which version?

I would usually read the book and then watch the movie if there is one. The thing about watching the movie first is that there are always vast differences such as plot, setting and even some characters are cut out. This is expected though as there is not enough screen time for all the major key events to be shown. That's why i like to read the book. There is less chance of being confused.

It depends, although usually I think the books are better, occasionally I find the movie versions are just as good. I thought that the cinematic interpretation of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was very good, even if they did leave out the odd part. And I also thought the movie versions of the Bourne series were very good.

The book, definitely. The films just take the book, strip it down to its basic storyline, and change it so it is more practical to film. Books can be as adventurous as they like. There is no budget to stick to. Films can be criticized in many more ways than books: acting, special effects, music, costumes, scenery, length etc. When you read, everything is in your mind, there is nothing to complain about because you are the one imagining it, and you can imagine it how you wish. It is all acted perfectly in your mind, because there are no actors. You see the real thing.

I usally never read a book before I see the movie I always see it after only if I really love the movie. So I would have to say I perfer the movie more then the book since its the movie that gets me to want to read the book.

i read the book then watch the movie or vice versa. i like to compare both book and movie. you see, you cannot include everything in a movie given the limit in time and visual interpretation. in books, the writer can write even the impossible. in movies, even if our technology has helped us with the visual effects, we still cannot reduce or use all scenes in a book and condense it to at most 3 hours. in books we can play with time, in movies we cannot. sometimes the book's story is boring but visually exciting in movies. i prefer both.