‘Saw the film, wasn’t as good as the book!’ Every time a popular novel is brought to the screen, the inevitable comparisons begin with the screen version often found wanting. Disappointing the expectations of those familiar with the original.
Of course, this is not always the case. For example when a novel is more experimental in form and content, both versions can be equally impressive. Occasionally a novel may
from conventional structure and themes, that it took several decades before any of them became feature film adaptions. For example, Mrs Dalloway (1925) was the first, where she abandoned the
For movie fans and purists of literature this is a vexing issue leading to other questions such as should one read the book first or wait for the screen version or do the reverse? A few examples might assist those juggling the relative merits of books - whether classics or popular fiction- and their screen adaptations. One of the most popular novels of the last century was ‘Gone with the Wind’ which a few years after its publication became a blockbuster film. I saw this film years before I read the original novel. The film is impressive and when I read the novel which is in the vicinity of 1000 pages. I was equally impressed and found that the novel filled a few gaps and minor inconsistencies in the film. Viewing the film after this, the inconsistencies and gaps were now understood and minor characters became more significant. Had I read the book beforehand, I would not have been as impressed with the film.
8 Dircksey June 2022
Director Sally Potter and Tilda Swinton on the set of Orlando be so unconventional, it may be decades before a screen adaptation is even attempted. The experimental novels of Virginia Woolf are a case in point. Some of her novels depart so markedly
form of the traditional English novel. Focusing on internal mental processes rather than external plot developments, It would have been difficult for filmmakers of the period to adequately convey the
