Hi everyone,
This week, I want to focus on my favorite books turned into movies or television shows!
I am not usually too big of a hater of book-to-movie adaptations like some people are. Some will fight tooth and nail for their favorite book that was “ruined” by the film industry, but I really don’t mind this change.
I personally love reading a book first then watching the movie version because I already have an idea of what the characters look like and what the setting is like. Then, I watch the movie and get an even better understanding of what is going on.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some that are just poorly done. However, I want to talk about some adaptations that just stick with me.
- “Little Women”
I could talk about Greta Gerwig’s version of the classic novel, “Little Women,” forever if no one told me to stop.
I walked through the classics section of Barnes & Noble one day and thought: I’m an English major and there are so many classics I have never read. So, I decided to buy Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.”
I absolutely fell in love with the March sisters and the entire novel. I just loved how each sister was so different and complex and each held their own passions and views of their world.
I also fell completely into a deep obsession with Greta Gerwig’s 2019 movie adaptation of the classic novel! The movie amplified my love for the story. I have not seen any of the other versions of this novel.
The novel was beautifully written, but this movie version struck me and stays with me. The colors of each scene are so vibrant and captivating. Also, the casting is amazing: there are several talented actors such as Meryl Streep and Florence Pugh.
It’s safe to say that I found my new comfort movie!
- “Where the Crawdads Sing”
This story by Delia Owens really drew me in the first time I read the novel. A young girl who lives in the marshes of North Carolina is abandoned fairly early on in life and has to learn to survive on her own.
The story is full of love, trust, deceit, and eventually a murder.
Who else to blame but the secluded marsh girl?
The nature setting is beautifully described in the novel, so I was excited to see what the movie would be like.
The movie version, released in 2022, did not disappoint. Daisy Edgar Jones, an actress I really like, plays the main character.
The movie is very visually aesthetic, but a little bit dark at times. The director, Olivia Newman, did not leave anything important out.
I enjoyed the book as well as the movie – both did an incredible job of telling a tragic story. The twist at the end is one you won’t want to miss out on.
- “A Walk to Remember”
The book version of this story is wildly different from the movie. Nicholas Sparks’s novel is set in 1950’s North Carolina, whereas the movie is set in the 1990’s.
The love story is the same, but I personally like the older feel of the novel. There are also just minor differences between the book and the movie such as the color of Jamie’s hair.
Also, the movie makes Landon seem like more of an angsty teen who is angry with the world. The beginning scene of the movie is Landon and his friends telling a boy that in order to be in their friend group, he had to do this crazy jump. He gets hurt, and Landon ends up getting in a ton of trouble.
Jamie was also heavily made fun of in the movie.
These storylines were added to the movie: none of it was in the book.
To me, the book feels much more heartfelt and homey.
Regardless of these setting and character details, the story remains the same; tragic, beautiful, and heartbreaking.
- “Normal People”
Sally Rooney’s novel is one of my all-time favorites.
I actually watched the TV show version of this story before reading the book, so I went into the novel with images of Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar Jones in my head. Two incredible actors in my opinion!
There are a few differences between this book and the TV show which aired on Hulu.
One is that the book depicts Marianne’s home life as much more outwardly abusive. Her brother and mother are much more physically and emotionally violent in the novel. For example, her brother, Alan, wrings a dish towel out on her head. In the book he spits in her face.
In both versions, the story will be sure to split your heart in two while also frustrating you to no end.
- “Looking for Alaska”
Something about this story draws me in every time. John Green’s novel has changed me (sounds dramatic but true), and I think about the story frequently.
This coming of age story is incredibly heartbreaking.
Miles finds all kinds of craziness as well as a ton of love at his new private school in Alabama. The friends he makes bring him out of his shell and allow him to experience life in a completely different way.
He also has to experience extreme grief and heartbreak.
The book is brilliant, so I had high expectations when I saw the release of a docu-series based on the book.
Small differences such as the color of Alaska’s hair and the fact that she breaks up with her boyfriend in the show stuck out to me.
Overall, the story remains pretty much the same from the book to the TV series, which I love. The TV series had my approval as a fan!
I love all of these stories so much, and seeing movies/TV bring them to life is one of my favorite things to see!
Next week I’d like to talk about the best places to buy cheap books!