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Totally agree that movies seldom live up to the books...with one exception; "The Maltese Falcon".

John Huston essentially took the book, and had the script typed directly out of the book. The movie was word for word, scene for scene, out of the book. He could have simply given the cast the book, because that's how it was filmed.

But otherwise, movies seldom do justice to the book. Watching the movie before reading the book is a great idea. I made the mistake of reading "L.A. Confidential" first, and was totally confused by the movie.


agreed but there are a few more exceptions to the rule that i'd like to add:

no country for old men, the world according to garp, all quiet on the western front
 
"The Ringworld Engineers" audiobook by Larry Niven. Read by Paul Michael Garcia. Nearly finished with it and so far it's another great book by Niven. This time he's combined my favorite of his creations: Ringworld and Pak Protectors.
 
What Book Are You Reading?

I did not enjoy this book. I'd be interested to know what you think of it.

Sorry for the late reply, only just got round to posting.

I thought it was a brilliant book, the plot maybe not the strongest, but the characters, writing, themes etc I really enjoyed reading.

Can't wait for the film now!
 

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Yes, I rather imagine that it is.

What does it say about the appalling Bosie? I know that Robert Ross was highly regarded, and well respected - not just by Wilde's friends, but by others in the literary world - but most of what I have read about 'Bosie' seems to suggest that while, physically, he was an exquisitely beautiful young man, he was also a petulant, exceedingly spoiled, selfish, shallow and exceptionally self-indulgent young man.
 
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Riveting. The US economic system is so ****ed up.
 

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@scepticalscribe and Shrink,

One series of movies that also were better than the books:
The Lord of the Rings movies by Peter Jackson vs the books by J.R.R. Tolkien.

G_d! I tried to read them first in Dutch (mother language) and thought that they were badly translated, but when I got myself the English versions, I found out that the translation was done correctly.
J.R.R. Tolkien had a great concept for an imaginary world and understood the dynamics of languages, but his written word and plot writing sucked.

At least Peter Jackson could make them in three great movies and I like the saying that now is creeping into movie reviews to describe certain scenes ("A battle so epic, it can only be measured in Peter Jacksons").
 
@scepticalscribe and Shrink,

One series of movies that also were better than the books:
The Lord of the Rings movies by Peter Jackson vs the books by J.R.R. Tolkien.

G_d! I tried to read them first in Dutch (mother language) and thought that they were badly translated, but when I got myself the English versions, I found out that the translation was done correctly.
J.R.R. Tolkien had a great concept for an imaginary world and understood the dynamics of languages, but his written word and plot writing sucked.

At least Peter Jackson could make them in three great movies and I like the saying that now is creeping into movie reviews to describe certain scenes ("A battle so epic, it can only be measured in Peter Jacksons").

I really didn't like the movies when they came out but I learned to appreciate them on their own level after time. But better than the books?
Current read - Interesting times by Terry Pratchett. Working my way through all the discworld books for the second or third time for some of them!
 
Just finished Big Sur by Kerouac and most of the way through White Noise by Don DeLillo. Big Sur was my favorite of all the JK novels I have read.
 
Just finished Big Sur by Kerouac and most of the way through White Noise by Don DeLillo. Big Sur was my favorite of all the JK novels I have read.

Big Sur is underrated in my opinion. I actually read it while camping in Big Sur, which worked about as well as reading Log on the Sea of Cortez in Baja, probably the best reading experience I've ever had.

Currently working through Killing the Hidden Water by Charles Bowden and Nate Silver's The Signal and the Noise.
 
Big Sur is underrated in my opinion. I actually read it while camping in Big Sur, which worked about as well as reading Log on the Sea of Cortez in Baja, probably the best reading experience I've ever had.

Currently working through Killing the Hidden Water by Charles Bowden and Nate Silver's The Signal and the Noise.

Wildly underrated book. Big Sur (the place) and the entire PCH are amazing experiences. I envy anyone who lives near or in Big Sur.
 
@scepticalscribe and Shrink,

One series of movies that also were better than the books:
The Lord of the Rings movies by Peter Jackson vs the books by J.R.R. Tolkien.

G_d! I tried to read them first in Dutch (mother language) and thought that they were badly translated, but when I got myself the English versions, I found out that the translation was done correctly.
J.R.R. Tolkien had a great concept for an imaginary world and understood the dynamics of languages, but his written word and plot writing sucked.

At least Peter Jackson could make them in three great movies and I like the saying that now is creeping into movie reviews to describe certain scenes ("A battle so epic, it can only be measured in Peter Jacksons").

Er, yes, heresy though it sounds, I'm inclined to agree with you. I have posted my thoughts on JRR Tolkien before (basically, I'm awed by his world-building skills, his mastery of ancient texts, and his sheer epic vision, but, oh, his female characters are atrociously poorly sketched in the most banal, clichéd way imaginable; actually, I loved certain sections, i.e. the Ents, the Mines of Moria, Gandalf......and utterly loathed Frodo - a bit of a drawback, since you are supposed to identify with the hero - and, above all, I detested Samwise and his obsequious and utterly servile relationship with Frodo; actually, as a hero, I much preferred Bilbo, his insouciance, his class, his wit, his verve, his preference for the good things in life tempered by his capacity to cope with those which life threw at him.....)

I really didn't like the movies when they came out but I learned to appreciate them on their own level after time. But better than the books?
Current read - Interesting times by Terry Pratchett. Working my way through all the discworld books for the second or third time for some of them!

Ah, Terry Prachett; now, there is a writer. One of my favourite female characters in all of fiction is Granny Weatherwax. Indeed, I have promised myself that this is who I want to be when I finally grow up.......
 
I am 587 pages into the Anthony Briggs translation of "War and Peace". It is overwhelming, but I love it! The plan was to read it over the course of a year with four colleagues, but we are well ahead of schedule.
 
I am 587 pages into the Anthony Briggs translation of "War and Peace". It is overwhelming, but I love it! The plan was to read it over the course of a year with four colleagues, but we are well ahead of schedule.

Yes, it is a massive tome, and well worth reading. 'Anna Karenina' is also excellent, and well worth reading.

Back in the day, (say the early 70s), the BBC did an excellent TV adaptation of War and Peace; Anthony Hopkins - in an early role - played an extraordinarily convincing Pierre.
 
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