A fresh new week and a fresh new Monday Question. Books are usually not really my thing as my reasoning is always that I can watch more movies during the time it takes to read a book. Recently I started to read a bit more after seeing The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (I just had to read the book it was based on) and I am currently working my way through the Steve Jobs biography (might not be completely movie related, but a very well written book). If I look my bookshelf the first thing I have to admit is that I haven’t got too many of them (if I don’t look at books from past studies), but most of them are movie related. So this week’s question is about books:
Do you read movie related books and which ones are your favorite?
These are my favorites:
Shrek: The Art of the Quest
Although I’m not a huge fan of Shrek (I do think the movies are entertaining, but don’t feel the need to rewatch them) I really like this book. It’s beautiful as it shows a lot of concept art and behind the stuff things. It’s just amazing to flick through the pages.
Roger Ebert Great Movies and America’s Film Legacy
Now the information of these books is probably available online, but when I’ve seen an older movie I always love to grab these books and read the background information. Usually I learn something interesting from it which I sometimes will include in my reviews as well.
TASCHEN’s 100 All-Time Favorite Movies
Another book which I still haven’t come around reading yet, but this is a beautiful book as it discusses the history of cinema through various decades and focusses on 100 movies with these big beautiful pictures. It’s a visual treat and one I’m really happy owning.
Fantasie, Illusie en Betovering (translates as Fantasy, Illusion and Enchantment)
The last one is a book that I bought based on the question I asked about your first movie experience. I couldn’t find the name of the cinema where I watched my first movie as there wasn’t too much information available online about old cinemas in Rotterdam. In the end I decided I would need to do some research, but happened to come across a book of someone who had done just that. I haven’t come around to reading the book, but just going through the pages and looking at the cinemas I went through when I was younger, but which no longer exist it brings me a feeling of nostalgia. I like the fact that it describes the rich history of cinema in the town I grew up in.
Do you read movie related books and which ones are your favorite?
I just read the book of one of my favourite films, The Piano Teacher, and absolutely loved it. I also really, really love the original book version of The Ice Storm; a really great read.
Looked up those movies on IMDB and those seem to be quite outside my comfort zone. Personally I don’t read books that movies are based on, with Diving Bell as the only exception. I was planning to read The Rum Diary, but probably won’t now that the movie is released.
I usually prefer to read the book and then see the movie!It’s useless to me if it’s the other way around. When you read a book, you imagine the scenery and the characters, but it’s still a mistery in some cases. When you see the movie, everything is put out on a plate for you- what;s the sense of reading a book of something you have already seen and discovered?That’s just my take!
I guess you could ask that question both ways, Why watch the movie if you already created the perfect version of it yourself? I remember reading The Golden Compass way before it ever got turned into a movie and the images in my head were much cooler than what was on the screen. Not everyone will do both though, but with some movies people are interested how something turned out in a different form of media.
I am not the worlds greatest reader. Having kids and a film addiction cuts down the amount of free time I have to actually pick up a book.
Last book I read was ‘Understand Film Studies’
🙂
I know what you mean, I don’t have that much time for it either, although I must say that I’ve been steadily reading that Jobs biography.
I remember you mentioning it a while ago, slowly becoming a real film student huh? 😉
Hi, Nostra and company:
I’ve had the good fortune to have read several novels before being picked up and adapted for films.
Mario Puzo’s ‘The Godfather’ tops the list with Stephen King’s ‘The Dead Zone’ and Gus Hasford’s ‘The Short Timers’, which became Kubrick’s ‘Full Metal Jacket’ a close second. Though I was displeased with the shocking, post Tet/Khe Sanh last chapter of Hasford’s novel not making it to film.
My selection on books on film is varied and eclectic. Not much of a Roger Ebert fan. Though
‘The Golden Retriever On Films’ is a very viable and reliable source. While ‘The Psychotronic Encyclopedia Of Film’ has proven to be a hoot in providing insight and trivial minutia regarding weird fantasies, mysteries, serials and Sci-Fi flicks from grade A Prime through Z ridiculous.
Interesting to read and sometimes you forget how many movies are based on books. Looking at the responses here there are quite a few people that never read that much, which probably is a time issue as books are as much of an escape as movies are.
I like Ebert’s writing style, but everyone has their own taste of course. Will look at those other books you mention.
Hi, great question. I generally love the idea of turning books into movies. Unfortunately my two favourite books (The Beach and Q&A) were both made into horrible movies by the same person. Nevertheless, I never pick up the movie-book tie-ins they have. If I do like a movie and want to read the book, I’ll go and get the original book.
As for other movie books, like you have mentioned, I have read a few, but nothing serious. For me stories are more important. Books about movies and techniques don’t interest me that much.
It’s really since I’ve started blogging that I got interested in reading more about specific things related to movies, just to increase my knowledge. That’s the beautiful thing with that passion for movies, you can experience it just the way you like it and “specialise” in specific things that interest you.
I don’t read very often but one occasion I enjoyed the book more than the film was ‘Stardust’. The film stayed pretty true to the artistic vision of the book, but the ending was much more poignant in the book.
That was a pretty enjoyable movie (gave it a 7/10), but I don’t remember too much about it anymore…
I’ve been making an effort the last year or two to check out books that have had good film adaptations. Some of my favorites I’ve found through this project are Sideways (more time spent with Miles and Jack is always good), American Psycho (much better than the film), Revolutionary Road (really fleshes out the characters), Yes Man (has nothing to do with the film except the base concept, but absolutely hilarious), High Fidelity (just a great read) and Fight Club (ditto). Others haven’t fared as well; The Shining, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Rules of Attraction all work much better in movie form.
As for books about film, I’m very fond of Understanding Movies by Louis Giannetti. I read it shortly after I was getting into film in a big way, and it had quite the effect on how I would view movies.
Wow, you have read quite a lot movie related books!
Understanding movies sounds like a fascinating read. This is one I will be checking out. Thanks!
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy it.
Interesting question. I was about to go to a local bookstore this weekend to get a couple of books but didn’t have a chance to do that. I don’t read that many books adapted to films, though I did pick up a couple of Jane Austen books after I saw the films, and I also read Jane Austen after I saw the first adaptation. I wish I had more time to read, I’m hoping to read Hunger Games before the film comes out.
The life of a movie blogger means we spent a lot of time writing, which makes the time we have left for the reading even less 😉
Reading was my first big love so I really do feel like I’m cheating on a book to see the film and not have read the book first. Although I am then usually disappointed by the film after enjoying the book. I couldn’t get along with the Lord of the Rings books and I didn’t really like the films either. Even though it’s probably predictable, the Harry Potter films are good because they capture the same magic I felt when reading the novel. In graphic novel terms, I think Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is a good adaptation although I adored the comics – they did the best with what they could in the timescale.
🙂 Cheating on the books? That really makes it clear how much you love to read! On various movies I reviewed that were based on them I usually hear that the book was better, so it’s interesting that people still want to find out knowing the usual result.
I don’t really read the books if I have watched the movie, unless I absolutely was intrigued. I like to let books stay books and movies stay movies. If I read a book after watching the movie it tends to stifle the imagination. And if I watch the movie after reading the book, it tends to disappoint. So, I often keep a good balance of a separation of book and film!
That’s just me! 🙂 good question!
I like that distinction, I have the same feeling (with some exceptions). Why spend time on one when you already spent it on another one.
What a great question. I read ‘Never Let Me Go’ novel after seeing the movie. Now I am nearly finishing ‘The Help’, since I’m waiting for the movie, I thought I’d read the book first. That Steve Jobs book sounds great to read.
A friend gave me the 501 Must See Movies, which gave me a lot of references about good movies, but I found some of them aren’t that good though.
I want to read some other novel that turn into movies, like up in the air, or high fidelity, but I don’t know if I have the time.
The Steve Jobs book is interesting as you really get a look into his personality and how he got where he was.
I see quite a lot of those must see movie books, but with so much available online I start to use that more to decide what I want to watch. As you can see on the right hand side it’s currently the IMDB top 250, after that I don’t know yet.
Not really although I started reading the Harry Potter movies after seeing the eight movies 🙂 The only movie related boook I have read is Richard Walter’s Essentials of Screenwriting http://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Screenwriting-Business-Television-Writing/dp/0452296277/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
That’s a lot of reading to do. I already stopped watching after probably the 5th or 6th movie, so reading the books will never happen for me.
What’s is the reason you thought that would be an interesting book? To better understand the process?
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