Movie?

[scotrace]

This is not just about film, so into the OB it goes.

One often hears "The book was better." And that is almost always so.

Can you name any films that rated higher marks than the movie that inspired them?

Almost done reading The English Patient right now; I liked the film better.
The Bridges of Madison County was a so-so bit of fluff that made a finer movie.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The Third Man comes close. Some confusion over whether it was intended as a book or a movie. It is the one and only case where i take both together as a package.

Knowing both makes each better than when they stand individually.

IM(not so)HO

bk

 

[Naama]

Two goats are eating a can of film, says one goat to the other; "The book was better"

Sorry, I just had to


Naama

 

[Feraud]

The Outlaw Josie Wales and Lonesome Dove! Good books, better movies.

 

[mysterygal]

Star Wars V...the book sucked, the movie was better

 

[jake_fink]

Fight Club

Gone With the Wind

Rocky III was better than the Rocky III photo-novel.

 

[Doh!]

"Jaws" -- in the book, Matt Hooper had an affair with Sheriff Brody's wife(!), and instead of going out to sea and staying there while hunting for the shark, the book had the men come back to shore every couple of days.

The movie's much better.

 

[Citizen Ed]

Haven't seen it yet but the DaVinci Code has got to be better on film than paper.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

Haven't seen it yet but the DaVinci Code has got to be better on film than paper.

I would bet that as well. It would be hard for it to be any worse than it was in book form, however.

I will add to this growing list any book ever written by Clive Cussler. Really the idea of a mindless action movie has a certain appeal. A mindless action book has none.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I would bet that as well. It would be hard for it to be any worse than it was in book form, however.

It really riles me how many people think the DaVinci code is "amazing" or "makes you think". It's just a screenplay people, it's eye-candy on paper, which does not a good book make. Plus it's a lot easier to suspend disbelief for a film than for a book.

 

[Feraud]

It really riles me how many people think the DaVinci code is "amazing" or "makes you think".

Agreed! I read the first couple of chapters and found the writing extremely adolescent in style. This is the type of fiction inexperienced readers would like. I am amazed at the millions of people who have kept this book at the top of the NYT best sellers list. It tells you something about people, doesn't it?

 

[GateXC]

Having the read "The English Patient" shortly after the film came out, I agree that it is a much better film than book.

And while I haven't read it, people always say that "The Godfather" the film is superior to the book as well.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

"The Horse Whisperer" was a stupid ridiculous book, and a rather enjoyable mature love story on film.

Stephen King's "The Body" was an OK short-story and "Stand By Me" was a very good coming-of-age film.

 

[jake_fink]

I am amazed at the millions of people who have kept this book at the top of the NYT best sellers list. It tells you something about people, doesn't it?

And McDonalds serves billions. [huh]

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Agreed! I read the first couple of chapters and found the writing extremely adolescent in style. This is the type of fiction inexperienced readers would like. I am amazed at the millions of people who have kept this book at the top of the NYT best sellers list. It tells you something about people, doesn't it?

I battled through the whole thing. All the while with people telling me how well written it was. This is the worst written book i've seen in a while (perhaps ever). You go through it, and you can see his mind working ... car chase: check ... young girl, older man: check ... Templars: check ... crazy monk: check ... and on and on.

very disappointing.

bk

 

[Matt Deckard]

Willy Wonka with Gene Wilder was better than the Charlie and the Chocolate factory book.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

no chance mate.

The book was my childhood.

bk

 

[Feraud]

And McDonalds serves billions. [huh]

Touche!

I battled through the whole thing. All the while with people telling me how well written it was. This is the worst written book i've seen in a while (perhaps ever). You go through it, and you can see his mind working ... car chase: check ... young girl, older man: check ... Templars: check ... crazy monk: check ... and on and on.

very disappointing.

bk

Yep. I read a chapter or two and found it juvenille in content. I generally stick with a novel hoping for that final chapter payoff but was so turned off to the simplistic characters I could not help but discard the book.

The D.C. is not a novel written decades ago when the reading public might be less used to reading about such uninteresting characters. I demand a level of respect and intelligence from an author when reading fiction. Brown's work is acceptable for a novice fiction reader but not someone with a teaspoon full of intelligence.

I guess that is why I read non-fiction. [huh]

 

[Twitch]

Ok I'm a huge fan of the 1979 cult classic The Warriors. Recently read the book that inspired it and have to say as a writer it was well written for the most part but the movie script was tighter and better overall.

 

[Rosie]

I have two

Slaves of New York by Tama Janowitz, the book was eh, the movie, pretty decent

and, The Color Purple, GREAT movie, so so book


Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a great book, I loved it as a kid and read it every year to my class