Rate The Book To Movie Adaptation And We'll Suggest A Book To Read Next

While the majority of movies being made these days are either sequels, prequels, reboots, or spin-offs, there’s still a fair share of films that have their roots in literature.

The upside of basing a movie off of a popular book is that the filmmakers already known that the story works. But more importantly, they know it comes with a built-in audience. So the next time a mega-hit like Harry Potter or Game of Thrones hits shelves, rest-assured that a movie or TV deal is right around the corner.

The downside, however, is that the movie now has to live up to the quality of the book. Not only will fans of the series buy a ticket to support their favorite franchise, they’ll also be arriving at the theater with high expectations, and any unwelcome difference can spell disaster for a big-budget adaptation.

That being said, there is the rare adaptation that outdoes the novel it's based upon. In these instances, it's usually not because the filmmaker tried to make the most faithful adaptation as possible, but that they succeeded in capturing the essence of the novel while omitting any extra details that took away from the central message.

So it's time to rate these book to movie adaptations and reveal the next novel that's worth checking out!

Question 1

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy — Which was better?

Many younger generations were introduced to J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic work of fantasy thanks to Peter Jackson’s equally epic film trilogy. While older generations may scoff at anyone who favors the films over the books, anyone who picked up the novels after watching the movies may have found them to be a bit on the dry side.

Question 2

Fight Club — Which was better?

Here’s an adaptation where the book’s author, Chuck Palahniuk, actually said that the movie was an improvement on his story. This is largely thanks to the film cutting out a number of unnecessary plot lines and supporting characters, including Marla Singer’s obese mother, who lends her excess fat to Tyler Durden’s soap production. Gross.

Question 3

The Hunger Games Trilogy — Which was better?

Anytime there’s a popular series of novels, we can pretty much expect the film adaptations to break the final novel into two in an attempt to make as much money at the box office as possible. So did this unnecessary stretching of the story make the novels ultimately better than their movie counterparts?

Question 4

It — Which was better?

It was previously adapted into a TV miniseries back in the ‘90s. But due to the restrictions of TV at the time, this adaptation fails to capture the truly terrifying moments in Stephen King’s epic horror novel. But with the 2017 adaptation becoming the highest-grossing horror movie of all time, audiences have unanimously agreed it hit closer to the mark.

Question 5

The Harry Potter Series — Which was better?

Talk about a loaded question! With seven novels and eight feature films to choose from, there’s a lot of quality calculation that is probably going on right now. And while certain novels and movies are better than others, try to judge each as a whole to decide if the adaptations are better than their source materials.

Question 6

Jurassic Park — Which was better?

Jurassic Park is such an iconic movie that many may not have even known that it was based on the 1990 Michael Crichton novel of the same name. In fact, many of the scenes in the movie play out almost exactly as they do in the book, albeit, with much more detail that didn't make it to the screen.

Question 7

The Fifty Shades Trilogy — Which was better?

Even those who thoroughly enjoyed E. L. James’ series of erotic novels had to admit that the stories were simple guilty pleasures. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. But were the movies bad in all the right ways? Or did they fail to rekindle the volatile chemistry between Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele?

Question 8

The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe — Which was better?

Here’s a book that many ended up reading in middle school, which is no doubt why the first film in the Chronicles of Narnia series was such a hit when it was released back in 2005. While few would disagree that this is the best book in C.S. Lewis’s fantasy series, how does the book measure up against the movie?

Question 9

A Series of Unfortunate Events — Which was better?

If we were talking about the ongoing Netflix adaptation of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events novels, the answer may be starkly different. But for the sake of simplicity, let’s compare this dark children’s series with the 2004 film adaptation which featured Jim Carrey in the role of Count Olaf.

Question 10

The Shawshank Redemption — Which was better?

Most Stephen King film adaptations fall short of the author’s work. But there are a few films where most would agree that the movie triumphs over its source material. This may very well be the best example, as The Shawshank Redemption film adaptation is often considered one of the greatest movies of all time.

Question 11

The Polar Express — Which was better?

While it may take a fraction of the time to read this children’s book written by Chris Van Allsburg, for many, the holiday book has since become a Christmas tradition since it was first released in the 1980s. Meanwhile, others may prefer a holiday experience that lasts a while longer and turn to the 2004 animated movie instead.

Question 12

Forrest Gump — Which was better?

Forrest Gump doesn’t seem like the type of story that would lend itself quite as well to the pages of a novel. But it was indeed a 1986 book written by Winston Groom before it was ever adapted into a feature-length film, though surely more people have enjoyed this all-time classic film than they have the book.

Question 13

The Notebook — Which was better?

Romance movies certainly aren’t for everyone, but one still has to admit that The Notebook is one of the best modern romance stories ever told. The story was written by Nicholas Sparks back in 1996 before being made into a movie in 2004 which featured Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as the two romantic leads.

Question 14

Watchmen — Which was better?

Watchmen is often considered the best graphic novel of all time, which means the movie adaptation certainly had the deck stacked against it when it came to serving the story. While the movie was a bit divisive, most agreed that Zach Snyder did an admirable job at adapting this extremely ambitious undertaking.

Question 15

The Dark Tower — Which was better?

Considering the 2017’s adaptation of The Dark Tower was met with extremely negative reviews, this answer should be a bit of a no-brainer. But on the bright side, Amazon is currently working on a TV adaptation that will no longer have a connection to the film. So there’s still hope for a worthy adaptation of this Stephen King series.

Question 16

No Country for Old Men — Which was better?

When the Coen Brothers sat down to adapt Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men, they said that they pretty much pulled from the source material line-by-line — making for one of the most faithful adaptations ever made. The result was a film that won Best Picture of the Year.

Question 17

The Twilight Saga — Which was better?

Much like the Fifty Shades series, The Twilight Saga is another franchise that has raked in a ton of money despite overwhelmingly negative reviews. As a matter of fact, many may not have realized that the Fifty Shades series started off as fan fiction for the Twilight Saga before it became something else entirely.

Question 18

The Great Gatsby — Which was better?

Many had to read The Great Gatsby in high school. But was that really an ideal time for someone to appreciate the work of F. Scott Fitzgerald? We think not. Which means the book might be worth revisiting at some point during one’s adult life. Or maybe some people would rather just save some time and sit through the movie.

Question 19

The Cat in the Hat — Which was better?

Few children’s books are as popular as Dr. Suess’s The Cat in the Hat. But that doesn’t mean it should have ever been turned into a feature film, because despite a talented lead with Mike Myers suiting up to play the cat, the film was one of the weirdest and downright worst children’s film in recent memory.

Question 20

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest — Which was better?

Both the novel and film of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest are considered some of the best ever made — though their are some stark differences between the two. In fact, Ken Kesey came out in extreme opposition to the film, which was made without his consent resulting in a lawsuit that the author eventually won.

Question 21

The Hobbit — Which was better?

Most modern-day readers would probably say The Hobbit is a far more enjoyable read than The Lord of the Rings. But when it comes to both of the film trilogies, most would also probably agree that The Hobbit felt out of place and overlong after the perfection of the first trilogy.

Question 22

The Perks of Being a Wallflower — Which was better?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower was published in 1999 and follows the story of a troubled teenager as he chronicles his day-to-day life through a series of letters. The story was later adapted by the novel’s writer, Stephen Chbosky, into a 2012 film, which starred Logan Lerman in the title role of Charlie and was well received by critics.

Question 23

The Outsiders — Which was better?

First published in 1967, this coming-of-age tale follows the conflict between a lower class group of friends known as the Greasers and an upper-class group known as the Socs. The film was later adapted into a 1983 film, which was filled out with an impressive cast consisting of Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, and Matt Dillion.

Question 24

The BFG — Which was better?

Much like Dr. Suess, Roald Dahl is one of the most-beloved children’s writers of all time, and one of his most popular books includes 1982’s The BFG. More recently, the story was adapted into a 2016 animated movie which as helmed by one of the all-time great directors: Steven Spielberg.

Question 25

The Road — Which was better?

Published in 2006 and written by Cormac McCarthy, The Road was awarded one of the highest honors the following year when it won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Three years later, it was adapted into a film of the same name which found Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee playing the father and son characters.

Question 26

Sin City — Which was better?

Sin City is a series of graphic novels written by Frank Miller, one of the most influential comic book authors since the 1980s. A number of the stories were later adapted into a 2005 film and a long-awaited sequel, which didn’t come out until 2014, both being co-directed by Robert Rodriguez alongside Miller.

Question 27

The Martian — Which was better?

Before it was picked up by Crown Publishing, author Andy Weir self-published this renowned sci-fi novel, which follows an American astronaut after he’s stranded on Mars. The story was later adapted into a 2015 movie with Matt Damon in the title role. It went on to be nominated for Best Picture of the Year.

Question 28

Casino Royale — Which was better?

Casino Royale was actually the first novel to be written by Ian Fleming that featured the character of James Bond. That also made it the perfect story for Daniel Craig to suit up for his first film as 007, which is often ranked as one of the best installments in the massive franchise.

Question 29

How the Grinch Stole Christmas — Which was better?

The story of Dr. Suess’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas has been adapted a number of times, both on the stage and on the screen. But the 2000 live-action adaptation starring Jim Carrey in the title role is easily the most ambitious to date. While the film was a box office smash, it received only lukewarm reviews.

Question 30

The Shining — Which was better?

The Shining is considered by many to be Stephen King’s best novel to date. Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation is also considered one of the greatest horror movies ever made. However, King’s and Kubrick’s versions are strikingly different — with King going so far as to say he hated the director’s interpretation.

Question 31

To Kill a Mockingbird — Which was better?

Harper Lee’s 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird is often considered one of the greatest American novels ever written. While this could have meant that any film adaptation would surely be a letdown, the 1962 movie starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch went on to win a number of major Academy Awards.

Question 32

Ender’s Game — Which was better?

Upon its release, the 1985 novel Ender’s Game received significant praise, winning both the Nebula and Hugo Awards for its contribution to the sci-fi genre. But it took all the way until 2013 for the novel to be adapted into a movie, which received only lukewarm reviews and was a box office bomb.

Question 33

The Divergent Trilogy — Which was better?

Written by now 29-year-old author Veronica Roth, the Divergent trilogy is a young adult sci-fi series which went on to win a number of awards and make its way to the New York Times bestseller list. Unfortunately, the stories didn’t enjoy nearly as much success when they made their jump to the big screen.

Question 34

Gone Girl — Which was better?

Many of David Fincher’s films are based on novels, including Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. One of his latest adaptation, Gone Girl, was based on the best-selling novel by Gillan Flynn, which earned Rosamund Pike an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

Question 35

World War Z — Which was better?

Capitalizing on the zombie craze of the 2010s, Max Brooks best-selling horror novel, World War Z, was adapted into a 2013 film starring Brad Pitt. However, the film is starkly different than its source material and, in a lot of ways, it fails to live up the creativity of its predecessor.

Question 36

Dear John — Which was better?

Although romance novelist Nicholas Sparks has published less than 20 books, it feels like almost all of them have been adapted into feature films. While The Notebook may be the most famous of them all, 2010’s Dear John enjoys its fair share of notoriety thanks to performances from Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried.

Question 37

Jaws — Which was better?

Most people have probably never read Jaws, the 1974 novel written by Peter Benchley. But it’s hard to imagine a book that could pack the same amount of suspense as Steven Spielberg’s 1975 adaptation. The film not only launched Spielberg’s career, but is considered the father of the modern-day summer blockbuster.

Question 38

V for Vendetta — Which was better?

Written by British comic book author Alan Moore, V for Vendetta follows and anarchist who dons a Guy Fawkes mask and sets out to take down the fascist government. The story was later adapted into a 2005 film which further made the Guy Fawkes mask a symbol of the fight against tyranny.

Question 39

The Green Mile — Which was better?

After adapting one Stephen King novel that was set in a prison with The Shawshank Redemption, Frank Darabont went and did it again with The Green Mile. While this film has its fair share of fantastical elements, that doesn’t stop the story of the falsely-convicted murdered John Coffey from being any less heartbreaking.

Question 40

Brokeback Mountain — Which was better?

Originally published in 1997, this short story by Annie Proulx chronicles the love story between two cowboys in Wyoming during a time when homosexuality was highly frowned upon. The story was later expanded into a 2005 film starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, which is often ranked amongst the greatest romance movies of all time.

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