Books have been an inspiration for movies as long as film has existed, with film director George Miélès releasing two adaptations in 1899.
Despite the long-running history of book-to-movie adaptations, movies have never achieved the same magic that books carry. Staying true to the author’s intentions and allowing readers to become a part of the story, the book is simply the better choice.
There are many limitations due to the very nature of film. Budget, technology available and acting ability all are factors that contribute to the success of a movie, which are not inherent to the publishing world. Even animated remakes of books do not have the same level of freedom because of time constraints.
The elaborate details authors use to build their worlds cannot all be included in the movie, or it would go hours past the standard run-time. The story must change to fit the structure of the movie, which more times than not, creates a worse tale.
Character development is a part of books often hit hard. The small details which build a character may seem insignificant but show the audience that the character is dynamic and that they can change. The b-plots movies remove to build space often change the entire way a character is portrayed and limits the audiences’ understanding of their actions.
Ultimately the change in format from book to movie is a dangerous one. The changes, no matter how small or delicately decided, are going to stray from the author’s original intent. Books will always provide more detail, the very same details which immerse the readers into the story.
Rome was not built in a day — books are not read in a day. The story is a part of the reader’s life for much longer and is more impactful because of it.
By slowing down the process of media consumption, readers can easily reach a higher level of thinking and understanding. The reader can think of what words mean in a certain context without missing the next scene.
The pace of the work is entirely in the control of the audience, something that is impossible with the movie counterpart. The lengthy duration that it takes to read has only improved my experience — I get truly enraptured by my favorite books and often dream about what I had read that day.
The visualization necessary to read a book causes the plot to sink into my brain unlike any other media. The lack of visual stimuli allows readers to interpret the story in a unique way, creating something that may better apply to their own struggles in the real world and something that becomes a source of inspiration years to come.
I find myself relating to the main characters of books more despite the fact that I cannot see the characters’ faces because the character is more malleable. The very reason many readers refuse to watch a series before reading the books is that watching the series ruins the magic of imagining the book’s plot and characters for themselves.
I would never advocate against ditching films. However, I hope this article can serve as a convincing argument to pick up the original book version of your favorite movie remake and see what you think. Maybe the book will turn into something you never expected.
