5 Books that are better than the movies
By: Neha N., Grade 9
Although I am an avid movie enthusiast, I often find that the on-screen adaptations of books don’t do justice to their books. Because of this, I often take it upon myself to convince my friends and peers that they should read the books instead of just watching their adaptations. This list is made up of the 5 books that I most often recommend to people considering watching their film adaptations.
1. The Summer I Turned Pretty
The Summer I Turned Pretty is one of my top recommendations for YA Romance. I am in love with the plot, the settings, and the conflict. This book does an excellent job of capturing main character Belly Conklin’s perspectives and thoughts, and the reader really gets a window into her inner struggles and desires. This is the aspect where I believe that the TV show adaptation falls short. Of course, it’s harder to get that first-person view on TV, but I still think that the focus in the show was shifted away from Belly and onto other characters who aren’t really as interesting in my opinion. The show does a good job of replicating the plot and character relationships and I enjoyed watching it, but I feel a deeper sense of connection to the book because of the way the reader can view the events of the story through such an interesting character’s eyes.
2. The Witches
One of Roald Dahl's most iconic books, The Witches, was one I read on repeat throughout elementary school. I found it such a creative and hilarious story that it never really got boring. When The Witches, the movie, came out in 2020, I immediately sat down to watch it, eager to reconnect with one of the most memorable stories that shaped my childhood. But even though the story was never exhausted when I’d read and re-read the novel, I almost immediately found myself bored with the movie. I think the reason for this was that the movie was made more serious than it should have been, and a lot of the quirkiness and funniness therefore disappeared. When I watched it looking for a funny but slightly dark comedy, I was met instead with fantasy sprinkled with a little horror. So next time you feel a desire to relive childhood for a little while, I’d lean towards the novel over the movie.
3. Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is an all-time favorite of mine. In my mind, it’s a classic, and always will be. However, a lot of the classic aspects are lost through film, as one may expect. Over the years, several Romeo and Juliet adaptations have been made, modernizing the story slightly each time. At first when watching Romeo and Juliet adaptations, I thought that I wouldn’t mind some aspects being modernized as long as the story was the same, but since then my perspective changed. Now, I believe that the movie adaptations are enjoyable occasionally, but in order to truly digest Shakespeare’s charm, one should read the original text.
4. Harry Potter
Personally, I’m a huge fan of the Harry Potter series. I think it’s one of the most quality book adaptations ever made, and I’ve rewatched each movie several times. But I think that although the attention to detail was exceptional, and the viewer was left with a fantastic emotional aftermath, there were a few aspects of the films that were hastily looked over. First of all, where was Charlie Weasley? I absolutely loved him in the books, and I think that the movies would have been so much better with him included, especially since he probably would have gotten us more dragon content. And secondly, Ginny. Spoiler alert, in both the movies and books, Ginny and Harry get together. But in the movies, a lot of her personality is squashed and she’s a much more submissive character. I think that her fiery personality and determination were some of the main reasons that Harry liked her in the first place, and it made a lot of sense that way. In the movie it didn’t seem like she had much of a personality. But looking at the bigger picture, the movies were almost as magical as the books, and hold a special place in my heart.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
5. Heartstopper
The Heartstopper series is probably the only graphic novel series I ever enjoyed in my life. I definitely lean towards novels over graphic novels, and even the fact that I liked them at all is a testament to their quality. All the characters are so well developed and I love how Alice Oseman is able to maintain so many major character’s stories without making it confusing. There are so many interlacing, beautifully crafted storylines, which is what drew me to this series in the first place. The TV show adaptations definitely do a great job of portraying the relationships and emotions, but I feel like certain characters are emphasized over others, which saddens me slightly. Although I can see why the producers would want to simplify the story a bit, and I absolutely adore the show, the book is still on a higher level in my opinion.
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