It's been a crazy couple of weeks in our house. I haven't even had a chance to read either... :-(
Anyway... here's last weeks list: Top Ten Best/Worst Movie Adaptations.
I have decided to split this in two, though not the way that was suggested. My first 5 are my favourite current book to movie adaptations, many many many forgotten that would be worthy, but there you are, the vagaries and inconsistencies of my mind. The second 5 are the books I'd like to read having watched the films.
My 5 favourite Book to Movie Adaptations
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, I know it gets some criticism but I liked it. I loved seeing Panem come to life, and I'm looking foward to Catching Fire and especially to finding out if the film-makers can improve on the disappointing end to the final book Mockingjay.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, Surprisingly a fairly faithful adaptation. I'm sure there are more highbrow adaptations I could include on my list, but I just read this, so it's right at the forefront of my mind. I also just read The Sea of Monsters in advance of the upcoming film, here's hoping they do another good job.
The Green Mile by Stephen King. Technically the story was serialised in six books, but later combined into a single edition. This is one of those times where the film was so spot on utterly brilliant that it is at least as good as the book.
The 1962 version of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. Nuff said.
Technically I think the movie came first, though I could be wrong. The Princess Bride by William Goldman. Mum worked for a video rental store on the day it was released on video (yep good old VHS). I had the day off school sick. I watched it three times in a row that day and it's been a favourite film ever since. I remember the film claimed that it was based on an original book by S Morgenstern. This book doesn't actually exist (it never did), though Goldman as the screenwriter has produced the story as an apparently abridged version of the non-existent Morgenstern's book. Going by the fury expressed towards Goldman on Goodreads reviews this little deception enraged readers everywhere. I love that the book refers to passages that have been excluded, such as the multitude of pages describing Buttercup's trousseau (if I remember it correctly it was something like 28 pages of hats or some such nonsense). Inconceivably Brilliant.
My top 5 books to read based on the movie adaptations
Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King, one of my (and many peoples's) fave films of all time, I didn't realise at first that this had been a book. It's now on my must-read list. Especially since it's a Stephen King book and considering the greatness of The Green Mile.
Schindlers Ark by Thomas Keneally. Again, I didn't realise Schindlers List was based on a book (I only saw it for the first time a year or two ago), but although it's a true story and I normally hate true stories, this one I think will be particularly special.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey. I actually find the film hard to watch, and I'm hoping the book will be the same. Something makes me feel like this is not meant to be an easy read, but would be worth the effort.
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. I saw the film on it's cinematic release, and have been meaning to read it ever since. I was given it as a World Book Night book last year, but haven't got around to it yet. Soon.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy, I'd heard so much about this, it was on TV recently, and now it's on my must read list.
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