I love to read, of course, but I love TV and movies just as much. Adaptations grab my attention and I’m always curious to see how the writers and producers will work to bring the story to life on the screen.
Here are some of my favorite Book-to-Movie/TV adaptations:
Harry Potter
I’m not special in saying I’m a huge fan of Harry Potter and grew up waiting for the next movie to come out each year. I didn’t start reading the series until after I saw The Half-Blood Prince in the theater with my family, and I just had to know what was going to happen. I love both the books and movies so much, I had to include them on the list!
My favorite of the series is The Prisoner of Azkaban and I think the film did a great job of transitioning the series into a darker, more mature story. I also thought The Half-Blood Prince was a great adaptation and enjoyed it more than the book. That book in particular was a really slow read for me and the movie does a great job of bringing an element of humor to it to balance out the darker themes and keep things entertaining.
The Shawshank Redemption
Not only is this one of my favorite book-to-movie adaptations of all time, it’s just one of my favorite movies of all time in general. The movie is based off of a short story written by Stephen King called “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.” It follows Andy Dufresne, who is convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to life at Shawshank Prison.
I think this is a situation where the movie adaptation is even better than the book. The movie fleshes out a lot of the characters and goes much deeper than the short story. There are several wardens of the prison who come and go in the story, and they act as the antagonists. In the film, there is one warden and he is the big villain and we get to see more interaction between him and Andy. There is also an additional story line with an old prisoner named Brooks that wasn’t included in the book. He is let out of prison and struggles with being on the outside again. It’s a really heart-breaking moment of the film but adds a lot of depth and symbolism that the story didn’t have.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Seeing Katniss Everdeen’s journey on screen was an exciting experience for me at the time, and these adaptations still impress me. The second book/movie, Catching Fire, is one of the best book to movie adaptations I have ever seen. The movie captures almost perfectly what I had envisioned while reading the book.
One of the many scenes that the movie did so well was when Katniss finds out she has to go back into the Hunger Games for a the second time in a row. She runs out of her house when she hears the news and completely breaks down in the woods. Jennifer Lawrence did such a great job of portraying that emotion and devastation of the character in that moment.
I love the whole series, but Catching Fire remains my favorite.
Outlander
Adapted into a TV show, the series Outlander follows WWII combat nurse Claire Randall as she is transported back in time to 1743 Scotland. The book series is still ongoing and, so far, the show has followed one book per season. This is another adaptation that follows so closely to the books, you can watch/read one or the other and still grasp the intended story very well. The show is made on Starz and has a really high quality production. The sets, costumes, and acting are all fantastic.
Claire ends up marrying a Scotsman, Jamie Fraser, in order for her to have protection as a British woman traveling alone in 18th century Scotland. The two end up developing real feelings for each other. One of my favorite episodes from the first season is when Claire is accused of being a witch and is put on trial. She is saved from certain death at the last minute by Jamie, and tells him the truth about her being from the future. It was an intense part of the novel, and I thought they did a great job of bringing it to life on screen.
It (2017)
The newest adaptation of Stephen King’s novel about an evil clown terrorizing a group of kids is my favorite. The movie does a great job of not getting lost in the scares and staying focused on the heart of the story: a group of kids forming tight bonds and learning how to grow up together when the world seems like it’s against them.
Bill Skarsgard is perfect in the role of the Pennywise the clown and the group of actors that play the kids in the movie are great together.
Beautiful Creatures
This is an adaptation that doesn’t follow the book exactly, but I still enjoyed it. The story follows Ethan as he meets the mysterious new girl at school, Lena Duchannes, who happens to have magical powers. Together, they uncover secrets about their families and the small Southern town that they live in.
I love this adaptation for its beautiful setting of a small, Gothic Southern town. It also has a very impressive cast for an adaptation of a Young Adult fantasy novel: Viola Davis, Emma Thompson, Jeremy Irons, and Emmy Rossum all have critical roles in the film and play the parts beautifully.
Game of Thrones
I have to admit, I haven’t actually read the books, but the show is one of my favorites so I felt the need to include it anyway.
Drama, violence, complicated characters, and dragons–what more could you want? The show is epic in its story and its production and deserves all of the praise it gets. From what I’ve heard, it might not follow the books exactly, but it has become one of the biggest shows on television, regardless.
I love the show’s ability to follow so many characters and story lines in a way that gives them all time for depth and development.
These are just a handful of some of my favorite book adaptations. What are some of yours?
Happy reading (and watching)!
Caroline Reads 