Getting Through: The Book of the Movie?
By Mary Lieske

Most students are tempted, at one point or another, to choose to watch the movie-version of a book instead of reading the book itself. After all, most of the key points are there, the characters are there, and it's much easier to take two hours to sit with friends and watch the screen than to spend several more hours alone with a book. Movies have a tendency to make themes and allusions obvious, cutting down on the work necessary to understand the message.

So what's the problem? First, you don't know what you're missing – and I mean that literally. Movies need to fit within a certain time frame (usually under two hours), and there usually isn't enough time to work in all the details, scenes, and nuances of the book. Second, you don't know what you're missing (again). Many books give insights into the details of characters – thoughts, family ties, even likes and dislikes – and those details add to the understanding of the character. There's no way to completely take a first person point-of-view and transform it into a good on-screen movie. Thoughts get cut, and the tone of the voice makes implications that may not have been there in the book. Which leads to the third point: you don't know what you're getting. Movies may add scenes, focus on a sub-plot, or add tone, nuance, and detail that wasn't apparent in the book. It could be very important that we don't know exactly what a character looks like, but an actor or actress already has those details (hair color, style, eye color) filled in.

I encourage you to watch the movie versions of books. It can be fun and entertaining, and help you to understand parts that you just didn't get. The books still need to be read, however, because not everything can be carried over. Try a book on tape, and read along with it. Notice what having someone else say the words does to how you interpret the action, tone, or description. Notice how a sentence as simple as “the sun was shining that day” changes with how it's read – or what it means when it's dropped.

Simple changes make an impact on meaning, interpretation, and reading. So read the book first, then watch the movie. The book is (almost) always better, and the movie more enjoyable when you know more about what's going on.