Movies and television shows are based on books, graphic novels, and comics all the time. Okay, maybe not all the time but quite frequently. Personally, I think print-to-film duos are the best.
First, print-to-film duos bring people together. Some people do not enjoy reading, while others do not enjoy staring at a screen for over an hour. I respect both sets of people. Nonetheless, when books are made into movies, these two sets of people are brought together under one common storyline.
Second, I over-analyze everything in my life—gotta love anxiety—but over-analyzing books’ and movies’ relationships allow me to escape into another world with my mental illness in tow.
So, in case you are like me, I have provided a list of my favorite Print-to-Film duos. If you haven’t read and/or watched any of the following, I highly recommend it.
1. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
Okay, so maybe I haven’t read the entire series yet, but I am working on it. After all, there are four books, and I am a busy college-student. Nonetheless, what I have read so far is phenomenal. J. R. R. Tolkien produces such artistic imagery with his words, and it makes you feel as if you are at Bilbo’s party yourself.
The movies are possibly the best cinematic creation of all time. Yes, that is an exaggeration, but these movies are so gorgeous, action-packed, and intriguing. If you don’t love Frodo and Sam by the end of the Hobbit or Gandalf by the end of the Lord of the Rings, you are a psychopath and deserve to be committed. Kidding! Or am I?
2. The Hunger Games (specifically Catching Fire)
Suzanne Collins’ trilogy won (and broke) the hearts of many—myself included. When I say I was obsessed with this series in middle school, I mean I was obsessed. I read the series probably about 10 times, and I watched the movies even more. I would purposefully pick The Hunger Games trivia categories because I dominated my competition every time.
Technically, my favorite book and movie were Catching Fire. While Hunger Games sets the base for the series, it has too many characters who are irrelevant for the overall story. On the other hand, Catching Fire had solid characters, legitimate romance, and plenty of action.
3. The Harry Potter Series
When it comes to fans, Harry Potter has some loyal ones. Unfortunately, I only recently watched the series, and I have only read about half the books so far. However, I am in love with this series.
This series has many hidden details, especially in Prisoner of Azkaban. The lighting, cinematography, and acting are always superb…even in Sorcerer’s Stone when Harry, Ron, and Hermione are little kids.
4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
The book is an epistolary novel, meaning it is written through exchanges of letters. The movie only includes some letters, and there are definitely some differences. Despite these differences, I still loved both the book and the movie.
The storyline incorporated history, literature, romance, friends, and family which are my favorite things in life. The flashbacks aren’t too jolting or off-putting which is a common problem I have noticed occurring in many history-related films.
5. The Fault in Our Stars
Both the book and the movie made me bawl. I was an absolute wreck each time I experienced this story—whether it was in print or film form.
Ansel Elgort almost perfectly fit the picture of Augustus Waters in my head. I thought Shailene Woodley’s character Hazel Grace Lancaster would look a little different (maybe a little more nerdy), but I still loved Woodley as Hazel Grace.
Okay, time for me to go rewatch all these movies and reread all these books! Wish me luck!