WHICH IS BETTER - THE NOVEL OR THE MOVIE?

Most of the time, dang it, I had no idea a novel even existed, until AFTER I saw it in a movie theater. To make matters worse, I have the audacity to not read the book for comparison, because I'm afraid either the movie or the book just won't measure up. YIKES!

This has happened habitually and includes novels written by, J.K. Rowling,  Nicholas Sparks, Nora Roberts, Mary Higgins Clark, Danielle Steele, Jodi Picoult, Nicholas Sparks, and Debbie Macomber to name a few. 

The only exception to my own crazy rule (and the reason I no longer read a novel, then watch the movie) has been with Robert Ludlum, who created Jason Bourne in Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum.  The Bourne Legacy and the other 6 books in the series were actually written by Eric Van Lustbader because Mr. Ludlum passed away in March 2001.

So when people tell me, "I read the book, and the movie was better", I will usually say that the book was better, because it can go into more details.  But there is no denying the visual action, or love story on the screen, even if it doesn't quite match the plot of the novel.

I have no idea of  the necessary criteria to have a book adapted into a movie on Lifetime, Hallmark or the cinema for our viewing pleasure, but as a fan of the romance genre, I don't mind checking out a good cowboy love story.

I've got to stay up to date by continuing to watch this incredible new installment of the Hunger Games.

Recently watched this movie and thought it was really unique and intense, so I can't wait to find out what new obstacles these kids must hurdle this time around. Whew!  

As much as some watching their favorite story line played out in the theater, there are just some occasions where a novel should stay forever immortalized in book form only. In fact, even some authors may not like the idea of having their story put on the big screen.

Below is a direct quote from an article in Mental Floss that actually addresses this scenario.  By the way, this is yet another example of me not knowing the book actually came BEFORE this phenomenal Oscar winning movie. (lol)

 Note to filmmakers: don’t anger the author of the book before the sequel has been written. Unhappy with the way Hollywood treated Forrest Gump by omitting plot points and sanitizing some of the language and sex, author Winston Groom started its sequel with the lines, "Don't never let nobody make a movie of your life's story,” and "Whether they get it right or wrong, it don't matter." You can’t blame Groom for being mad: he sued for the 3% net profits his contract promised him, which he hadn't received because producers claimed that by the time they took out production costs and advertising and promotional costs, the movie didn’t turn a profit. To add insult to injury, Groom wasn’t mentioned in any of the six Academy Award acceptance speeches given by various cast and crew members of Forrest Gump.  - Stacy Conrad from Mental Floss

For the record, I have a zillion suggestions of books from my favorite authors that should be made into movies, and I bet you do too.  What do you think?