The book or the movie? Which is better? This is a constant discussion that I hear on a day to day basis because every year movies based on popular novels are released, and every year people argue over which is better. But you can’t really argue that either is best all of the time because there are numerous factors that are involved. The writer, the director, the cast, and so many other things that will impact your opinion. You could argue the book is best in one situation but the movie is better in another, or that you love both of them equally. It all depends on the circumstances.
In most cases, I have found myself to enjoy the books more than the movies. Since movies are based on pre-written novels, they are not the original story. Directors and other people who collaborate to create the film often alter the story and leave out details they might not see as important. They also might add new scenes to make the story “flow” better in the film. Because of this, the audience is missing out on laughter and tear-filled moments that aren’t shown on the big screen. Although the tweaked version may be brilliant and loved, it is not the original story and cannot give you the full intended effect when experiencing it. Unlike novels, movies have a time limit. The directors and creators sometimes leave out scenes because they do not have the time and budget to include them in the movie.
Additionally, the decisions made by the director for the film make a large contribution to one’s opinion on whether the movie is better than the book. The reader of the book is given a tad bit of free will, which can help them feel more connected to the story that they, in theory, helped imagine. With a movie version, the fact that the decisions are made for them; the set, the intensity of the emotions, what the characters look like, and more; keeps the viewer's imagination from flourishing. With a book, the reader's imagination fills in the little gaps left behind by the author, whereas in a movie all the gaps are filled in by the decisions of the director and their team. There are also instances where actors and directors change the story from a poorly written novel into a masterpiece. The decisions that are made for the audience can cause their opinion to go either way, because they can be positive of negative.
It all boils down to the preferences of the person who reads the book- the original story, and the person who watches the movie- the altered version. Maybe their imagination flourished while reading the book and they prefer it to the movie. Maybe they believed that the book was poorly written and fell in love with the theatrical version. My opinion won’t be the same as that of my friend because each opinion is neither wrong nor right. But they all differ from one another, and are crafted from different ideas and preferences.
