Films of Books

the beach - oh that was SO bad.

Me and ds are reading harry potter at the moment and I love it because he keeps saying 'oh they don't really explain that inteh film' don't like the goblet of fire as they omit all the dobby stuff. Think the film of order of the phoneix MUSt be better than the book.

The films of TLOTR annoyed me, though I love the books. Some aspects were great - the scenery, the lovely Aragorn and gorgeous Gimli and Legolas - all very well cast; but I thought they were overlong and focused too much on bloomin' Arwen (can't stand Liv Tyler for some reason) - I hated the final one, as they missed out the return to the Shire and had all that boring Havens stuff instead.

I loved the Kiera Knightley "Pride and Prejudice" having fully expected to hate it. Sooooo steamy - fab - except for Mr Bennet's teeth. Also, the Emma Thompson "Sense And Sensibility" - she's far too old and Hugh Grant's a pain in it, but Kate Winslet, Greg Wise and Alan Rickman are great.

I won't watch Stephen King films. Happy to read horror but a wuss when it comes to watching it. Ditto the Tarantinos - have read the screen plays and enjoyed them but wouldn't dream of watching them.

Other books that I think worked well as films -

• the 4th Harry Potter - I like the film even better than the book, as it's been cut to make film but I get the idea nobody dare try to edit the books now.
• The Lemony Snicket film

Worst films- can't believe noone has mentioned 'The Beach'

oh no I loved the secret history and now itis going to be all spoilt and rubbishy.

poo.

I agree that Persuasion and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil were really true to the original books.
Actually, even though not a hardcore Tolkien fan, I think Peter Jackson's films of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy were pretty good too.
The one I quail for right now is The Secret History, rights bought by one Gwyneth Paltrow, but stalled in development hell because she wants her little brother to direct it...

I thought both the book and the film of bridget jones were crap!

foxinsocks I liked the shipping news so don't lose heart you might like it too.

Forgot to add that I liked the film of Bridget Jones's Diary as much as I liked the book.

The follow up film was crap though.

Add Catch-22 to the list of worst films.

oh no have recorded Shipping News in the hope that it was watchable

Talented Mr Ripley film I liked (though liked the book more)

If you love the book, there's no way a film will do it justice. So much has to get dropped along the way. Honorable exceptions that spring to mind: I Capture the Castle which, though it took a few liberties, was entirely in the spirit of the book. And Persuasion, the one with Amanda Root (what happened to her?). Not better than the novel but wonderfully faithful to it.
Tried to read Master and Commander after loving the film, but gave up after a chapter.

Girl with a pearl earring as a movie was good but missed out so much of the book IMO. Also hard to see Mr Arsey Darcy as the master. Can't see Colin Firth as anything else!

ooh - didn't know about notes on a scandal would be as a film but would work well. Often I read a book and think it would make a good film e.g. time travellers wife

am intrigued about how they have made perfume into a film - I can't remember the book but remember it was very sensual and can't think how it would translate to a film.

I tried to read the harry potter books to ds before seeing the films but christmas scheduling put paid to that.

Generally if there is a book and a film I would read the book first as the film kind of taints the book.

I am the other way round, loads of books I have read (Charlotte Gray, Memoirs of a Geisha) have been real let downs as films.

I liked the Shipping News, but the film was incoherant.

Forrest Gump is the only one that I think was better as a film.