Books into Movies -- Join the Lit Flicks Challenge

I want to extend a big thank you to Carol Fitzgerald for her post this week in which she bemoaned NetFlix's lack of a books into movies section, which then prompted Jessica's comment that there is indeed a website that provides such a list. The Mid-Continent Public Library's Based on the Book list is a pretty comprehensive one, spanning from About a Boy to Zoom's Academy. Jessica then takes it one better to introduce us to her Lit Flicks Challenge. What's the challenge? Between now and the end of February, read 5 books that have been made into movies and then watch 2 film adaptations of those books. Check in here at the beginning of each month to learn about activities and giveaways for participants. This sounds like a lot of fun and could be a great way to guide your group's choices over the next few months! Three more lists to check out beyond the Based on Books list are ReadingGroupGuides.com's Books into Movies, The Guardian's Top 50 Movie Adaptations and Amazon's Top 50 Movie Adaptations.

Writing this makes me think about my favorite books into movies. It's always such a tough call as of course the book and the movie are two different artistic forms and you can't judge them by the same standards.I guess my top choice would have to be Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird -- both a book and a film I love. What's your favorite adaptation?

Comments

[Melissa]

I finished reading Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman a couple of weeks ago after remembering that the movie was based on the book. I usually like the books better than the film adaptations because films always seem to morph into something else entirely, but I thought the film followed the novel pretty closely. I also enjoyed that the people that played the main characters in the book stayed true to the 'voice' of the original character per Hoffman.

I tend to read the books first, and watch the movie afterward, if at all. However, that was not the case with Practical Magic for me and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed both equally (for once!).

[Darby Lohrding]

Hi Jen,
Mine too is "To Kill a Mockingbird"....great story, loved "Scout"!
Darby
darbyscloset (at) yahoo (dot) com

[Heidi]

You are so right about 'To Kill a Mockingbird.' The casting was perfect.

I think my favorite contemporary adaptation is actually the Harry Potter film series. They try so hard to be faithful to the books that I really can't be either too disappointed or too critical.

[Julie E.]

I really liked the movie "The Namesake," but I haven't read the book yet so I don't know how it measures up.

I also loved "The House of Mirth," both the book and the movie. And I love just about all of the Jane Austen adaptations. And I loved "Little Women" (Winona Ryder version).

[Dawn]

This challenge sounds perfect for me! I just posted about our neighborhood book group's October selection, which is *Revolutionary Road* by Richard Yates. This film will be released in December, I think; I'm glad we'll be able to read and discuss the book before seeing the movie.

*The Namesake* was a great adaptation, I thought ... very faithful to the book.

[Melissa]

I read PS I Love You before the movie and loved both equally - I think they "americanized" the movie compared to what was in the book.
I like this challenge; I've never read "To Kill a Mockingbird" nor have I seen the movie. The same goes for The Great Gatsby, Gone With the Wind, or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - classics I SHOULD Have read already!! Never on the reading lists when I went to school though!! I'm so sheltered!!

[Ladytink_534]

Lol I love books into movies which is why I created a Yahoo group where we read and talk about one once a month (October is The Witches by Roald Dahl). I also have a personal goal to read all of the books that were made into Disney movies (list on my main blog).

[Lori Barnes]

I enjoyed both Message in a Bottle and Nights in Rodanthe !!

[Arti]

That is such an interesting topic. Book Into Film is a tag on many of my posts. I usually like to do both and compare them in my reviews. Recently I've enjoyed Then She Found Me, When Did You Last See Your Father, and earlier in the year, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and Atonement... But of course, my all time favorite, Pride and Prejudice and its 1995 adaptation.

[Lisa C]

I really enjoyed John Grisham's The Firm as well as the movie. Both were very well done. I love Stephen King books, but rarely does the movie even come close to the book, except perhaps for Carrie.

[Molly Lundquist]

Neat suggestions!!

Also try the 1981 Brideshead Revisited. Pack a pillow and sleeping bag.

I've also posted a review of the new 2008 version--it's different than the book.

[Jessica]

Thanks for promoting the Lit Flicks Challenge. I really think that books and movies go hand in hand and lead to a greater community in which to discuss all things literary!

So far, my favorite movie adaptation of a book is the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. Shockingly, I haven't seen the movie version of To Kill a Mockingbird, but I plan on remedying that deficiency soon.

[sherry]

I was amazed by "The Cider House Rules." I didn't expect the film to be as good as the book. Enjoyed the performances in "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" but was deeply disappointed in the changes that were made to the original narrative.

[olerio]

I think "gone with the wind" must read everybody or you may download audiobook http://rapid4me.com/?q=gone+with+the+wind
It is a very serious literature.

[olerio]

thanks for article about books