Books create a connection with a reader that one can't always get out of a film adaptation. In my experience, I don't get that pull to continue watching a film that I may get when reading a book. Here's my list of why I believe books are always better than their film adaptations.
1. You get a connection with the characters that you don't get from the film.
Reading a book lets you put yourself into that lead character's shoes. You don't always see them going through their story. It's so easy to insert yourself into their life. Even if it's scary, it's like you're actually in the Hunger Games, not Katniss.
2. Sometimes films delete things.
Whether it's characters, your favorite small chapters/scenes in a book or just little details, sometimes they get cut. The book will always hold the entire truth.
3. There's usually an unwanted change.
Sometimes this change is pointless. Nicholas Sparks books come to mind here. Was there a need for the film version of "The Choice" to change main character Travis Parker's name to Travis Shaw? Probably not. It's still frustrating when you know something different. Do not get me started on "Dear John'"s changed ending in the movie.
4. And sometimes, they get things wrong.
It happens. It doesn't really make sense when there's a book right in front of the writers telling them exactly what to do; but sometimes, mistakes are made.
5. You actually know your character's thoughts in books.
In a book, you can know every thought, glance and observation a character makes. You know how they analyze people, and what's really going on in their heads. Movies usually just get to the point.
6. Sometimes the movie adaptations don't get a large budget.
They can't all be "Harry Potter." "Harry Potter" films are the dream when it comes to adaptations. Sometimes our favorite novels don't get the big budgets allowing them special effects, cool cinematography tools and camera angles. Sometimes the content is the only thing to drive a film. Even if that should be enough, it can't always be.
7. In a book, your imagination dictates how you view the characters.
Movies give you a person to watch. That person emulates the character. They dictate how a character behaves and speaks. In a book, while the author might give guidelines about image, the rest is up to perception.
8. You can relive a moment in a book over and over.
Seriously, I guilty-pleasure-binged the "Vampire Academy" series and have read certain scenes probably ten times. Sometimes, you can read a sentence and just think it's perfect beyond measure. It can fill you with emotion in a very surprising way. You can't always pause and rewind a film when watching it with a friend or in theaters. Books are personal. You can reread that line however many times you please.
9. The one-and-a-half to three hour time frame really limits a movie.
Let's face it — even though you want to blame the production companies, they can't do everything with their time frame. Books don't have a page limit. The author can explain every detail, but movie productions usually need to stay within a time block. Because of that, they can sometimes gloss over events that are pivotal in a book.
10. It's at your own pace.
You can read a book in one day if you don't want to eat, sleep or shower. Books don't dictate the speed at which you get through a scene. Movies do. Movies only give a scene a good five to 20 minutes, whereas you can take as long as you want to get through one in a book.
11. Sometimes, the movie just isn't good.
The first "Twilight" movie is example number one. Seriously, even if you went through that weird "Twilight"-obsessed phase like I did, you can probably recognize how terrible the movie was. You can easily love a book, but the movie just doesn't click for you. "Gone Girl," in my opinion, is a serious example of this.
12. The adaptations don't always do well in the box office, meaning that even if it's a series, there probably won't be a sequel.
I'm looking at you, "Vampire Academy." You don't always know why, but there are times when a best-selling novel just doesn't become a best-selling film. While the movies aren't always going to be there for you to watch, the books will always be there for you to read.
