Movies adapted into a novel
- Thread starter tomelle
- Start date
- Status
I've read maybe a dozen novelizations, and a few of them were quite good. I always wondered if the authors had more time or latitude or what.
The two which come to mind are Target, by Stephen Hunter, a find action novelist in his own right, giving more life to the plot than Gene Hackman and Matt Dillon did as a dysfunctional father-son duo who must work together to rescue the mother of their family.
The other is E.T.: The Extraterrestrial, by Melissa Mathison, who was also the screenwriter. She put in a whole lot more background which I found fascinating, no doubt material which didn't make it to the screen.
I can't remember any of the others, which tells you how good they were.
Maryn, who used to have more time for reading, before this silly writing business
The two which come to mind are Target, by Stephen Hunter, a find action novelist in his own right, giving more life to the plot than Gene Hackman and Matt Dillon did as a dysfunctional father-son duo who must work together to rescue the mother of their family.
The other is E.T.: The Extraterrestrial, by Melissa Mathison, who was also the screenwriter. She put in a whole lot more background which I found fascinating, no doubt material which didn't make it to the screen.
I can't remember any of the others, which tells you how good they were.
Maryn, who used to have more time for reading, before this silly writing business
I just read something about Snow White and the Huntsman getting novelized... I doubt it'd be a very well-developed book. Might read it.
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2005
- Messages
- 25,582
- Reaction score
- 3,785
- Location
- New Hampshire
- Website
- madhousemanor.wordpress.com
I read Eragon, Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility after I saw the movies, and that didn't bother me... so probably. As long as it's interesting enough to catch my attention I'll read whatever. I tend to prefer books to movies no matter which order I watch them in. So if I see a movie and I like it, discover it has a book, I'll more than likely read the book because I know I'll enjoy it even more than I enjoyed the movie.
I'm about to read I Am Legend after seeing the movie (with the understanding that it is vastly different).
I know all these examples are books that were turned into movies, but I imagine the reverse would work just as well for me so long as the writing was done well.
I'm about to read I Am Legend after seeing the movie (with the understanding that it is vastly different).
I know all these examples are books that were turned into movies, but I imagine the reverse would work just as well for me so long as the writing was done well.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2008
- Messages
- 6,137
- Reaction score
- 694
The strange thing about I Am Legend's most recent incarnation was that watching it, I kept wondering what people were complaining about. Then the end came. Ah hah!
I prefer novels before movies, however it's also a double-edged sword because I have a very intense imagination and I tend to get disappointed when things are different than I had originally envisioned.
I've found that novelisations of movies usually aren't that good, so I tend to avoid them at all costs. That said, there aren't too many of them, so that's not too hard.
On the flip side of that, I loved the novelisation of the Resident Evil games.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2008
- Messages
- 6,137
- Reaction score
- 694
Oh, that reminds me, the worst novelisation I ever ran across was Tom Clancy's SSN. It's incredibly dull and pointless.
I knew several other very talented authors who have novelizations on their resumes. Considering the deadlines handed down for these books, I'd wager it takes more talent and discipline to produce these books than some folks realize.
Oh, I wouldn't doubt that for a minute. Given what Uncle Jim said about that deadline and the material the author has to work with I'm absolutely certain there's a fair amount of talent and hard work in the effort.
In point if fact, I've quite liked most of ADF's novelizations. He did an excellent, highly readable job with The Thing (1982 version), Splinter Of The Mind's Eye (one of the first Star Wars novels), and many others. I'm kind of a fan actually.
I like books that have been made into films but normally the books are always way better. but I really like the Twilight adaptions
I have a copy of Batman and Robin around here somewhere. Sadly, the book is not always better than the movie.
I like the tv series Roswell much better than the books. And I read most of the books first. Granted, that's the only case in which I liked the tv/movie adaption better.
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2011
- Messages
- 2,236
- Reaction score
- 374
- Location
- Rain-swept dystopia.
- Website
- www.fivesquids.co.uk
When I was young enough to not have a properly developed critical facility I devoured the Aliens novelisation on a holiday to France. I hadn't yet seen the film.
I dare not revisit the book. The film is brilliant, of course, and the book would only have nostalgia value for me. I have no doubt it's pretty poor.
In general, I tend not to like novelisations. They aren't very good. I'm OK with tie-in novels - some are decent, most aren't - but not novelisations. However, if a film was a book before it was a film, I might pick up the book if I didn't read it before I saw the film.
I dare not revisit the book. The film is brilliant, of course, and the book would only have nostalgia value for me. I have no doubt it's pretty poor.
In general, I tend not to like novelisations. They aren't very good. I'm OK with tie-in novels - some are decent, most aren't - but not novelisations. However, if a film was a book before it was a film, I might pick up the book if I didn't read it before I saw the film.
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2011
- Messages
- 660
- Reaction score
- 42
- Location
- Western Washington
- Website
- jonathandalar.blogspot.com
This is why novelizations are really, really good! I mean, come on! How many people don't want to know the book was written to squeeze a bunch more cash out of the same project, rather than, you know, being someone's beloved story they tinkered with until it was just perfect.
In case that soggy wad of sarcasm missed, I'll put it another way: Novelizations are usually a bunch of bunk.
God forbid the publisher or the AUTHOR who takes the for-hire job wants to make money. None of have any bills to pay...
Me too.
I will often go see a movie, not realizing it was previously a novel, and then go back and read the book, which I more often than not prefer to the movie.
Also, I'm much like other posters (and probably most of the population) who prefer the book to the movie adaptation. I suspect this is due to the fact that a) many scenes have to be cut out in the interest of time, b) the director usually imposes his/her own ideas on what he/she read, and/or the author didn't have a contract that allowed him/her to have a say in how the movie was cast and directed. Often the director's imagination of the story and characters doesn't match my own.
I prefer films based on books. Whichever comes first, I know the story and the ending before the other comes out, but if the book comes first, I can still look forward to seeing how the movie will depict the events and the characters. A novelization doesn't usually have anything new to offer me.
There are also YA novelisations. Melvin Burgess did Billy Elliott, for example. I've also seen a novelisation of Kidulthood - it's astonishingly short, really a novel than a full-length novel.
- Joined
- May 2, 2012
- Messages
- 5,359
- Reaction score
- 1,664
- Location
- Berkshire, UK
- Website
- soundcloud.com
I would posit that perhaps you've not seen the right Tom Cruise movies - but I am equally sceptical about Reacher. Anyway, a bit OT so I'll not go on.
I don't really see the point of novelisations, but in a recent conversation about books read as a kid a lot of my friends said they'd read novelisations. Anything that gets people reading can't be all bad.
- Status