Wednesday 21 March 2012

The Book vs. The Movie

Hello my chums! I am in a very jolly mood today! The sun has been shining, and I have been frolicking in a meadow with my boyfriend; haha, I wish. I have just had a great day, you know the kind. How has your day been? I will be very jealous indeed if you have been frolicking in the sun with your boyf!

Recently a lot of the books I have chosen to read have eventually been adapted into a movie, (I pick well!) so I thought to myself, I will write a blog about which was better, the book or the movie, or if in fact they tied with being equally bad or good.

First up is the renowned Dear John, beloved by sappy romantic girls wanting to read or watch a love story. However, the fact remains that in the book Dear John is not really a love story at all. There is romance and a relationship in it, but the main focus is projected onto the military and fighting aspect if the plot. And the famous Dear John love letters? There is only one, and it is a break up letter. The movie adaptation is extremely inaccurate when compared with the book, and I have to say that I really don't appreciate Channing Tatum's attempt at acting. Sorry, but it had to be said. Unfortunately Nicholas Sparks has not done it this time, two thumbs down for Dear John.

The mother of all vampire fiction novels has to be Twilight, doesn't it? Breaking Dawn is by far my favourite book and movie of the saga, and that's not just because there is more content to read. I love the character development leading up to, and during Breaking Dawn, especially in Jacob. I also liked meeting all of the new character who were introduced in Breaking Dawn. And before you ask, I was always Team Edward in the books and Team Jacob on the screen, but then Robert Pattinson got hot and I don't know which team to pick, so I'm Team Edcob. I must say that this choice between the movie and the book has proved very challenging. I have come to the conclusion that they are equally great. The book is so detailed and interesting but the movie is truly beautiful and mesmerising. I'm tied fifty/fifty.

What world would we live in without the glorious works of teenage romance novelist Meg Cabot, namely The Princess Diaries. I know it seems childish, but I love these books! There is a certain likeability to Mia which makes her a great character, and all of the other characters are fun too, very realistic, if you get what I mean. When I read this series(there are ten books in total, and all of them have totally awesome names), I found myself really getting into the story. Also, I am kind of in love with Michael, if you've read them, you'll understand. Although, the movie was a bit of a let down. The story has been changed a lot, and some crucial plot lines missed out. The whole plot of the second movie is not included in the book series at all. The books would definitely win it for me, hands down.

Is there even a bad word to say about Sara Gruen's Water For Elephants? The book completely captivated me, and I was mesmerised by the pure talent in the movie adaptation. The story, set in 1931, follows a young man who joins the circus in a fit of spontaneity and despair. Similarly when I read as watched Water For Elephants I felt like I had been transported back to 1931, and I was right there in the circus. Sara Gruen's writing is truly enchanting, and the directors of the movie didn't do a bad job either. I keep the book on my night stand because I'll always fall back on my trusty copy if any other books aren't so great, and my DVD is just waiting to be re-watched.

And her comes the inevitable. How could I put Breaking Dawn on the list, but exclude Harry Potter? A series beloved by millions, I am one of those trivia know it alls when it cones to Harry Potter, seriously, you'd want me on your quiz team. I was, and still am infatuated with Harry Potter(but not in a 'lovey' way), ever since I first picked up the books about two years ago after being badgered by a friend to read them for ages. In all honesty I don't know why I hadn't read them before that, all I knew was that i had been missing out. I finished all of the books in a month, but if I re-read them now I could do it in about two weeks - believe me, I have re-read them many times. The movies are undeniably as big a part of British culture as the book series, however, the books will always rein for me. I can't imagine not having the movies now, but the books disclose many more extra details, which I like. Also, I'm not keen on seeing Rupert Grint's snail-trail, like we did in the last movie(euughk). I'd much rather read about their adventures and leave the visual up to my imagination.

As you can probably tell, I am a major bookworm and movie fanatic. If you would like me to review a book or movie please leave the title in the comments, I would live to hear about it. This post was not meant to deter you from reading or watching certain things as these are my personal opinions, but I thought that you would like to hear my point of view on them. Have a great weekend!

Happy reading/watching;

Jenny xx

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