Do you read the book before the movie?

I like watching the movie first. I watch LOTR trilogy before reading all the three books. Watching the movie helps me visualize the one I read.

I actually usually watch the movie and then read the book, if i'm still interested in the subject. I guess I'm not really a big reader.

The book and movie definitely are different and I have seen a lot of both. (It drives my daughter crazy, she will correct the movie every time,lol) anyways, right now I am reading, "The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader" which is coming out in 2008. Be interesting to see what changes they make to this story..:)

Most of the time I read the book first, and it is always better. There are things that can be done in a book that movies just can't capture. I get more into the book, and enjoy imagining what people and places look like, what sounds are like and that sort of thing.

Usually I would read the book first, and then in my head I get a picture of what I think the characters look and sound like. When I later see the movie I usually think "Hey, that's not what they are like!" But I have to think maybe the directors do the same as me, and get their own ideas - and they are not going to be identical to mine. Where I think movies are not quite as good as the book is that they have to be written for the dialogue and plot, they can't express the descriptive passages, or the thought processes of the characters - a book can do this better as it has more "time" to do this. But there are times when it may be better to watch the movie first. A couple of examples. I'm in a reading group, and last month the book chosen for us to read and discuss was "Atonement". It was recommended that we watch the movie, then read the book, then discuss. Well I couldn't get to the movie, and initially I found the book really hard going. I kept thinking "get on with it!" - the first few chapters were so slow! I knew from the book blurb that something was going to happen, and I couldn't wait to get there, and I grew impatient with all the descriptive passages. I wanted it to "cut to the action"! Once I got into the book I couldn't put it down, but those initial chapters were hard going. When I went to the group discussion the ones who had seen the film first found the book much easier to read - they already knew the outcome so were less impatient and more able to enjoy the descriptive passages in the book. (And incidentally they unanimously thought the film was fantastic, and very close to the book.) Another example - this month's book choice is "The Last King of Scotland", which is about Uganda and Idi Amin. Again it was suggested we watch the DVD, and this time I did. I am now reading the book, and if I had not watched the DVD first I doubt that I would persevere with the book. As it is, I am enjoying the book because (while it is not my cup of tea) the DVD showed me what happened, and now I can enjoy the author's very descriptive passages. (Although, while I am reading, the characters are speaking in the voices I heard on the movie!) So it's horses for courses, if you want to watch the DVD first, do it. If you have the book first, read it. Either way, you will have your own views about how the characters should look and speak!

I always read the book first. This is because I know that movies are usually worse than the book so if the movie is rubbish, atleast I know the author did have a good storyline etc.