Which is better reading the book first or watching the movie?

hi charlen! if i have a choice, i would prefer watching the movie first before reading the book. but just like you said, we wouldn't know if a book will be turned into a movie. but there was a time when i watched the movie first before i have read the book. that's because i still didn't know then that the movie was based on a book. ^^;; i think it was a John Grisham novel. i can't remember exactly what it was. but i watched the movie first. i read the book long after though because i didn't know then who Grisham was and i only learned about him some time last year. that's only when i started reading his books. as for the other novel-based movies i've watched, i have read the books first before i have watched the movies like in the Harry Potter books and Dan Brown books. ^^

There are times when i watch the movie first then read the books... that is the case with the Harry Potter series... and i find the books a lot more interesting... but with the Twilight series... i decided to read the books first... then watch the movie... and i must say that i like the Twilight movie more than the book... because of the approached made by the writer and director... i just do not know if it will be the same with the New Moon movie... well, i have to wait and see...

You read the book, expect the same feeling in the movie..You will get disappointed.. If you see the movie first..then it ruins the fun when you are reading it...So read the book first...then watch the movie as a tribute to the book...

Being that books and film are completely different forms of media, perhaps the best thing to do is just to enjoy them as different subjects. A movie will never get into as much detail as a book, and a book won't be able to provide as much excitement for some as a movie would. I think it's really just a matter of personal preference. I would say read the book first, you get a better idea of the story and then you may be able to appreciate subtle things in the film better than if you had never experienced it before.

I am also like you, I read harry potter book first before I watch the movie and it also didn't satisfy me. But with Narnia, I watch the movie then read the book afterwards. It is fine, I just realize that they cannot really copy the exact book in doing films. Same goes with Lord of the Rings and Twilight.I really don't expect that they will get all the scene mention in the book for the movie. Movie makers just have to get the most important scene in a book to include it in the movie. But I really do understand your stand. Happy myloting.

It really depends on what I got my hands on first. But most of the time, the movie makes me want to read the book. i want to know what the missing details are. The books are so much more interesting than the movies sometimes

I usually won't watch the movie if I have read the book. You are right, they just can't make it as good. BUT I LOVED watching Twillight, just because it was fun to see the characters doing the things they did in the book. Of course a lot is different to edit for time and still attempt to make it understandable to those who didn't read it. But I still enjoyed it. So I guess if you are expecting and OK with things being changed and shortened, then seeing the movie is a fun extension of a good book. Flowers in the Attic was a good movie, but the book blew it out of the water. So I think we should just enjoy each separatly, maybe not compare them so much since they are each a different art form.

i like to read the book first and then see the movie. the truth is, if i see the movie then there is no point in reading the book. i also like to read the book to see how well it is adapted onscreen. many times because of time and budget constraints the change the storyline or the ending to accomodate.

Most of the time I read the book first before watching the story alive through the movies. I enjoy doing so because I love to imagine the plots myself first before capturing the whole scenario on big screen.

I don't really read so I prefer to watch the movie. I hardly ever read any books that made into a movie.

I would prefer reading in the book first because some directors change some movies from the book.

I like reading the book before i watch the movie, they can not get everything from the book into the movie so a lot of the details are left out...If i watch the movie first i do not enjoy reading the book as much.

I rather watch the movie because it takes time to finish the book. The essence of the story is the same anyway.

Offcourse reading Books is much more better than just watching the movie. Since in movie you will always know the half or a very little story. Only way you can know much about a particular story is just by reading books.....

I love reading and watching movies. Usually I would read first the novel first before watching the movie. The reason behind that is, most of the movies are abridged version of the novel (shortened) and some of the role of the characters or either the incidences in the story have been change compared to the novel or the book itself. Example is the novel and the movie tie-up Around The World in 80 Days. On the book, it portrays the Passepartout as a good servant for Phileas Fogg while in the movie, he was a bandit for the Green Jade Buddha which is the other way around. They have never been in China while in the movie, they have been there. Phileas Fogg in the movie was a scientist who built an improvised airplane but in the book he was a noble man with riches and doing nothing. I think its still better to read the book rather than the movie tie-up... as long you have a good and queer imagination, you can visualize how things happen in the story.

I do not mind seeing a movie after I have read the book but I never read a book after watching the movie. Sometimes the movie follows the story line pretty well but other times it is so different it spoils the whole movie.

if i had a choice, i'd watch the movie first. however, chances are i'd read the book first before a movie is made from it. it's not easy making a movie from a book as there are too many details to be cramped into two hours. also, watching the movie first gives me something to visualise when i read the book. on the other hand, the movie has to cast the characters right. if not, i'd get very confused when i read the book because the description doesn't fit what i see on the big screen. when that happens, i tend to ditch the book because i'm just too confused.

I think the books are always better. More character depths. But sometimes it is nice to see them on screen, if the actors are chosen correctly and they attempt to stay true to the story. Like in the notebook...they were completely two different endings. Also, I have begun doing the movie book thing because sometimes there are movies that I had no idea that was based on a book....and in those cases usually the movie is better. Like in the movie "The Door in the Floor". It's based on a chapter from a John Irving novel (Widow for One Year). Nothing wrong with the book except it was too deeply dark as I began reading it. The movie itself had a dark tone, but the novel was much more longer....and the movie was interesting enough for me. I could not finish the book.

i think the choice depends on the situation at that time, i will prefer to read a book especially when i can really understand and figure out what the book is all about and if not i will rather prefer watching the movies, which ever way one sees it, the two looks important and ideal to me

i usually read the book before watching the movie. there's a totally different kind of pleasure in reading a book with no idea about the ending which you do not get in the movies. lets take, lord of the rings.. i loved the movies but i would pick the books over it any-day.. the harry potter books were great.. i didn't like the movies that much.. if i did watch a movie before reading the book then i don't think i would be as interested in reading the book.. on the other hand if i read the book first then i would probably visualize everything and have no qualms in watching the movie as i want to see how the director interpreted it.. :D