Television Adaptations of Books
@Sapphire_brean13 (55)
United States
December 12, 2011 12:40am CST
Am I the only one who can get highly frustrated when people turn a great, brilliantly written, and quite enjoyable book into a TV show, mini series, or movie? Today for the first time I saw a TV adaptation of a book called Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. It was okay, fairly well cast, not a bad show on it's own, but in all honesty, it doesn't come anywhere near the book. The book was very compartmentalized and when they tried to put that in TV form, let me just put it this way, it wasn't pretty. I highly recommend the book, and have recommended it to pretty much all of my reading friends, but I don't believe I'd recommend the mini series, it doesn't have the quality of the book.
Do any of you know TV adaptations of books that just drive you insane? (If someone says Twilight, I might go mental lol)
3 people like this
8 responses
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
16 Dec 11
Hello Sapphire and welcome to mylot. I first read this book back about 1990 when it came out in paper back. This is one of my must read more than once books. Yes it is frustrating to read a really great book then see the movie. I have not seen the TV adaption and probably won't. I see the problem of trying to cram a lot of years and characters into two hour time slot. They have to pretty well butcher it. If I'm going to see a movie from a very good book I want to see it before I read the book then I'm not disappointed in the movie.
We just watched the movie "The Help" Npw I'm looking forward to reading the book after my granddaughter finishes it.
@EvanCN (42)
• China
14 Dec 11
It'll drive you crazy absolutely,so I usually don't see most of dramas like this,but sometimes some will give you some surprises.I used to see a japanese tv serises adaptation of a mystery novel,it's so good that I went to look for the novel to read.I have to admit that most of these are not good enough to attract me.
@marguicha (219877)
• Chile
14 Dec 11
I agree with you, but there are exceptions. I have seen awesome mini series made by the BBC with classics and they folow it to the dot. I remember that a movie I did not like (in spite of having Paul Newman at his prime) was Exodus. The book needed a dozen movies to show all it said. It has happened with movies and TV series too.
@didi13 (2926)
• Romania
14 Dec 11
There's always one reason we keep reading. There is always one excuse that makes us feel at peace that we remove the books, although the reading experience is, for each of us, an almost mystical, uplifting, great revelations openers.
And yet, we read less and less and less often. Instead the book sit on bedside laptop. Pages instead crossed the evening before drifting in a dream, choose, almost always a hurry Browse with remote control TV channels. Because in any bedroom of today there today, a TV that, as an intruder, has stolen intimacy and quiet sleep.
Others are not moral, but to myself. I am the first who no longer find enough time for "reading books", although his words Miron Costin - "there is another and more beautiful and more useful in human life than reading books delay" - words placed in the letter three centuries of ink half ago, I felt full splendor, I learned not only dry on the outside, in an hour of school. And although I found myself with about three half decades back, however, the most lasting, deeper, more true joy to offer you books, without you ask anything in return.
For those always on the road spoken books were invented, they listen in the car. But for those who are open to revelations noble word, placed in paper file, what kind of books would have to invent? Because as we all know that happiness was given through love, through family, through which we fulfill our babies names and soul, I doubt that the formula can get a life lived with missing books, our friends the best, in the pages which we can reflect and find.
@nezavisima (7408)
• Bulgaria
12 Dec 11
I love books very much.
I read them with great pleasure.
and always annoyed when I see that young people prefer to watch TV instead of reading books.
I odobryanvam imva fact that many films that make them novels and other books just released much of the action.
nice day!
Thank you for discussion.
@alwayzzcitra (1861)
• Indonesia
12 Dec 11
Pillars of The Earth is one of my favorite TV shows!
Well, I haven't read the books, but I agree that sometimes a show cannot represent the whole story. It's only for an hour or two, while a book is meant to be read within a few days.
Still, not everybody is a reader while it's everyone's right to enjoy good entertainment
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