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Today I'm joining in on the Novel Films Blogfest which is brought to us by Madeleine at Scribble and Edit. This is one of those types of blog events that I have a difficult time resisting. Unfortunately my memory is often bad on things like these so my list will be short. But no matter, I'm here for the fun of it and hope you enjoy it as well.
Here's the gist:
There's a lot of novels, comics and plays that have been made into films and TV dramas,BUT how many of them have you BOTH seen the film/TV drama and read the original book, play or comic story?Since I'm so bad remembering movies and books my list will be relatively small--I'm sure some readers will welcome that. I'm breaking this down into my favorites, a disappointment, and one that I disliked. I'll include a couple of notes about each, but no in depth reviews or anything like that.
Here's your chance to list the ones you have
To join in the fun:
- Leave a COMMENT below to let us know what you think
- Sign up
to the linky
- On Monday 1st- Wednesday 3rd August
POST UP your list of novels, comics and plays that you have BOTH read and seen the film/ TV adaptations
- Then check out the other blog entries on the linkey between 1st - 3rd August and leave comment.
Here's the list:
David Cronenberg's Crash (1996) based on the novel Crash by J.G. Ballard (1973) --I read an intriguing review of this book in a literary magazine when the book was first released. I was in college at the time. Though I looked for this book over the years, I was never able to find a copy. When I saw that the movie version was being released I was blown away. Saw it, loved it. Then I finally found the book version in a rereleased compilation of three J. G. Ballard works. The book version lived up to the review and the film did the book justice.
Deliverance (1972) based on the James Dickey novel Deliverance (1970) --- I saw the film first and then immediately found the book copy and relived the film. The film was spot on in recreating the novel. It didn't hurt that James Dickey also wrote the screenplay. The author even has a small role in the film.
Irwin Allen's The Poseidon Adventure (1972) based on Paul Gallico's The Poseidon Adventure (1969)-- I liked this film so much that a few years later when I ran across the book version I immediately purchased it. I had read other books by Gallico and enjoyed his writing. I thought the film did a pretty good job of capturing the essential adventure of the book although there were some changes.
No Country for Old Men (2007) based on the Cormac McCarthy novel No Country for Old Men (2005) is one of the best book to film adaptations I've seen. Watching the movie is like reading the book or vice versa.
Heart of Darkness (1902) is the Joseph Conrad novella upon which one of my favorite films, Apocalypse Now (1979) was based. The film deviates a great deal from the source material, but stays relatively true to the spirit and theme of Conrad's story.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (1922) is a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald that inspired the 2008 film of the same name. I loved this short story and I really enjoyed the film even though the two of them are different in many ways.
disappointments:
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1976) is a novel by Tom Robbins that I enjoyed immensely. I was very excited to hear that a film was going to be made based on this book. The film of the same name was released in 1993 and I was hugely disappointed because it was bad--it was really, really bad. The best part was a soundtrack by k.d. lang.
Hated this one:
I really disliked Robert James Waller's 1992 best-selling novel Bridges of Madison County. Clint Eastwood's flim version (1995) is very true to the book, therefore I really disliked this film as well. I'm a fan of Clint Eastwood and see all of his films, but didn't like this film at all. Then someone convinced me that I should read the book because it was very good. They loaned it to me and it was a very quick read. Still, between book and film I invested way too much time in this treacly trash.
Are any of these your favorites? Which ones do you think I got wrong? Is anyone else looking forward to the upcoming film version of J.G. Ballard's Concrete Island?
The blogfest goes for three days so you still have time to join in. More information and the linky list can be found HERE.
Be sure to come back on Wednesday when my special guest will be Shannon Lawrence from The Warrior Muse.
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The blogfest goes for three days so you still have time to join in. More information and the linky list can be found HERE.
Be sure to come back on Wednesday when my special guest will be Shannon Lawrence from The Warrior Muse.
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Thanks for entering the blogfest. Most of your reads I've not read, though some I have seen as films but not read such as Ben Button and Bridges over Madison Co.
ReplyDeleteMy list is up and some more information will be up tomorrow and Weds :O)
I've never read "Deliverence". I'll have to now. It's been a while since I've seen the movie, too.
ReplyDeleteI've just never been much of a movie watcher, so I opted out of this blogfest. But at least I'll get some ideas on what NOT to watch. The single book/movie that comes to my mind is Jaws - and I have to say that I thought the book was so-so, the movie terrific! (It prob comes to mind because last wk was Shark Week.)
ReplyDeleteI've heard that No Country For Old Men is a quirky read with its lack of punctuation and stuff.
ReplyDeleteLOTR is the best adaptation I've ever seen.
Great list, Lee! I've seen some/read some on your list. I had no idea Deliverance was a book. I'm going to have to read it, though the movie scared the bahjeebers out of me.
ReplyDeleteThe only books/movies I can remember are:
To Kill a Mockingbird Loved both the book and the movie, though I the book was my favorite.
Gone with the Wind Loved the movie. Didn't care so much for the book, though I was young when I read it. Maybe I need to read it again.
Scarlett, the sequel to Gone with the Wind Didn't like either the book or the made-for-TV movie. Awful!
Gosh, now that I'm thinking about it, I have several to list. I might need to get in on this blog hop! LOL Happy Monday! ☺
Crash is one of the few Cronenberg movies I've never seen.
ReplyDeleteI've read The Chronicles of Narnia hundreds of times and the first movie was perfect.
You have some great choices there. I haven't read Bridges but I probably wouldn't like it either. Great fest!
ReplyDeleteGreat list. I really don't watch that many movies but the books/movies that I have indulged in that I can remember are:
ReplyDeleteGone With the Wind
Benjamn Button
Jonathon Livingston Seagull
a lot of the Agatha Christie stories and their made for TV movies (do they count?)
Sounds like a fun blog hop.
I didn't know BENJAMIN BUTTON was Fitzgerald's story, that's really interesting. And CRASH was an amazing amazing film, one of my fav Oscar winners with tones of stunning performances!
ReplyDeleteInteresting list. I've heard the short story of Benjamin Button is awesome. I've seen most of these films on your list but haven't read any of the books. My TBR list just keeps growing and growing....
ReplyDeletethe all time novel to movie is gone with the wind. unlike the mass of the time, i watched the movie first so many times before i read the novel. and the novel was really good. the movie was exact match of the novel but the novel was really really a good read even though you already know the story. like you i did not like bridges of madison county either. first i don't really like meryl streep, she is not pretty enough for me to agree when a man falls heads over heels in love with her, plus i still remember what she did to dustin hoffman in kramer vs kramer. and in bridges, who would like a story about a woman who cheated on her loving husband??
ReplyDeleteI really must both watch and read The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It's always been loitering low on my 'to read' list, but I think I'll promote it.
ReplyDeleteI loved the film"Deliverance" I recall seeing it a few times.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the blogfest.
Yvonne.
WINNER WINNER Second prize winner on the Royal Giveaway (thefeatherednest). Email me (ournest@live.ca) with your mailing address and I will pop it in the mail first thing Tuesday morning.
ReplyDeleteGreat list. I hated Bridges also but the wife wanted to see it and I had to sit through it. At this moment I don't know if I have the brain power to think that hard. August 3rd, huh? We'll see.
ReplyDeleteMadeleine -- Enjoyed this and thanks for hosting.
ReplyDeleteMiranda -- James Dickey was a noted poet when he wrote Deliverance and the book is beautifully written.
Li -- I'm a big film fan and I love to compare films to their source material.
Alex -- All of Cormac McCarthy's books are written in pretty quirky manners, but they are great stories masterfully written.
Larri -- I must read Mockingbird one day. It's been on so many best book lists.
L.Diane -- Crash is a pretty rough film for some to watch I'd say. The unrated version probably would have received and X rating due to sex scenes. My wife liked this film when she first saw it which surprised me.
Lee
Clarissa -- Bridges is a film that a lot of women seem to like, but I don't whether you'll find many men who feel the same.
ReplyDeleteDelores -- I would think TV versions would be fair game--sure why not?
Dezmond - Yes, I discovered the Benjamin Button story when I read the book Confessions of Max Tivoli, which has a very similar story and is a beautifully written book.
You are confusing Cronenberg's Crash with the Oscar winning film of the same name. The Cronenberg film stars James Spader, Holly Hunter, and Rosanna Arquette-- I don't know if it would be your type of fare.
PK -- "Benjamin Button" is an excellent story. A later book called The Confessions of Max Tivoli has a very similar story, but beautifully written full novel form.
Oceangirl -- I disliked Bridges for all the reasons you mentioned. And I'd forgotten Kramer. I know she is much beloved by many but Streep is definitely not my favorite actress.
Tony -- Yes! Read and watch Benjamin Button and compare them. They were both good.
Yvonne -- I've also seen Deliverence more than once. James Dickey, the author of the book, is also a noted American poet.
Gregg -- I don't see how any man, married or single -- could like Bridges and I find it puzzling that so many women adored this. I'll bet you could come up with some good choices--you should try this one.
Lee
an interesting list. i'd had no idea that Crash was a book. not my favorite movie, but not one of the worst i've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteI co-moderate a movie discussion list and book adaptations is one of those topics which come up again and again. I've posted a few times on movies which were equal or better than the book for me. Maybe I should repost them since the mailing list archives are not public.
ReplyDeleteOff the top of my head, "Heart of Darkness" and "Apocalypse Now" both work well for me too. On that note, "Johnny Got His Gun" by Dalton Trumbo was a good movie, which the author directed himself, decades later. Trumbo wrote several great screenplays for big movies so he knew the terrain. Metallica used clips from the movie in their video for "One", which I guess is inspired by the book. Memory is picking up...
I thought "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" was better as a movie, but others would disagree. It's not treacly, maybe a bit too raunchy for some though.
Oh and there was this rare occasion of a best-selling French novel where the majority of Amazon reviews, and someone I know personally, say the movie is better. Surprise, the author directed the movie himself and had never directed before. Another exception.
If I had remembered, I would have put No Country For Old Men on my list. Loved The Road too, but I didn't think the movie quite captured the book.
ReplyDeleteThe blogfest was tougher than I thought. Too many good books and movies to choose from!!
The only movie on this list I saw was No Country for Old Men. Great movie. I heard the book was very good too.
ReplyDeleteI remember watching and being quite thrilled by 'The Poseidon Adventure.'
ReplyDeleteI had to watch 'Apocalypse Now' for a Sophomore Comp. class at university and had a very odd response to it which I will not type, here! (It was quite odd.)
My greatest disappoint from book to film was "Starship Troopers". Ugh
ReplyDeleteMichelle -- It took nearly 30 years to get the book on film. I like Ballard's writing. I'm sure the film is a tough sell for many filmgoers.
ReplyDeleteMarcus -- I hope you start doing more film topics on your blog.
LG -- I was really looking forward to the film version of The Road. I was mildly disappointed, but it was still an excellent film. I agree that there a lot of book/film adaptations that could be listed, but I didn't want to go on too long.
Stephen -- the book version of No Country for Old Men is outstanding and the movie was a faithful adaptation. If you haven't seen Apocalypse Now you should really check it out. I think you'd also like Deliverance.
Suze -- Now you have me curious as to your odd response to Apocalypse Now. What exactly is an odd response? The film tends to be often misunderstood or garner very negative reactions with some. For me it was just a very surrealistic journey with an allegorical backdrop of a Viet Nam war scenario. It is not history by a longshot.
Donna -- I have heard others say the same thing about Starship Trooopers. I've neither read the book nor seen the movie.
Lee
I've only heard of two on your list: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Heart of Darkness. I'll have to find out about the others.
ReplyDeletegreat idea for a blog fest :)
ReplyDeleteI don't always watch movies of books I've read - I never think they're going to match what's happened in my head! Lord of the Rings was really well done though. And I thought Holes was pretty good too.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteGood eclectic tastes here! ;)
Books on the whole are better than movies: so much more happens within and often as not ties up missing movie threads!
best
F
Great list! Like a few others, I also want to read The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I've heard many good things about Cormac McCarthy that I am eager to give his books a try.
ReplyDeletethe Poseidan Adventure scared me as a kid, but I loved it.
ReplyDeleteGolden Eagle -- You might enjoy Poseidon Adventure. Paul Gallico wrote some pretty good stuff.
ReplyDeleteJemi -- I never read the LOTR ring series and didn't see the last movie yet, but the first two were excellent.
Francine -- Yes, for the reasons of time constraint it's usually difficult to show everything that's in a book, but Deliverance and No Country for Old Men did an excellent job of doing so.
Artistry -- You should give at least one of McCarthy's books a try.
MPax -- Poseidon Adventure was one of the first big disaster films and had an excellent reception with filmgoers.
Lee
I don't think I've seen or read any of those, so I've got some new titles to add to my growing lists! Thanks for joining in the blogfest.
ReplyDeleteIf you get a chance, check out a fellow writer's zombie story and help me make him wear an embarrassing shirt next year! It's the ultimate grudge match between social media and the zombies. Details are here:
http://kelworthfiles.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/prove-the-zombies-wrong-social-platforms-can-build-readership/
i always feel books are better then movies but sometimes a movie can be good but i don't think they are ever better then the ctual book
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to say that I have not read or seen any of the books or movies that you have mentioned. I am wondering as to why the books by JK Rowling and by Beverly Cleary or even Roald Dahl are not mentioned:( ? Do you not read them ? I am sixty and I still don't consider my self to be too old to read thes authors. They are phenominal.
ReplyDeleteAre you talking about Crash, the movie about racial issues? That is SUCH an amazing movie. The storyline and acting is top notch.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, I didn't realise Apocalypse Now was based off Heart of Darkness. I enjoyed Heart of Darkness so I guess I should see Apocalypse Now...it's a classic after all ;)
ReplyDeleteKelworth -- These are some reads you should add to your list for sure, and if you haven't seen the films they are well worth seeing.
ReplyDeletebecca -- I think there are some films that have equaled the books, but on the whole I would agree with you.
Munir -- I just have never gotten around to reading them. I don't read as much as I'd like to and I tend to read other things. I do want to eventually see all of the Potter movies even if I don't get around to reading the books.
Alexia--- No not the Crash directed by Paul Haggis--it was indeed an amazing film. The one I'm talking about is a borderline Sci-fi film, or perhaps more a psycho-sexual fantasy. It's not for everyone for sure, but it too is an amazing film and J.G. Ballard is an amazing writer.
Lynda -- If you haven't seen Apocalypse Now you should check it out and see what you think. It seems to be an often love it or hate it film, but if you liked Conrad's novella then you might just like this film.
Lee
Sounds like fun. I'll have to give it a go.
ReplyDeleteJoyce
http://joycelansky.blogspot.com
I didn't care for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (movie), it was a great idea but I thought the movie dragged.
ReplyDeleteNo Country for Old Men was great I just thought it ended weird.
Aww Deliverance. So scary. So unnerving. No desire to read the book or see the movie again.
ReplyDeleteI hated Bridges over... a bunch. Hated it. I didn't read the book, maybe it's better?
I like this idea....
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which, I am currently reading American Psycho, and believe it or not, I think the film version was much better.
Joyce -- It was fun. I'll check out your post.
ReplyDeletePTM -- BUTTON was long, much longer than the short story it was based on. And No Country ended just about like the book, which surprised me since they often don't, and I was happy about it because I did like the end of the book.
Teresa -- I'm so glad there's a woman who hated Bridges. Don't bother with the book since it's about the same as the movie.
Andrew -- This does seem kind of up your alley, except I don't think they have books to go with some of those really movies you review. I say go for it though--I'd love to see your take on this.
Lee
I really enjoyed Crash and Benjamin Button, but haven't read the books. I agree with Larri that To Kill A Mockingbird was both an exceptional book and film. Julie
ReplyDeleteI both read and watched the movie "To Kill A Mockingbird" at high school. Both versions were great!
ReplyDeleteI've read The Da Vinci Code and watched it on the big screen. The book is way better than the movie!
Enjoyed reading and watching Romeo and Juliet.
Duncan In Kuantan
I neither read nor saw any of these. Started watching No Country for Old Men, but I wasn't in the mood for that kind of movie and watched only about ten minutes or so.
ReplyDeleteI must agree with you about both the novel and film version of Bridges Of Madison County. I never understood what all the fuss was about.
ReplyDeleteHim, Lee,
ReplyDeleteI am only familiar with a few of these. But I am definitely going to read F. Scott's short story.
Hehehe I'm with you. Some books just aren't done justice. In fact, I suspect that I will write about it tonight.
ReplyDelete:-)
Julie -- I've really got to read To Kill a Mockingbird! So many raves and it was such a great film.
ReplyDeleteDuncan -- I liked the DiCaprio version of Romeo + Juliet. I thought it was very uniquely done. The traditionally done versions were of course very good as well.
Carol -- I read the book version of No Country for Old Men first and liked it a great deal, but I like all of McCarthy's work. The film stuck to the book so well that I had no problem watching since I knew the story anyway.
Lisa -- Thank you! I was so disgusted with Bridges of Madison County that I was audibly complaining as I left the theatre. If the book hadn't been so short I would not have wasted my time reading it.
Michael -- The Button story is very good and if you like it I would recommend the beautifully written novel on the same theme and concept called The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer.
Misha -- It's good when filmmakers stay true to at least the theme and spirit of the source material, but maddening when they decide to change it all up. Look forward to your offerings.
Lee
Tossing It Out
OMG. I am so with you on Bridges of Maddison County. See my blog post today!
ReplyDeleteEllie Garratt
I didn't know that Apocalypse Now was based off of Heart of Darkness. Interesting!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read or seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but I've always been curious to.
Terrible! Not you, me! Because I've only seen one of these (Benjamin Button) and read none. I've got a lot of catching up to do... :)
ReplyDeleteBesides my husband and I, you are the first person I've seen who hated Bridges of Madison County. I didn't read the book, but the movie was just plain awful.
ReplyDeleteI felt the same about Thelma & Louise. It seemed that pretty much everyone loved it and several friends even called it a "feel good, woman's movie." Um, no.
Ellie -- Great lists! Glad to find others who agree with me on Bridges.
ReplyDeleteJenna -- Benjamin Button is a short story so it doesn't take ling to read if you can find it. It might even be available online.
Donea -- You should get busy. There is some great stuff here.
Word Nerd -- I so thrilled to hear so many others agreeing with me about Bridges. I thought I'd be alone on this one.
Lee
Aw, I missed Heart of Darkness on mine. It's the whole forgetfulness thing you wrote about.
ReplyDeleteI saw Crash, but have not read the book. I will need to check that out!
I didn't know many of these books were adaptations from novels. There are definitely a few I'd like to read, such as Deliverance.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I was never able to make it through Bridges of Madison County. Not my kind of film (or book).
Hi there, I found you through the blogfest. Your "new followers" tab said to post my site so here it is: http://writingofanovel.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteMy list will be up tomorrow morning. I'm cheating by reading everyone else's lists first to make sure I don't forget any important movies/novels. :P
Nina
"...treacly trash." LOVE it! Sadly, I haven't read any of these, but when I see an adaptation, I try to keep in mind that they are VERY different mediums, and should be treated as such. A screenplay tends to be a page per minute, so when it is SO scaled-down, there will be things missing, but they've added music, so it's a tied-game.
ReplyDeleteGreat list. Some to add to my list. Have fun hopping around.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree about "Bridges".
ReplyDeleteI vote for the books when it comes to "The Notebook" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"...definitely. The books allow you to interpret the story through the veil of your own experience.
Susan --Was it the David Cronenberg version of Crash? There were two films with the same title that came out within a few years of each other and they are vastly different, but they are both good.
ReplyDeleteShannon -- I may have to reread Deliverance. It is a beautifully written novel.
Nina -- Welcome to my site. I will check out yours.
Will -- You are right about the differences, but there are a rare few films that come very close to their source material.
TC -- Thanks for stopping by.
Jan -- I'm glad I'm getting so much agreement about Bridges. I was sure I would get some disagreement on that one. The Notebook and Cuckoo were both wonderful films. I did not read the former but I did read the latter.
Lee
Just getting back in the swing of the things and now for some reason I have dueling banjos playing in my head. :)
ReplyDeleteJules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow
Whoah, I guess I need to read more. I have seen a few of these movies, but not read the books...yikes!
ReplyDeleteI like how you penned this~ I will have to check this out! Now back to the library for me... :D
I missed out on the blogfest, but your post is informative. I love Joseph Conrad and Heart of Darkness is the only one on your list that I read. Didn't see the movie. (I'm more into books than movies, especially when movies are derived from books.)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for dropping by.
Be well.
Missed this blogfest..:(
ReplyDeleteLove your list!
Great list
ReplyDeleteJules -- you are back in the swing of things--you just gave me a good laugh. Dueling banjos! It was a great scene wasn't it?
ReplyDeleteElla -- Don't feel bad. As I looked at all of the other lists I realized how under read I am.
Robyn -- Apocalypse Now is such a classic. If you liked Conrad's source material you should check out this film to compare.
Damyanti -- It was fun. Thanks for looking in.
Taio -- Thanks!
Lee
I loved the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, though I never read the story. I thought it was a beautiful movie (but mind you, I love Brad Pitt, so that skews my opinion just a little).
ReplyDelete