Today’s discussion is going to be about books and their movie adaptations. Some movies I saw before I read the book, and then others I read the books and then saw the movies. These are simply my opinions about them.
Read the book first:
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien- I read the book when I was in middle school, I think I was in eighth grade. I didn’t think three movies were necessary, but I did feel that the first movie was well done.
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien- I read the book when I was in seventh grade, yes I was reading a 1,000+ page book in middle school. I thought that the movie adaptations for the three volumes were well done, I do wish Tom Bombadil was in the movies.
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling- All I can say is where the hell was Peeves in the movies? There are other things that the movies left out, but it’s understandable with time restrictions and such.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio– This is such a great story and I thought the movie adaptation stuck to the book very well. The movie really brought the book to life.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis- I read these when I was in elementary school. I would love to see the rest of the series adapted.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle- I loved the movie adaptation, there were things in the book that I found confusing but seeing the movie made those things make sense.
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery- I read this when I was younger, and I love the movie adaptation. I have watched one episode of the Netflix adaptation, but have not seen the other’s and I’m not sure if I’m going to watch the rest. I was not impressed by the first episode of the Netflix adaptation.
Concussion by Jeanne Marie Laskas- I wanted to read the book before seeing the movie, but the movie is adapted from her GQ Magazine article and not the book, and yes I have read the GQ Magazine article.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick- I really liked the movie and it was deserving of the awards it received.
Stuart Little by E.B. White- I loved the book, the movie was cute.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
With the movie adaptations of these books, I did like the books better, but was still able to enjoy the movies.
Not 100% Sure:
Heidi by Johanna Spyri- I’m pretty sure I read the book before I saw the movie adaptation, and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the one with Shirley Temple playing Heidi. I’m not 100% sure on this.
Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger- I’ve read the book, seen the movie, seen the TV show, but not sure which if I read the book or saw the movie first. The TV show came after both.
Eight Men Out by Eliot Asinof
Moneyball by Michael Lewis
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett- I’ve seen both movie adaptations, and yes the adaptation with Shirley Temple is my favorite, and by far the best one.
Saw the movie or TV show before I read the book:
Field of Dreams (I watch it on Netflix) (Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella)- I feel like seeing the movie before reading the book has no effect on my opinion on these. I enjoyed them both the same. Field of Dreams is my all-time favorite baseball movie.
Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan– Not a fan of the books or movies.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty- I haven’t read the book, but after seeing the TV show, I really want to read the book.
Wonder Woman (Saw in the theater) (Wonder Woman Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo)- I thought that the movie was so much better than the book.
Disney adaptations I’ve seen before I read the books:
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers, I want to read Mary Poppins Returns before I see the movie later this year.
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol
Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle Barbot de Villeneuve (The original writer)
Beauty and the Beast by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont
Winnie the Pooh– I can’t wait to watch Goodbye Christopher Robin and see Christopher Robin this summer!
Cinderella– I haven’t read any of the stories
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves– I haven’t read the story
Sleeping Beauty– Haven’t read the story
Frozen– I haven’t read The Snow Queen
While I do think that the majority of times books are better than the movie adaptations, I still enjoy watching the movies to see how others have imagined and adapted them. It’s also always fun and interesting to watch the adaptations and see how they differ from the books.
Inside My Minds 
Love this post! I think it is very rare for me when I like a movie more than a book, but I really just love seeing the book come to life and seeing how it can be adapted and changed to encompass a wider audience. When the movie accurately captures the essence of the book, that is when I really fall in love! 🙂
I agree that the books are almost always better than the movie/tv show but I have come across a few that I preferred the movie to the book. I don’t think I have ever read any of the Disney books but I have seen so many of he movies. I need to make a list because I would love to read those books.
You can find them on Project Gutenberg, they’re public domain.
Ok thank you I will definitely look into it.
No problem.
I loved the Lord of the Rings movies, but you are completely right – the exclusion of Tom Bombadil is an abomination and the same goes for Peeves! And if you enjoyed the show, i think you would love the Big Little Lies book. It’s like the show but better! And the Wonder movie was also super great and a really true adaptation. Great post! 😊
Thank you. I loved the movie, but I wasn’t really a fan of Bardugo’s book adaptation.
I agree about The Hobbit! One movie would have been perfect! I found that is was boring because it was stretched over three movies. I loved The Lord of the Rings movies though!
I thought Wonder was just as good as the book and I didn’t think it was possible!
I loved this post!
Thank you! I loved the Lord of the Rings movies too, I thought that they were well done and captured the major/most important plot points of the books. I don’t understand how the Hobbit was stretched to three movies because the book isn’t that long, the edition that I have is 255 pages!!