It happens, you finally saw the movie of the year! It was amazing, everything you expected it to be. But then your friend hits you with the “But did you read the book? The movie left out so much!”
Let’s discuss!
Readers are biased. We will always tell you the book is better than the movie. And 9/10 times it’s actually true! But why is that? Details, imagination, and time frame has a lot to do with the difference in books and movies!
What you get from the author most of the time does not turnover into the movie. In the book, readers will get details from the characters thoughts, the color of the chairs in the restaurant, or maybe even what type of pencil someone was using when writing a note. It doesn’t just add more words to the book, it helps a reader visualize the scene on their own without one person’s vision being the scene, like how it is in movies. Movie watchers are fed someone else’s interpretation of the story, readers can make the decision as to what things should look like! Take The Great Gatsby into account. How many parties did you put together in your head while reading before you saw what they looked like in the movie?
Detail and time go hand in hand. Movies only have a given time frame to get all the details from the book into the film. Like mentioned before, a movie only has roughly two hours to get the story in. Many describe it as “style over substance”. Scenes in movies last a couple minutes- depending on how important it is- however, in books, a scene could last a whole chapter. Within that chapter, we get multiple conversations, scene descriptions, and a look into what the character is thinking. Unless the movie is set up like that, you almost never get a full feel for what the protagonist is actually thinking.
Lastly, a big difference in books and movies for the people who decide to tackle both, some things are completely glossed over or changed. A standout in this happening is in the “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” series. The way Lara Jean and Peter meet are different in the book and movie as well as when John Ambrose is introduced in the second movie and book, each one brings him in differently.
Next time a movie comes out that has a book adaptation, read the book first! One story is told in two different ways and to see each one play out is interesting. Just remember to not be too disappointed with the movie!