What books were better than the movies based on them?

[AnonBuySellTrade]

Give me some examples of books so well written that the movies based on them didn't do them justice.

[Aero]

This one's been on my mind since I was reading the tea on wtf was happening with the Fantastic Beasts series (did anyone think Movie 2 made ANY sense at all?? Why is this series called Fantastic Beasts??) so I'll have to go with HP: Goblet of Fire. The movie wasn't bad for what I remember, but it left out a loooooottt. Maybe I'll go back and rewatch the HP movies.

[Bat]

I'll have to go with HP: Goblet of Fire. The movie wasn't bad for what I remember, but it left out a loooooottt.

I 100% agree! The Goblet of Fire was actually the first Harry Potter book I ever read, and it's what got me hooked on the stories. When I found out that they were making movies, that was the one that I was looking forward to the most, and they whiffed it majorly! The level of detail in the story telling was what captivated me, and they left nearly everything but the main story out of the adaptation! After waiting all that time for the movie, I was super bummed out with what we got. I've secretly hoped that it'll get rebooted as a television-formatted series one of these days. Maybe that will give them the creative free space to tell a more comprehensive version of the story, complete with all the nuance and subplots that made the universe interesting!

[Buizel]

Back when I actually read, I very much liked the Eragon book series. So, naturally, I was super excited to see the movie adaption that came out some years ago.

Needless to say, it was horrible lmao :disturbed:

[Aero]

Back when I actually read, I very much liked the Eragon book series. So, naturally, I was super excited to see the movie adaption that came out some years ago.

Needless to say, it was horrible lmao :disturbed:

LMAO that movie was TERRIBLE I had it wiped from my brain until right now! I also loved the books as a kid, or at least the first two, but I don't think I ever finished the series since I kind of forgot about them over the years.

[Ismira]

LMAO that movie was TERRIBLE I had it wiped from my brain until right now! I also loved the books as a kid, or at least the first two, but I don't think I ever finished the series since I kind of forgot about them over the years.

You should definitely revisit the series! I don't think it gets as much recognition as it deserves. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it deserves to be read, damn it!

That said, I couldn't agree with you and Brittany more. The movie was awful and I'd quite literally forgotten it existed until now.

I'll probably get a lot of flak for this, but the Harry Potter movies did not impress me. I was first introduced to the series by a Japanese friend in the early 2000s when it hadn't quite reached the massive fanbase that it has today. I remember feeling incredibly excited when the movies were in production and equally as let down after having watched it. My friends made sure I sat through the movies though, oftentimes against my will lol. I tried to like them, I really did, but too much was lost "in translation", and the movies never quite captured the magic, spark and awe like the books did.

I'm with Bat, I'd love to see a television adaptation instead. Something that would do the fantastical world JK built, justice. Huge fan of the Fantastic Beasts movies though!

50/50 on The Fault in Our Stars and Hunger Games. I enjoyed both the book series and movie adaptation and couldn't really pick one over the other.

Another massive let down was the Divergent movies. First was alright, but they went so wildly off script for the movies that followed..? SMH.

[Trash Panda]

Back when I actually read, I very much liked the Eragon book series. So, naturally, I was super excited to see the movie adaption that came out some years ago.

Needless to say, it was horrible lmao :disturbed:


You beat me to it. The Eragon movie was a horrible trainwreck. I tried to watch the movie again a few months ago just for funsies, and it's like so bad, and not even funnily bad, lol :(


I'd also say the Percy Jackson movies. They're not bad bad, but the fact that the actors looked like they were on they're 20's instead of 12 like in the books, made it weird for me. Also, the CGI on the second movie is kinda funky.

[phantasia]

I think Harry Potter no question.

- - - Updated - - -


You beat me to it. The Eragon movie was a horrible trainwreck. I tried to watch the movie again a few months ago just for funsies, and it's like so bad, and not even funnily bad, lol :(


I'd also say the Percy Jackson movies. They're not bad bad, but the fact that the actors looked like they were on they're 20's instead of 12 like in the books, made it weird for me. Also, the CGI on the second movie is kinda funky. Agree Eragon books was definitely also better

[Shawn]

I 100% agree! The Goblet of Fire was actually the first Harry Potter book I ever read, and it's what got me hooked on the stories. When I found out that they were making movies, that was the one that I was looking forward to the most, and they whiffed it majorly! The level of detail in the story telling was what captivated me, and they left nearly everything but the main story out of the adaptation! After waiting all that time for the movie, I was super bummed out with what we got. I've secretly hoped that it'll get rebooted as a television-formatted series one of these days. Maybe that will give them the creative free space to tell a more comprehensive version of the story, complete with all the nuance and subplots that made the universe interesting!

The Goblet of Fire was my first exposure, and first book that I've read in the Harry Potter series. (I'm a huge HP fan till this day).
Funny thing is, I picked the book with absolutely zero knowledge of the series, and purely because it was the thickest one (available at that time)

[Bat]

The Goblet of Fire was my first exposure, and first book that I've read in the Harry Potter series. (I'm a huge HP fan till this day).
Funny thing is, I picked the book with absolutely zero knowledge of the series, and purely because it was the thickest one (available at that time)

DUDE! Same exact situation for me! I had a week of in-school suspension for breakin' rules, and I needed something to pass the time. I grabbed that big ol' book off a shelf and went on a magical journey!

[Shawn]

DUDE! Same exact situation for me! I had a week of in-school suspension for breakin' rules, and I needed something to pass the time. I grabbed that big ol' book off a shelf and went on a magical journey!

After that book, the entire series came very very shortly after!

[Hall]

Blood and Chocolate.

That movie burned me SO bad! I love the book and the movie hurt me SO much!

I'll give the movie some good transformation visuals but that's it, everything else *raspberry noise*

Edit:
Also yes the Eragon series and the Percy Jackson series!

[birdies]

The Neverending Story - I loved the film when I was little but the book is incredible! Also, IMO, all the narnia books are better than the movies.

[Cinnamoroll]

The Twilight series.

HOWEVER, the first Twilight movie is an absolute gem in the sense that it’s so bad it’s good. It became a cult classic and I love watching it and cringing still nearly 15 years later!

[Ismira]

The Twilight series.

HOWEVER, the first Twilight movie is an absolute gem in the sense that it’s so bad it’s good. It became a cult classic and I love watching it and cringing still nearly 15 years later!

THIS!! How did I forget about Twilight?! The movies made me cringe so hard! It makes for some freaking hilarious memes now but I almost walked out of the first movie! I actually enjoyed the books and still own the set to this day.

[kittyray]

Fun Fact!

The 2001: A Space Odyssey was written mostly concurrently (and partially subsequently) with the screenplay with Arthur C Clarke and Stanley Kubrick contributing to both, though Clarke ended up being the only credited author of the novel, and many aspects being lifted from his previous work. In this case I feel like it's more a testament to how you can tell the same story very differently through different media.

That said, yes, it definitely helps to understand what the fuck went on.

[Alister]

+1 to Watership Down, as much as I enjoy the movie it's just not something that can be adapted in a way to do it full justice.

First one that comes to mind for me is Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. There's just no way you can recreate the emotional impact (in my opinion) of one certain scene (really a conversation) at the very end of the book. I don't want to say anything more specific because spoilers, but man. That's some writing that's stuck with me my whole life.

edit - did not realize when I posted that we had were grave digging this thread 😅 sorry about that, admin team. This thread should be closed per cK stipulations on old inactive threads.