What are our expectations for the movie adaptations?

It’s got to be The Godfather by Mario Puzo. 🙏 😍 👍

I honestly can't decide if I prefer the book or the movie more.

Ordinary People
I started with the movie, which was fantastic (I might be one of those rare people who’d actually defend its Best Picture Oscar win over an angry bull from that year), and then moved on to the book, which was equally excellent.

The Shawshank Redemption
In this case, I watched the film about ten times before finally picking up the book. It’s one of those rare instances where I actually preferred the movie over the source material—but only because they are essentially identical.

The Cider House Rules
Same pattern: movie first, then the book. After finishing the reading, I felt like the film was just a poor imitation of the original. The book is truly great.

L.A. Confidential
Standard procedure here: movie first, then the book. Both were top-tier quality.

The Thin Red Line
This one is a slightly different story, even though I still watched the film before reading the book. They don't share much in common. The movie is easily in my personal all-time top 10, and the book is beautifully written. I had no trouble getting through it in English.

The English Patient
Here, the book and the film barely connect, aside from a few character names and certain plot points. It's a clear example of how the Minghella book served merely as a foundation for a story he wanted to tell in his own way. Personally, I think he pulled it off quite well. The book is wonderful, even if it gets a little difficult to follow at times.

Surviving the Butterfly (Susanna Kaysen)!!!👍

Hi everyone,

Whenever I watch a great movie, I immediately want to read the book it was based on.
Sometimes it’s worth the effort, but more often than not, it isn't. 😁
Can anyone recommend some books where the source material actually surpasses the film? 🙂

Are we talking books that were turned into movies, or just books about movies you've already seen?

Probably the first one, but I figured I'd ask.

The first thing that jumps to mind is Kesey's "Bird Nest." Everyone raves about that book being a masterpiece. And people say Rex Pickett with "Sideways" is top-tier too.
Then you’ve got Ellroy's famous quartet... actually, hold on, this is going to turn into a massive tangent.

Actually, that was a pretty silly question on my part.

haha! Usually, people are complaining about the exact opposite—that the movie was actually better than the book it was based on.

Superior book:
The Cider House Rules (it feels much more grounded and realistic)

Superior film:
American Psycho (even though the book is great—as everything in this thread seems to be—the movie aligns better with my take that the protagonist didn't actually kill anyone)
Fight Club (I honestly couldn't stand the book)
Sideways (the book wanders aimlessly in places it just doesn't need to)
The Process (while the book is technically flawless, I still find Welles's film more compelling)

goldenhound32 said:Superior book:
The Cider House Rules (it feels much more grounded and realistic)

Superior film:
American Psycho (even though the book is great—as everything in this thread seems to be—the movie aligns better with my take that the protagonist didn't actually kill anyone)
Fight Club (I honestly couldn't stand the book)
Sideways (the book wanders aimlessly in places it just doesn't need to)
The Process (while the book is technically flawless, I still find Welles's film more compelling)

Hold up—wait just a second. Care to explain? Because I am more than ready to go to bat for this. 😁