to ask all you lovely MNers to help me with some coursework.

[MammaTJ]

I am doing an English assignment and need to survey a range of people.

Have you ever watched a film i.e Twilight, PS I love You, that has then made you want to read the book?

If classics like Shakespeare and Dickens were made into modern films would it make you read the book or play? If so, why? If not, why not?

TIA

Oh and your rough age group, if you don't mind please.

Teens, twentys, thirtys, etc.

No.
I hate doing this because instead of letting your own imagination build up the visuals, all you see is others' interpretation of the book. And one you've seen it, it's very difficult to unsee it IYKWIM. I make a concerted effort NOT to watch films of books I want to read, because half the experience of reading a book is building the image in your own head.
I hate the Harry Potter films because of this. Daniel Radcliffe is not what Harry Potter looks like. But now, when I go back to reread them, I see him. :(

Dr Zhivago

Dickens yes, Shakespeare not so much because of the language.

I'm in my thirties.

I'm 29 :)

It depends on the nature of the book. If the main substance of the book is the storyline then I am far less likely to be bothered to read the book after seeing the film. However if the storyline is almost secondary to the way the book is written I would read a book of a film I enjoyed.

Therefore I would be far more likely to read a Shakesperean play after seeing a film because you are guaranteed to get an awful lot more out of the play than just the storyline. Twilight - not so much!

I hope that makes sense!

30 :)

In my thirties and I read "Midsummer Night's Dream" after watching the movie with Kevin Kline and Michelle Pfeiffer. If Coriolanus lives up to the hype I might give that a bash as well.

I read Circle of Friends after seeing the film - wish I'd done that round the other way, as the book is much much better.

I read the book The Lovely Bones and didn't want to watch the film. I based my decision on the trailers I watched that the film was rubbish and the reviews agreed.

I'm not really interested in Shakespeare. I did watch Romeo and Juliet with Leonardo.Was a good film but did not want me to read the book. The movie The Merchant Of Venice did not interest me in the slightest and I am a massive Pacino fan.

Depends on a few factors such as whom is in a film as to whether I'd watch if there was a modern Dickens cinematic version. I prefer David Leans Oliver Twist and Great Expectations too much. Sorry if I have been no help.

Good luck.

It is very rare that I see a movie before reading the book, and the reason is as Iawncount says...a film gives the film-maker's visualisation of the book; once i have seen that, I find it very hard to then give the book my own spin on things. I generally avoid a film/adaptation till I've read the book. For example, I am avoiding the Game Of Thrones tv series, because I want to have finished reading the book-set first.

Having said that, there are some books that have been easier to understand/visualise after seeing a film. For example, I read Lord of the Rings at 20 and didn't like it at all. Then I saw the film, and suddenly I had a point of reference. I went back and re-read the book, and this time I really enjoyed it. It was a much better experience once Peter Jackson had shown me what an ork looks like

I love modern adaptations of classics, and yes it does make me want to re-visit the book. But (to repeat myself), I would be re-reading the book. There is no way I would see the film without having read the text first.

I'm 35.

I'm 38.

Thanks you all for the wonderful considered answers so far.

Blurgirl, how about if they did the story well and faithfully to Shakespeare, but did it in modern language?

Yes I have occasionally sought out a book because of a film. The first time I can remember was as a teenager when I saw Hitchcock's "Rebecca" and was desperate to find the book.

Do musicals count? I saw Les Miserable on stage and it blew me away. We booked to see it again a couple of months later and in the intervening time I tackled the Victor Hugo novel - phew!

I think it very unlikely that a modern film would make me want to read Shakspeare or Dickens. It might make me want to see the Shakespeare play but not actually read it. I have read a few Dickens novels anyway and I don't really care for them much.

I am very nearly 50 (less than a month to go!)

www.enotes.com/william-shakespeare/discuss/why-do-you-think-shakespeares-works-have-been-15073

Try here

Bridget Jones the first film was good but the book written in diary form put me off. Anne Frank good film do not like the diary format.

American writers I try to avoid because of their languageand they way things are described.

The Godfather was a great movie but didn't read the book same reasons as above.

In most cases jf I have high expectations, I hold off from watching the film until I've read the book. Like Iawn and Nan I much prefer to develop my own interpretation first. (They both put it far better than I just did )

I've twice put off watching The Help on a flight because of this for example.

I did watch the TV adaptation of South Riding and then seek out the book. Have to say that in this case I much prefer the TV series to the novel but that's rare...

(I'm 38)

Books and films don't mix IMO.

If I love a book, then I don't want the film to spoil my own beloved imaginings.
If I love a film then ditto (although slightly less of a problem).

Sometimes, hearing a lot of discussion around a new film release might prompt me to read the book instead of seeing the film.

I have much less of a problem with radio adaptations of books - I think because radio allows me the space to imagine the characters and story which then translate more easily when I read the book.

Some TV adaptations are OK because they often have time develop the characters more slowly - I'm thinking in particular of David Suchet as Poirot or Joan Hickson as Miss Marple - much more acceptable adaptations than any of the multiple film versions I've seen.

One of my few exceptions is that I did really enjoy the film of Orlando (with Tilda Swinton) which encouraged me to read the book for the first time, which I also loved.

I'm in my forties [old duffer emoticon]

"The Godfather was a great movie but didn't read the book same reasons as above."

Oh I tried to read that but my copy was from a second hand book stall and I could never get past page 14 where there had clearly been a dollop of something sticky. It might have only been marmalade or something but it put me right off.

Like many others, much more likely to do it the other way around - i.e. watch the film because I have read the book. Sometimes I love the film and it makes me cry just like the book did (Water for Elephants, Gaudy Night(TV, but YKWIM)) sometimes I am ambivalent about the film although I loved the book (Time Traveller's Wife) and sometimes I hate the film for ruining the book (Hitchhiker).

I have been trying to think of a single instance where watching the film has caused me to read the book, and I can't.

I am 42.

I loved the book Charlotte Gray (Sebastian Faulk) and thought the film was great.

I have just started to read Animal Farby George Orwell, I am addicted already. I think I am going to turn into my Mother and a be seriuous bookworm. After yearsof trying to resist. Must be my old age lol

Anybody watched the movie Animal Farm?

Farm not Farby.

I loved the movie Chocolat but didn't like the book, which I read afterwards. I thinkI knew this would happen and I ruined my experience. :(

How was the lovely bones sole? I happened to catch the film a few weeks ago and, although I had heard of the book I had not read it.

I thought the premise was interesting but found the movie incredibly depressing and now want to read the book to serif it is better!

oooh I envy you, give it a fair few months to forget about the movie then read the book :) Made me cry.
The Help - film or book doesn't appeal to me, right now.

I love watching Shakespeare plays and films. Shakespeare did not write books he wrote plays, things that were meant to be seen and felt. I don't mind reading Shakespeare "stories" which have been made into an easier to read format.

Having said the above if something is written as a book, watching the film first taints and restricts the imagination. You get lazy and see ready made scenes rather than a free running imagination.

So no, in general, films do not make me want to read books. BUT books do make me want to see films as its always good to see how others interpret things even if they do turn out to be rubbish compared to your own. SLEEPERS being the perfect example. Read the book! I challenge anyone not to cry at that one.

Oh and I am 31

like others i usually read the book first and am usually disapointed in the film version, i can read dickens all day long and apart from the musical version of oliver have enjoyed the older black and white and the modern versions on film, shakespeare no would watch the film but not keen on reading shakespeare im 55