When you read a book do you imagine how the characters would look and speak?

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For some reason when I read I develop quite a strong image in my mind of how the character would look and sound.

For example I'm reading Janet Evanovich at the moment and Grandma Mazur sounds exactly like Marge Simpson.

Yes i do, thats why i often don't go and see films that have been made from books incase they get it wrong, ecxept Harry Potter, i think i imagined most of them as they are in the film.

Yes, I do this. It then gets odd when they make a film of it and cast the complete 'wrong' person. Like Morgan Freeman as Alex Cross

Yes, absolutely, that is part of the fun of reading rather than watching a film, as you do the imagining yourself.

I think that is why I am so often disappointed with film interpretations of books as the characters look and sound different to how I saw them/heard them.

x-posts!

Yes i thought that about Alex Cross, this sounds silly but i never had him down as a Black man untill i saw the film, im not sure why as it makes sense..... lol

oh yes, and I always imagine them as an unfamous person, not casting central if you see what I mean. Disaster if you see a film before you read the book, so hard to get the image out of your head.

I'm glad it's not just me then!

DH and I watched Gone Baby, Gone last weekend and I was so disappointed by the film (despite it actually being very good) as the 2 main characters were NOTHING like I imagine them to be from the book.

Titsalina Alex Cross is described in the books as being similar to Muhammed Ali. IIRC it stated this is the first few books when character was still new.
Now, I know Morgan Freeman is a fantastic actor, but Alex is one with the ladies, he gets a fair bit of action doesn't he, and I'm not sure that in RL if Ashley Judd would put out for him iyswim.
I always imagine Alex to be very dark skinned and a cross between Will Smith and Denzel Washington. Not quite as big as Denzel, but bigger than Will Smith

But then, Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, I did think was a good choice, not far off the mark for me

I usually do. I read a book that described one of the characters as having longish curly hair and a loose woollen knitted jumper. I was in Waterloo station and saw this young guy and thought "I know you". I then realised it was the description of the guy from the book.

That's why you should never read the book after watching the film - did this with The Talented Mr Riply and I can only imagine Matt Damon now (and Gynnie Paltrow)