Which is better?  Let’s discuss.

We’ve all done it.  Read a book, loved it, and then seen the movie and hated it.  Or vice versa.  I used to think the book Book vs. Moviewas always better, but as movie technology improves and studios get both more prolific and more creative with the books they adapt for the screen, I’m finding that sometimes the movie is just as good – or better – than the source material.

But how can that be, you ask?  Books let you use your imagination, allow for time to develop characters, give us rich descriptions of settings and a wealth of back story that a movie can never replicate.

All of those things may be true, but what about the books that desperately need a good editor?  The ones with far too much back story or maddeningly long, boring exposition on the appearance of a meadow or the food on the table.  A movie can condense those irritants into a few minutes of on-screen visuals and get right to the heart of the story.

So what of it?  Well, we’re going to start something new here at Readers Lane.  Something called, you got it, Book Vs. Movie.  We’ll pick a book/movie combo and decide which we like better and tell you why.  Then we’ll kindly ask you what you think – fully realizing that we leave ourselves open to ridicule and mocking.  But since we eat, live and breathe ridicule and mocking, we figure it’s all good.

Now for your part.  What book/movie combos do you want to see us tackle?  There are about seventy gillion out there – which ones shall we compare for your reading and mocking pleasure?  Leave us your suggestions in comments.  In the meantime, keep an eye out for the first installment of our own choosing.

And no, of course I’m not going to tell you what it is – you’ll have to wait and see!

Sue Millinocket
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