Books or Movies
By Nona Morris
@nonersays (3335)
United States
July 19, 2009 10:05am CST
My husband and I are going to see the new Harry Potter movie today.
He has never read any of the books. He's a very movie oriented man and says reading the books will "Ruin the movie" for him.
I have read all of the books, and I feel that if you are going to see a movie based on a book you should always read the book first, because the book EXISTED first.
What do you think?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@LightWarrior (131)
• Romania
20 Oct 09
The big problem with reading the books first is that you might be disappointed when you see the movie, cause the book variant is usually a lot better than the movie. It happened to me with a lot of books and I think it's a general rule. I don't have a habit about the order (book first then the movie or the other way around) but I do have second thoughts when I have to see a movie based on a book I've already read.
@nonersays (3335)
• United States
16 Mar 10
I've been dissapointed in MANY movies because the book was so much better. I will often read a book after seeing a movie and finding out it was based on a book, and STILL like the book better.
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
25 Jul 09
I have mixed I feelings about that. Sometimes I think reading the book first will ruin the movie for me. Sometimes I like the element of surprise. But I often like to see movies that were made from books that I have read. I have read most of the Harry Potter books, but I did not read the last 2. We just saw the latest one a couple of days ago. It seemed like a filler movie that was leading up to the next one. It was a bit disappointing, but I have a feeling the next one will be amazing. I am glad I read Twilight before I saw the movie, I don't think I would have liked the movie otherwise.
@nonersays (3335)
• United States
5 Aug 09
They are actually making the last book into 2 separate movies.
I don't see how. Having read the book I don't think there is enough material for 2 movies.
@megumiart (3771)
• United States
19 Jul 09
I don't think you have to read the books before you see the movie- but at least be familiar with the Harry Potter/Hogwarts world. Reading the book right before you see the movie can also set expectations too high.
@nonersays (3335)
• United States
22 Jul 09
It drives me crazy that my husband wont even let me talk about the books because I might ruin the movies for him. So I can only talk about HP AFTER each movie has come out, then only about THAT book or previous ones.
I do tell him some of what he's NOT getting in the movie because they left out parts of the book.
@silvercoin (2101)
• Lithuania
19 Jul 09
You know.When I read any book and then go to see the movie based on it, the book always wins.So,better not to read book if you want to be impressed by the movie.I remember watching good movies and later reading books,and I enjoyed both.I think your husband will be disappointed if he reads the book after watching the movie.It happened for me with the Da Vinci Code.
@nonersays (3335)
• United States
22 Jul 09
I think if a movie is any good, its going to be good whether you've read the book or not. If reading the book can make the movie bad, it must be a bad movie to begin with.
@Flereous (18)
• United States
19 Jul 09
I think that you should see the movie first then read the book because, like Twilight, more happens in the book so if you read the book first usually you get disappointed when you see the movie. And also I think its better to see the movie first because then when you do read the books you already know what the characters look like. But Im not saying that I'm gonna wait 5 years to read a book because no one has made a movie for it yet, lol
@nonersays (3335)
• United States
22 Jul 09
But part of reading is making up your own mind what characters look like. A character in a movie is not always what the writer of the book had in mind when they wrote it.
