If anything, doing these Top Five posts both highlights my flailing knowledge and allows me to add to my never ending list of movies to watch and series to start.
MOVIES
As I was compiling this list I noticed that there were tonnes of older books that spawned popular movies that I hadn’t yet read. However you will be glad to know that for once (despite it being an easy out) I won’t be bringing up any Jane Austen.
1. Memoirs of a Geisha (1997/2005)
This is one of the few instances I can recall where the movie was almost as good as the book. Having read the book first, I fell in love with the authors transportative way of writing and was glad that it was able to be translated on screen. Both are on my re-read/watch lists.
2. The Cat in the Hat (1957/2003)
Don’t come at me, but I loved this movie. I’m not joking. I still frequently quote lines from it. Don’t worry I know it was (in some ways) a terrible movie, and am aware of the 10% Rotten Tomatoes rating. But come on, the fact that they managed to bleed a 82 minute movie from a 61 page book of relative nonsense was genius.
3. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950/2005)
The Chronicles of Narnia was one of my favourite series growing up. Though I won’t talk about my disappointment in the proceeding movies; this one was by far the best. One comparison I can clearly make is that Susan succeeded in being a certifiable pleb in both versions.
4. Romeo and Juliet (1597/1996)
Blame my being forced to read the play for school for me not being partial to the text. However once we got through the mandatory reading, we were rewarded with the movie. Baz Luhrmann’s notable adaptation was wondrous; the general interpretation, the music the style the actors. Honestly worth skipping that dude Shakespeare’s play.
5. Bridget Jones’ Diary (1996/2001)
I watched the movie before I read the book (unsurprisingly as I was still in single digits when it came out) but a few years later when the memory of the movie faded I picked up the novel. The titular character in the movie is slightly less annoying than her novel counterpart, but both are equally hilarious.
Just missed out; Harry Potter (too obvious), Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist and Girl with a Pearl Earring.
Television
It’s a lot easier now to gain information for which books will soon be adapted for the small screen so one has time to ingest the series beforehand. Sadly once I start watching a series I can’t go back and read the book for years, if at all, so I missed out on a lot of books/series I could have added to the list, i.e.; Outlander, Game of Thrones, Poldark.
Thankful I did find five viable alternatives.
1. Pretty Little Liars (Sixteen Books/Seven Series)
Before those five smoking hot actresses were cast; Hannah, Emily, Aria and Spencer were a bunch of relatably average looking 14 year olds. Though the TV series diverted from the novels in some ways it was in many others equally as contrived, but fundamentally both managed to portray a lasting and consistent air of creepiness.
(I didn’t finish the books or the series but I did get a chunk of the way through both.)
2. Flashforward (One Book/One Series)
The premise is simple; the whole world gets a glimpse of their future and as such law enforcement are trying to stop a future crime from being committed. It pains me to this day that this series was cancelled, and worse still, when I finally read the book in search of closure I found it wasn’t nearly as good nor as similar as the series.
3. And then there were none (One Book/Three Episodes)
I may have declined to reference any Austen novels/adaptations, but I couldn’t resist an Agatha Christie mention. To be honest there’s not much to be said in comparison. When adapted for the small screen the final work tends to be like for like with the original, but a massive BBC budget and a handful of prominent actors gives it all the necessary pizzazz.
4. Sherlock (Twenty Books/Four Series)
Back to the BBC once more and we see an incredibly modern and reinvented style to the worlds most famous detective. Benedict Cumberbatch really took to the role and we no longer see anyone else as the tweed deerstalker wearing, pipe smoking, high functioning sociopath. Thankfully Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s text is so unique you won’t be imagining Cumberbatch if you went back to read it today.
5. Once Upon a Time (Countless stories/Seven Series’)
Say what you will about how Once Upon a Time turned out; it is one bitchin’ concept. To take, weave and reconstruct the fairytales we all know and love, and bring it into the modern age and create something for the new generation is something to be admired.
The first series of Once Upon a Time is worth watching for the cleverness of the series if for nothing else. It leaves a lot to be discovered and is an immensely enjoyable watch.
What are the best book to movie/ books to series adaptations you’ve seen and read?
My Last Top Five: …I Haven’t Seen Yet
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