Thursday, and time for me to kick back from creative thought, and just copy the good people of Booking Through Thursday - and, of course, invite you to do likewise.
Books and films both tell stories, but what we want from a book can be different from what we want from a movie. Is this true for you? If so, what’s the difference between a book and a movie?
I think we've talked about that here in the past, though not certain - it is one of those questions which comes up perenially. Quite a while ago, I picked out all the DVDs I owned which were adaptations of literature or connected to literature in some way - quite a few, was the answer.
I resolutely believe that books are simply better than films, if the book came first - even if I enjoy the film more, or think it has better creative artists behind it, it remains a derivative and thus subordinate. True, you can point at Shakespeare and disprove me, as he had barely an original plot line, but still...
What do I like for in a book and what in a film? I'm happy if a film shows me one level; one story. Beauty is a nice bonus, but it is rather too easy - even the worst director can film a meadow and it will look beautiful. It takes a great writer to make that same meadow appear for the reader, in all its beauty, and not simply a word. So, from a book, I look for an interesting plot - but, more importantly, a individual and captivating style. Some depth of thought, some longevity. I probably won't read it in one go (as I would watch a film in one go) and so I want something I can live alongside, rather than compartmentalise into an evening...
Demanding, aren't I? Howsabout you?
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