Guest Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 What do you prefer to do first? Read a book or watch the movie version of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrianne Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 In most cases, read the book. But as far as Tolkien is concerned, I could never quite get through the books ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Whichever came first... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dominion Heather Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Book! Book, book book book book! Book! But I'm not dogmatic about it or anything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crissy Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 We always read the book first. It's a family rule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nakitty Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Book... The book, IMO, is ALWAYS better than the movie.....and I don't want to know what the end of the book is before I get to read it....sooooo....must read the book first! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 If you read the book first, be ready to be disappointed in the movie. Very few come close to the magic of the bk. Can I ask which movie/bk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pqr Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Read the book and then be (90% of the time) disappointed by the movie. If you watch the movie first you will, in many cases, not read the book and thereby miss out. I grant that the Lord of the Rings Trilogy may be the exception that proves the rule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 We always read the book first. It's a family rule. Family rule here too. I find that when I watch the movie first, I substitute the voices and faces from the movie. When I read a book first, I have my own voices/faces from inside my head and I prefer that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich with Kids Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 We do book, listening library (if available), then movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laylamcb Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Book, definitely. Having said that, like many others, I saw LOTR and haven't read the books. I'm reading The Hobbit now. It's...slow going. Agreed that the book is nearly always much, much better than the movie. The exception for me is, strangely, Sense and Sensibility. Love Austen, really don't care for that book. But the Ang Lee/Emma Thompson movie and the latest BBC adaptation were really great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepy Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 The book, of course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bee Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Always.Even LOTR trilogy was better in the book and my head than in movie format. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readwithem Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Book, definitely. Having said that, like many others, I saw LOTR and haven't read the books. I'm reading The Hobbit now. It's...slow going. Just an encouragement.... I tried to like the Hobbit- 4 times I tried to like it - but could NEVER get through it. Picked up LOTR and read all 3 books in one weekend. Granted I was sick as a dog and couldn't get out of bed - but I would have read something and was glad to have read them. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 If you read the book first, be ready to be disappointed in the movie. Very few come close to the magic of the bk. Can I ask which movie/bk? None in particular! I watched the Other Boleyn Girl and now don't really want to read the book. I am reading Memoirs of a Geisha and would consider watching the movie. I figured probably book first is better, but wanted to get some other opinions. I like whoever said that it was a house rule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shalom22 Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 I usually like to read the book first. Take for instance, "Dances with Wolves". The Book covered so much in the beginning that the movies left out and if you hadn't read the book you would be lost at what was going on. But, in the case of National Velvet, I would have to say that is the only book that I could not finish. I loved the movie with Elizabeth Taylor, it seemed to make sense, where the book just left we wondering - what in the heck is going on. I couldn't get into it at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Read. Although sometimes it is a film that sends me off to find a book, given the choice I'd prefer to read the book before seeing a film version of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Book, definitely. Having said that, like many others, I saw LOTR and haven't read the books. I'm reading The Hobbit now. It's...slow going. When I was 14 I read LOTR then the Hobbit. If I had read Hobbit first I doubt I would have continued on with Rings. You have my permission to drop Hobbit (which is a kid's book) and jump into Fellowship. I think you will notice a big difference and enjoy it more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdWTMer Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Most likely, read the book first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Read the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kailuamom Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Book. Then you can form the characters in your mind yourself, before being forced to view them as some producer dictates. Then, you can either keep your vision in your head, or, if the actors, etc., did a good job in their portrayal, you can envision them that way. (I found this with the Harry Potter movies...I thought they did such a good job in casting that I had no problem shifting my vision to encompass theirs -- does that make any sense?? lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in Orlando Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 In most cases, read the book. But as far as Tolkien is concerned, I could never quite get through the books ... I'm the exact same way. Loved the movies. Really don't like the books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaMere Academy Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 I prefer to read the book first, but sometimes it just doesn't happen that way. My friend recommended me to watch Pride and Prejudice first since I was having a hard time getting into the book. Still haven't read it though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E_Edgerton Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 I prefer to read the book first...so not to be influenced by the character appearance, mannerisms, etc. but sometimes it was the movie that motivated me to read the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in MO Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 sometimes I've seen the movie (or TV production) first and then read the book. That can work almost as well for me. I saw A&E's version of Pride and Prejudice and then read the book and thoroughly enjoyed it. The same was true with Sense and Sensibility; I saw the movie with Emma Thompson first before reading the book. Definitely read LOTR, if you can! Even though the movies were very, very well done, there is so much in the books that didn't make it to the movies (otherwise the movies would have been 20 hours long! :D ). Now, in the case of The Wizard of Oz, I recommend just watching the classic movie and avoiding the book. My girls and I never really enjoyed the book; it's a bit odd, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elisabeth in IL Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 I always read the book first. Usually the movies are a bit of a disappointment afterwards though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNC Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 I prefer to read the book first in theory. Almost every time I see a movie (BBC, Masterpiece Theater and more) based on a book, I read it afterwards. I tend to love the book even more - but I wouldn't have read it without seeing the movie first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Book, definitely. Having said that, like many others, I saw LOTR and haven't read the books. I'm reading The Hobbit now. It's...slow going. Agreed that the book is nearly always much, much better than the movie. The exception for me is, strangely, Sense and Sensibility. Love Austen, really don't care for that book. But the Ang Lee/Emma Thompson movie and the latest BBC adaptation were really great! Totally agree. Sometimes watching the movie version helps me slog through a book. (Oops, did I really say slog?) Most of the time, I love reading the book first. Then, especially, then you can give asides to your loved ones during the movie. They *love* that. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gandpsmommy Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Family rule here too. I find that when I watch the movie first, I substitute the voices and faces from the movie. When I read a book first, I have my own voices/faces from inside my head and I prefer that! I know what you mean. I like to do my own visualization of the characters and setting, rather than have it done for me by the movie and permanently affixed in my mind as I am reading. I am almost always disappointed by the movie, but that's okay. I did see Sense and Sensibility before reading the book, but that's because I had never been introduced to Jane Austen before seeing the movie. My senior year of high school my literature teacher suggested that I would really like the movie. I went to see it, and then bought the complete works of Jane Austen and began reading my way through several of her novels. I still loved the book when I read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Definitely book first! Only once have I actually liked a movie better than the book (Atonement). As far as The Other Boleyn Girl and Memoirs of a Geisha-- both of the books are miles and miles better than the movies. When I went to the theater to see TOBG I found it so comical. And it is not intended to be comical. It just paled in comparison to the book. I think if you hadn't read Memoirs...before you saw the movie, the movie could be kind of confusing. The details in the book are just so much richer than the movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 In most cases, read the book. But as far as Tolkien is concerned, I could never quite get through the books ... Oh, and I can't get through the movies. So many things wrong--OY! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Read the book and then be (90% of the time) disappointed by the movie. If you watch the movie first you will, in many cases, not read the book and thereby miss out. I grant that the Lord of the Rings Trilogy may be the exception that proves the rule. Not for me. I can't bear to watch the movies. And that makes me sad, because I *wanted* to like the movies. But no...too many major plot changes, character issues (my poor Faramir!), just too many things wrong. Of course, I have read the series close to 20 times:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristavws Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Definitely, book first! Krista Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 If you read the book first, be ready to be disappointed in the movie. Very few come close to the magic of the bk.I can think of exactly one movie which was better than the book... Being There with Peter Sellers. I always read the book first unless it's a book I will never, ever read -- and then I'm not very likely to see the movie anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tibbyl Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Prefer to read the book first because it enhances my understanding of the film. However, not having read book is not a deterrent to viewing film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmac Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Why, read the book first, of course... It doesn't always happen that way, but is my preference :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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