Are Books Actually Better Than The Movies?

“The book was better.” This is a phrase you will often hear coming from the mouth of a book worm. The general sentiment is that the books movies are adapted from are better than the films that come out of them.
    
But I, like the rebel I am, am not sure that this is entirely true.

There is something in film that books cannot do. Filmmakers hold a different kind of power. A writer relies solely on her words and the reader’s imagination, while a filmmaker can utilize three out of five senses, and can easily employ the other two senses through visual imagery. 

If I’m being honest, I used to be in the “book is always better” camp, but my mind is being changed. I have seen some movies that are better than the books they derive from (Tuck Everlasting for example), and I don’t think it’s fair to say that one or the other is better, it’s like comparing a painting of a cherry pie to a song about cherry pie. They hold similar meaning, both experiences are trying to help you understand what a cherry pie tastes like, what emotions are related with eating a cherry pie and so on.

​But they are different. The song of course won’t be the same as looking at a detailed painting of a pie, but it doesn’t mean it doesn't have its own artistic merit and vice versa. Listening to the song may encourage someone to look at paintings of a cherry pie, and looking at a painting of a cherry pie may draw someone to the song. Some people may never stumble across the painting, and some may never listen to the song, but still we have an experience we can both relate to.

At the end of the day (like books and movies) neither the painting or the song is the real thing, but it hints at it, and inspires people to seek out the real thing. 

I know that’s a long metaphor, but I hope it helps you understand what I mean about books and movies being so different. 
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I also hope you realize that books and movies are just a picture of real life, meant to amuse us and inspire us into making our lives better and living them to their fullest.

Both movies and books are allowing us to experience the same feelings, but both are taking different approaches.
 
Books are slow, movies are fast paced. Books are internal while movies are external. Books are private while movies are communal (generally).
    
​Neither form is better than the other, and yes, we each have our own opinions, but at the end of the day, they are both avenues to share stories that can touch us and change us.

So now we come to book adaptations. Personally, I’m a huge fan. I think turning stories originally from books into films brings a timeless story to a different audience. Especially in the case of classic literature which can be so daunting for many people.
 
I think that these films can bring readers to experience the beautiful art of filmmaking, and movie watchers to explore the magic of books. 
  
 It’s a beautiful partnership between artists; it’s a way to make stories live on. 
    
​This is why I’m here today. To explore the world of book to film adaptations, to hopefully bring you to experience a new form of art. 

Over the course of 2024, I am going to be blogging about some of these adaptations, comparing the books to the movies, analyzing them, and deciding which is truly better. I hope you’ll stick around for this fun experience with me. 
    Here are the questions I want to answer

• Are the changes made for film necessarily bad, or do they help the story?
• Do I get similar reactions from both the book and the movie?
• Does the multi-sensory feature of movies make them better?
• Does the old-fashioned and in depth format of books make them better?
  
• Out of all the book to movie adaptations which ones are actually worth watching?

Through this I also want to learn more about filmmaking and what makes a good film in general. (I think I already have a pretty good idea what makes a good book, but I’ll be on the lookout for that too.)

Now, I need your help, what are some adaptations I should watch, and books I should read this year? It can be ones you love or ones you hate. They can be critically acclaimed or not known at all. 
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Let’s try to keep it to standalones (no Narnia, Lord of The Rings, or Harry Potter debates will be happening here.) I will make an exception though for shows or mini-series that focus on one novel (for example Pride and Prejudice or Anne With an “E”).

So friends, give me your suggestions in the comments and expect a fun review coming your way very soon!

Belle Thomas

​Belle is the writer behind An Old Fashioned Girl. She is passionate about Jesus, good books, and living a beautiful life.