Of course you hate the film if you love the book that much!

 

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Whenever a book gets the big screen treatment, you can almost take it for granted that you will see the book published with tie-in movie artwork on the cover. As with the example above. And, I get it; if you have a book in your stable that's been turned into a big successful summer blockbuster type film, that's a whole host of potential readers that might not have bought one of your books before. I would take advantage of that!

"Now a major motion picture!"

Indeed.

Then we come along; the serious book readers. The ones who snort with derision, and say, "Well, I read the book before I saw the film, so there." 

God, we must be annoying . . .

Because, the thing is, isn't comparing books and films a pointless exercise? Kind of redundant? I mean, they are two very different ways of telling a story. That's why they both exist.

I make the comparisons though, and I ask that question - "Was the book better than the film?" Or vice versa. 

Yesterday, I was in a car with a friend of my sister's, and I found myself having to admit that I haven't read Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh. But I have seen the film. And, I asked the question then; how do they compare?

How silly of me!

I must have forgotten that it is damn near impossible to translate a story from book to screen one-hundred per cent faithfully. I mean, if filmmakers were to do that, we'd get a lot of adaptations that had run times of hours and hours! I must have forgotten that books, by their nature, have the time and space to flesh out characters in a way that film just can't. That if some of those scenes from the book were included in the film, the film would drag in the middle. Etc.

Still, I understand the temptation. When someone takes the characters and the story that you have loved, that you have immersed yourself in, and made a part of yourself, you want to see them treated well. 

Or, maybe, I am overthinking this. I don't know.

What do you think??? Tell me in the comments, and share this with your friends (both the bookish and the film buffs) and see what they think. 

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