Clare Sellers
It’s a debate as old as time itself: did the film adaption live up to the book’s reputation?
A book-lover would almost always say no, but there are a few hidden gems that just might be on the same level as their literary counterparts. With that in mind, let’s take a deep dive into the best book-to-film adaptations to date.
Harry Potter series
One of the most successful movie franchises in the world, Harry Potter, was first a series of books written by JK Rowling. The magical world was loved from the very second it was brought from page to screen, with stunning cinematography and plot lines that remain similar enough to the original pages that fans who adored the books could see characters and worlds almost perfectly portrayed on the big screen.
Maze Runner series
James Dashner’s ‘Maze Runner’ book series was adapted for film during the reign of dystopian movies a few years ago. Slight modifications to the plot, to ensure the movie’s runtime would be suitable, meant that some book fans were confused at certain milestones during the film. However, the movies proved well-made enough to stand on their own. Due to popular demand, a grand total of three ‘Maze Runner’ movies were made, each sticking to the author’s original ideas.
Love Rosie
Romantic comedy favourite ‘Love Rosie’ was originally a book written by Cecelia Ahern named ‘Where Rainbows End’. The story was picked up by producers, and universal heartthrobs Lily Collins and Sam Claflin were cast to play characters Alex and Rosie. Arguably better than the book, the ‘Love Rosie’ movie seemed to flow better than the book did, but this is undoubtedly because Cecelia Ahern chose to write her novel in the form of letters, emails, and any type of communication besides actual speech.
The Fault in Our Stars
Author John Green delivered an emotional rollercoaster to readers with the popular novel ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ and fans were excited for a film adaptation to finally be released. The hit movie was loved by all, even those who had previously read the book. The movie follows the book’s narrative completely and actors Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort easily brought forward the gut-wrenching emotion that made the book famous.
Me Before You
From the brilliant mind of Jojo Moyes came the heart-breaking novel ‘Me Before You’. The book did incredibly well and was quickly adapted into a movie that brought audiences to tears, just like the book previously had. The actors cast portrayed the characters so well, embodying them in a way that envisioned the author’s intent perfectly. It is difficult to say which version takes the crown, but needless to say, the story remained beautiful in both.
Pride and Prejudice
Classic tale ‘Pride and Prejudice’ has been adapted into film several times – my personal favourite being the 2005 version starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. The book is one of Jane Austen’s most memorable, demonstrating her incredible romantic writing – however, being somewhat of a complicated read, many people may have only seen the movie adaptation.
Little Women
An inspiring story teaching girls to write their own future, whatever it may be, was brought to the big screen once again in 2019 in its most successful adaptation yet. The heart-warming film captures the beauty and strength of friendship, romance, and the women themselves fantastically, just like the novel did.
The Godfather
The film stays true to the tone of the book throughout, but some backstories present in the book do not appear in its film counterpart at all, or until the sequel. Whilst the film had a bit of a gloomier end than the novel, the two versions complement each other well.
The Hunger Games
This series of books quickly rose to fame, and had sufficient demand to be turned into a series of films starring Jennifer Lawrence as heroine Katniss Everdeen. I think most would agree that these two mediums are equally as good as each other. While you might miss out on some minor details by watching the movie, these cuts are made up for by breath-taking cinematography and amazing acting.
The Shining
Whilst the film doesn’t stay completely true to the original novel by Stephen King, the idea at its core remains the same. Stephen King’s book is fantastically written, and serves as an incredible horror, even through written word. The movie is mesmerizing and chilling, so it deserves its place on this list, despite the loose grasp it seemed to have on the book’s plot.
There are thousands more book to film adaptations, but these are my top picks for the best we’ve seen so far. Reading the book before seeing the film is something not everyone is keen on, but it can provide a better appreciation of the story, and give you a secret edge of knowledge and details that others might not have – and who doesn’t like having a bit of inside knowledge? However, these films remain faithful to their literary counterparts, so that you can still enjoy their stories even if you aren’t much of a bookworm.
Featured image courtesy of Florencia Viadana on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes have been made to this image
claresellers
I am a 20-year-old multimedia journalism student in my final year studying at the University of Salford