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Sunday, July 17, 2011

Why Books are better than Movies

I figured it out!

The meaning to life.  Well, no not really.  But I have figured out why I don't like movies made from my favorite books.

The Lincoln Lawyer (Mickey Haller, #1)
by Michael Connelly

I loved this book.  Well, I still do.  I love this book.  It was different than any book I had read, and I've read many courtroom books (like all of John Grisham).  My Dad and I share the same taste in thrillers, and we so enjoyed this book.  So when they announced a movie was been made from it, my dad was super excited.  

I'm watching the movie right now.  And it's a great movie ... but I hate it.  And I've figured it out.  It's too fast. When you read a book, you become a character in the story.  In the Lincoln Lawyer, it's Micheal Haller.  I understood him.  I felt him.  I cried when he cried.  I smiled when he smiled.  I feared when he feared.  This is one of those books that I lived whether I was actually reading the words or not, thought of always, and stayed up way too late into the nights to read this book.

With the movie, a 30 second scene encompasses a chapter or two.  I feel like I'm being dragged along by the movie.  They keep going, but I want to yell 'stop' wait, you didn't tell them about this; wait, there not going to get it; I know the background, I know this character and you just can't fit a book into a movie.  In the movie they spent 10 seconds at a crime scene that had me sobbing while reading the book.

You just can't fit that kind of emotion into a book.  Movies are great, but books pull at your heartstrings.  Books make you feel, think, believe you are someone else.  

It's a good movie.  You should watch it.  Then go read the book.  Because it's better.

2 comments:

  1. I love to read and I almost never like a movie made from a book Ive read. The only two exceptions are The Green Mile & Shawshank Redemption.
    I think you're reason is exactly true! Another thing for me is, the author paints a picture and I imagine it a certain way in my head. Then someone else interprets it for the movie and often it's very different from what I imagined - and I like my version better!

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  2. Totally agree. I generally try to watch a movie before I read the book for that very reason! Hard to be disappointed in the movie if you haven't already immersed yourself in the story :)

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