I LOVE Alfonso Cuarón’s sci-fi action movie Children of Men. I’ve watched maybe six times and every time, the ending always almost brings me to tears. So when I learned it was adapted from P.D. James’ book of the same name, it was a no-brainer deciding what my next book would be.
After finishing the book, it wasn’t difficult to reach to the conclusion that I enjoyed the movie better.
While James’ book gives a more in-depth look at how human infertility and humanity’s slow death march towards extinction affects the sexual dynamic between men and women and almost demented ways humans try to cope with a world without children or a race of dead men walking, I feel the book dedicates WAY too much time describing the failing of human civilization and the Regrets and guilt of Theo Faron. It’s not even until after 2/3 through the book where it feels like the plot and story are properly paced and stuff of consequence actually begin to happen.
The film’s adaptation by, comparison, feels consistent in its pacing and the world building and woe-is-mes of Theo feel more compact a take up less of the audience’s time.
What books do you feel were worse than its film adaptation and why?
by ManofWit
6 Comments
The Devil Wears Prada. It was the author’s self-insert revenge book, and it showed. The MC, based on the author, is childish and petty. It drips with entitlement, and she’s just plain unlikeable. It’s very whiny and kind of boring.
The movie is a MASTERPIECE that actually understood the nuance and gave the MC an actual growth arc that didn’t end in “bitterly publishing a payback tell-all thinly veiled as fiction.”
Forrest Gump seems like the obvious choice here
Man on Fire was a decent book but I freaking love the movie.
I thought Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares was very boring but the TV show on Netflix was super charming! I plan to rewatch this holiday season.
I know I’m going to get hate for this, but the dresden files tv series. It’s so much better than the books. The books are stilted and feel like they were written by or maybe for a much younger audience. Like, teenager young. I found them predictable, boring and poorly written.
The series on the other hand, has some great acting, some bad acting, and some great plot line. I wish it had gone further.
Ready Player One.