Quadblog Topic: Brigantine North Middle School : Monday, Sept. 19, 2011The book or the movie? We have very strong preferences for which is the better vehicle for telling a story.
Consider at least one example of a book you read and a movie adapted from that book. (Example: “Twilight” (2005) by Stephanie Meyer and the “Twilight” (2008) movie directed by Catherine Hardwicke. )
Which is a more interesting media?
In three paragraphs, answer the following questions:1- Which do you prefer? Why? Give at least three reasons.
2- Talk about one specific example comparing the movie and the book of your choice (book: author, year it was published movie: director, year it was released.) How were they similar? How did the two mediums differ?
3- What challenges does the movie industry face when adapting a book to the large screen? Give three examples and explain why and how these challenges can or cannot successfully be overcome.
In most cases, I ALWAYS prefer the book. Ever since my fifth grade librarian gave me the book "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" (1956) by Jean Lee Latham, I have been addicted to reading historical novels. I WAS the young character in the book. When I went to bed, I took out my flashlight and read the pages over and over. For those few hours I became someone different. Books give me the opportunity to use my imagination. Reading is a great way to spend some free time.
ReplyDeleteI can pick up a book anytime. anywhere, and read. It is a convenient entertainment. Unlike watching a movie and seeing another person's interpretation of a story, when I read, I make the story my own, emotionally and visually.
I agree, Ruthann! The book is almost always better. I read "The Lord of the Rings" series three times. When the movies finally came out, I was thrilled with the imagery; I felt I was re-reading one of my favorite stories. When the horses pounded through the stream, I could hear Tolkien's words and it felt like I was right in my imagination again. That's the only movie I've seen that (at least to me) did the book justice.
ReplyDeleteIn John Grisham's "The Firm," though, I like the ending of the movie better than the book. I only like happy endings; I know that eliminates so many classics, but the world is so sad sometimes, that I like to hope it can always be better.
I think that good books have so many thematic dimensions, that movies can only flow with one of those dimensions. "Hearts in Atlantis" (1999) by Stephen King is an example of that and so is Dune by Frank Herbert. Dune, of course, is a masterful book on many levels, while HiA has several stories and themes that blend together. The movies would be too expensive and too long to create. Thanks for the great question.
Jimmy
ReplyDeletePersonally, I like both reading a book and watching the corresponding movie. I like both because you get two different point-of-views. I like the movies because if you don’t have time to read the books, you could pop in the DVD, lay on the couch, and spend about two hours watching the movie. I also like reading the books because you get more information and I like sitting in front of my fireplace and read a nice book.
Recently, I read and watched The Outsiders. Both of the versions were good. I liked the book a little better because the movie didn’t have some key points like the book. For instance, in the book, Ponyboy threatened the Socs and it showed that he was no longer afraid of them. It also didn’t have Ponyboy going to court because of the murder.
The movie industry has a lot of challenges making a movie based on a novel. They have to get all key points in the movie, make it interesting to the public, and make the characters look how the characters in the book were imagined. A way to get by all of this is to have people from the public to read the book and watch the movie before it is released.
Ty
ReplyDeleteI would rather read the book. I like reading so much better because when you read, all you need to do is find a well lit spot and the book. While when you have to watch a movie you have to find the dvd, turn on the tv, put the movie in, sit through 12 hours of trailers and then the title screen. Also when you are reading you can imagine what the characters look like (to some extent)not what some director thinks they look like.
Also i just read and watched "the lightning thief." I liked both versions but I liked the book better. It had far more detail and the story seemed to flow better. For example in the book they secretly went to find the bolt while in the movie they got permission, which may not sound that important but if you read the book, it is.
One challenge the movie industry faces is how to represent the characters. Should they make him a carbon-copy of the book character (which really never happens) or should they change him up (but not too much) so he is more appealing to the big screen. In my opinion they will never correctly meet this "balance" of carbon-copy from the book and the cute guy on the big screen look.
Veronica Said :
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that the book is better than the movie in most cases. I think that because some movie directors do not put scenes in the movie.I read the book and watched the movie about "The Outsiders". I enjoyed it a lot, but I like the book better. Here are a few reasons why I feel this way.
First of all, there was some parts which was left out in the movie, for example , after Ponyboy visited Johnny at the hospital in the book it states that Ponyboy tried to convince himself that Johnny isn't dead. The movie director should have included that so the people who were watching it would know how much PonyBoy cared about Johnny and how close they were.
Even though with today's electronics nothing can give you a better picture in your head than your own imagination. Even though I am more of a visual person I enjoy books better because I can through my own creativity in there.
KalliPink123
ReplyDeleteI would prefer a book because I like it to be a mystery as to what the character looks like, I like to put the puzzle pieces together and make the character up in my head. Also I like the reading the book better because the book always has more details and more explanations then the movie. Another reason why I would prefer the book is because I can understand the characters better because in a book, it tells you what characters are thinking and feeling.
I recently just got done reading and watching the movie on the outsiders. I personally liked the book a lot better because it had a lot more details about the characters and everything that happened to them. Personally I feel like the movie wasn’t as interesting because they had to squeeze all the things that happened in the book to a short time leaving some out. For instance they left out a lot of the parts in the courthouse, which I think are very important.
some challenges the movie industry way overcome while making a novel into a movie are making the characters look like how the people who read the story visualized them. Also another hard thing they have to do is put all the scenes from the book into a short movie which is hard because u need a lot of details when people are acting. Another challenge they might overcome is not having the movie interesting to the public eye.
I would whether want the book cause I could make my own movie in my head.Plus the book adds way more details and if you read the book you can see if its similar to your mind movie and you can say 'hey' I remember that.And I honestly say I like sagas cause you can keep going and the book can get more exiting, and the end of the book can be sad mad or happy.And I'm reading the 2ed book of Hunger games and I like it.And I like books cause you can have free time and flap it open and read It's easy and that's what I think.
ReplyDeleteI rather read the book before i watch the movie, cause the book gives more detail. the movie only gives little detail about the story. They are similar because they are both talking about the same thing. One gives more detail than the other.
ReplyDeleteI rather read the book before i watch the movie because the book can give you information about the story than the movie.the movie barely shows what the story is about cause the book shows details.
ReplyDeleteTom
ReplyDeleteMy opinion is that I prefer the book. I prefer the book because the movie sometimes doesn’t always match up with the book. Also, if I’m doing something such as summer reading I can flag something by using post it notes. Finally, I’m more of an auditory person so I have to hear someone say it to me or I have to read in my head.
A great example of a book and movie comparison is “The Outsiders”. The book was different from the movie because Soda pop talked more in the book, but not so much in the movie. Also, in the movie the scenes were longer then what it was in the book. There is also many similarities in this movie to book comparison. One similarity was that all the characters that were in the book were in the movie. Another similarity is that in the book and movie the author described the time period very well.
The movie industry won’t have to many challenges. One challenge is that the characters will have to match their description. That challenge would be able to overcome by finding the right people to play that character. Another challenge is that they would have to get the main scenes in. That challenge could be overcome by including it in the movie. The final challenge I have is that the movie industry might want o spice p the movie by making a scene real dramatic so people will stay toned to the movie. That challenge would be overcome by adding some special effects.
Tara
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I like reading the book. I read " The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" which the movie was called "The Chronicles of Narnia". The book always has more details . I love reading because you get to picture the part in your head and you have a different perspective than other people !
The author was by C.S Lewis. The book was publish in 1950 ! What was the same in the book and movie was that the kids both went in the wardrobe with was Narnia , and the difference is that in the movie it showed the scene of the bombing in London which the book didn't say anything about . Whenever, I have free time I like to pull out a book and read.
The movie industry is really challenging to make a movie from a novel . They mostly have to get everything from the book and re and acted it. Plus they have to catch the peoples attention even more . Last would be that they would have to put the characters how they are in the book with every details !
Personally I prefer reading the book. I love to read and can go through a book in as little as 12 hours. the books that I read i usually get from watching the movie/ tv show. for example after i saw the movie soul surfer (which I love) I bought the autobiography of Bethany Hamilton, describing her story on her experiences with one arm.
ReplyDeleteon special occasions I defiantly prefer the movie. For example when the “Harry Potter” series came out in movies, I loved them. The books were to long for me to read and I thought that the movie went a lot faster then the book. This also happened for me when “Twilight” came out in movie. The series was too long of a read for me however the movie series was thrilling and fast.
All in all, I like both watching the movie and reading the book. It all really depends for me on what book or movie it is! If the book is bad then I give the movie a chance because often times, the movie is drastically different. Thanks for listening!
Personally, I prefer books over movies. For me, books paint a clear, vivid picture in your mind, and that’s more fun for me than having someone else do it. Also, I like knowing that my experience, in reading a book, if different than anyone else’s. I caught a different vibe from the novel than other people, and saw different scenery. Lastly, books are good for you. They keep your mind sharp, and your imagination running.
ReplyDeleteThe Outsiders, written by S.E, Hinton, published in 1967 was a great book. The movie, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, released in 1983, was good also. However, I liked the book, more than the movie. The book had events in it that the movie didn’t. Also I was able to get more emotionally attached to the book, and I could relate to the characters more.
The Movie industry has many challenges in making a book, a good movie. First off, the novel must be timeless. It must be popular. If someone’s never heard of it before, chances are there not going to see it. Next, you must find what audiences the novel is directed toward, and pick characters that they would want to see. Because, when you’re reading a book, you see whatever you want to see. Lastly, you must make the movie shine above the novel. You need to make it so that people do like it better than the book. Though it is hard, it’s not impossible.
Zainab
ReplyDeleteI believe that reading a book is better then watching a movie. Movies don't have the same feel you will get while reading a book. Books describe the characters with more details. The reader can imagine it in their own way.
For example, this summer i read the book " The Outsiders". Both the movie and book were good but i still prefer the book then the movie because the movie did not include all the scenes that were in the book. The book described the characters in a different and better way.
Some challenges that the movie industry may face are to get the same personality of the characters that was in the book. The movie should be the same way the reader imagined it while reading the book. The whole feel of the story has to be the same.
Kathleen(brig)
ReplyDeleteFor me, I like the book also. I feel it gives a lot more detail in the book. It explains what the characters are feeling and what they think unlike the movie.
For me "The Outsiders" was a book i read this past summer and I watched the movie and the book was ten times better! There the same because they both had the same idea but they were different because there were scenes that were skipped, like the scene of the courthouse was way shorter in the movie and I didn't like it.
The movie industry probably had a very hard time making the book into a movie because they had to make it look like the olden times. Movies are supposed to feel like your there so the lighting might be dimmer and the settings are taken in fields. That's why for me I like the book better then the movie.
In my opinion i rather read the book first then i would watch the movie. The reason why is because i can get a better understanding with the book before the movie so i could spot out what's going to happen next in the scenes.
ReplyDeleteone example of a really good and fascinating book i had read is called "The Outsiders". After i had read it i watched the movie and got a better understanding by the movie visualizing the scenes for me. So yeah,its a great way to listen to a story.
Jake
ReplyDeleteFor me, I like reading the book better than the movie. For a book you can just pick it up and start reading. No previews or title screen you can just start whenever you want.
I just watched the outsiders and I loved it. I read the book a while back and couldn't wait to see how the movie interpreted it. To tell you the truth, I liked the book better than the movie. It seems like if you didn't read the book you wouldn't get the movie. They cut out somethings that shouldn't have been. I still loved the movie though.
I think the movie producers shouldn't take out some parts of the book. I think if they're making a movie from the book they shouldn't take parts out or put parts in. Also, they should try to make the movie characters look like the description in the book. So the watchers could see what the author wanted them to imagine by reading the book. The movie should also look like what the author intended it to look like. Try to match the authors description to the scenery. It it took place in a tropical island you don't want to film it in China or somewhere like that. Overall, the movie should be like the book in every way.
When you are reading a book, do you ever picture the charter? How he or she looks like? How she or he, talks like. Do you ever think this charter reminds you of so and so? I prefer reading a book rather watching a movie. I rather read a book because I like to picture the charter. I like to think that I am another charter in the book. When watching a movie it shows you how the charter looks like, how they talk. It basically ruins your creative mind. It doesn’t let you picture what you want to see. It shows you how it’s going to be and that’s it. In addition, in ever movie they always leave so many details or events that are in the book. They only take the biggest event and forget about all the rest events and that’s probably what I hate the most. It’s like asking for a chocolate Sunday and the ice cream person saying you don’t have the cup. All the smaller events hold the whole book together. Also, a book is so much more portable. You can take a book anywhere and open up to right where you left it. For a movie yes there are portable dvd players but you always have to worry if their charged or not. And sometimes, they don’t leave off at the part where you stopped it.
ReplyDeleteI read the book The Outsiders by Susan Eloise Hinton published in 1967 and also watch the movie which was directed by Francis Ford Coppola released in 1983. The book and the movie where actually very similar the directed followed the book closely word by word. Started and ended with the same way the book did. The only big difference was in the movie they left out a huge part that was in the book. This is what I disliked. In the book the last 5 chapters was the ending which had so many events take place. In the movie they skipped many events and hurried up the ended.
All and all, the movie industry faces many issues before airing a book as a movie. To begin with, the director has to make the movie somewhat different to grow the attention to a new audience but can’t change it too much or all the fans that love the book won’t see. This is a very hard thing to do what events to change or what new events make happen. This puts so much pressure on the director to pick what happens. This is a risky job that only professionals can do. This can be successfully or not. It can be successfully if the audience loves what the director did to the movie. It can be unsuccessful if the audience hates what the director did. All and all, the movie industry has a touch job if it does good or bad is all up to the audience.
Dina (BNMS)
ReplyDeleteI would always choose the book in stead of the movie. The book has much more detail. Also, the movie is just a shorter version of the book. A lot of books make more sense than some movies.
One of the best movies that have books I’ve read and seen has probably have seen and read is definitely “The Lovely Bones”. To be honest I loved the movie better for this one. The movie was very similar to the book to but the movie stood out the most. The book was great to. The only difference was that the book was much longer.
One of the most challenging things that movie producers have is making the movie just like the book. You need to get the same characters, just how you described them. Also, you need all of the props. For example you described a car that is very expensive you need it and you also need to add more items to it. I think they would have to pay more for the movie then it cost.
Shawn (Brig)
ReplyDeleteBetween reading a book or watching a movie, I would watch the movie. Don't get me wrong I like reading the book, but seeing the movie is easier. When you see a movie just sit in your Lazy Boy recliner and stare at a screen for a hour and a half. Simple, you don't need to turn pages and if you're a slow reader reading it takes forever!!!
I read and saw Iron Man 2. Both awesome, but the book and the movie are different. With the movie I don't need to do anything just watch. With the book you need to picture everything that's happening in the book in your head.
With this the challenge was turning the movie into a book. You probably have to take parts out, like the unimportant ones. With the book you have to explain everything. They can't have a picture on every page. This can't be overcome because novels shouldn't have any pictures, so you have to say who's talking all the time. The small but important scenes sometimes need o be token out to make the book shorter or the writer didn't like the scene.
tj (Brig)
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with this statement mrs Meyer. The movie usually is better because you get a better description of characters, scenery, and speak. books that were made into a movie such as the outsiders, the movie will be better. the outsiders to me wasn't as good of a book as a movie. i can give you a few examples on how the movie is better.
The book holes was an okay book' the movie was amazing. i loved the scenery. if you watched this movie you would think so too. another example is diary of a wimpy kid. it was a very funny movie. the wasn't as funny.
my last example is the book and movie is ink heart the book wasn’t very cool.but i loved the movie. the movie is way better than the book in my opinion.