Best books that become best films

[SeaShore]

Today I was shopping and heard a beautiful version of the song "The Last Noel". This song always reminds me of a scene from my most favourite film in the world - Alice Walker's The Colour Purple. I remember discovering that film when I was ill off school one day and sat mesmerized for hours watching it and later read the book. Both were equally as breathtaking and I am considering buying myself the DVD as a little Christmas present to me this year.

Does anyone else have favourite books that are also favourite films?

[Crocus]

Hi SeaShore, not a film actually, but a series. I enjoyed "How Green Was My Valley" (book) quite a lot, even read it twice. Years ago the series was on the telly but unfortunately I haven't seen all of it. I would love to see the series again, all of it this time.

[SeaShore]

Hi Crocus,
I've never heard of How Green Was My Valley, but talking of books that become series, I had the whole collection of Anne of Green Gables and Road to Avonlea books which I believe became a series, but I only managed to catch one! I'd love to get hold of the lot on DVD . . . perhaps that's another one to talk to Father Christmas about!

[Crocus]

Hi Seashore, it's a lovely book, written by Richard Llewellyn. It's about a young boy growing up in Wales, the difficulties they as a family experienced, he in person as well, and the reasons which led him to leave home. I've read it twice now, the second time noticing and realising different things as when I read it for the first time. I want to read it again at a later stage. I'm sure there's more between the lines which I didn't 'see'! x

[jazzactivist]

Hi Seashore. I agree with you that The Colour Purple is a fabulous book and film. I read the book before the film came out and it is one of my favourites of all time. My absolute favourite is Beloved by Toni Morrison which was also made into a film by Oprah Winfrey, although the film wasn't as good as TCP. OH and I always look out for film adaptations of books and rush off to the cinema to see them. Usually we have read the book first. To me, the book is always better than the film as your imagination complements the book and quite often the script for a film has to leave out large sections of the book to make it flow well and not be too long. Think about the difference in how long it takes to read a book compared to watching a film and it gives some indication of how much is left out!

I read How Green Was My Valley years ago crocus, and have also seen the film. It is a really evocative account of a Welsh village, isn't it? I don't know if there is a remake, but the film that I saw was in black and white.

The most recent book adaptation that I went to see was The Reader by Bernhard Shlink and is about a young lad who has a passionate affair with a much older woman in Germany after WW2, and then discovers when he is older that she is brought to trial for Nazi war crimes. It is a really good book and film if you get the chance.

[Crocus]

I loved it Jazz and definitely want to read this book again. It is an evocative read most definitely. My dad enjoyed the tv series a lot, I unfortunately didn't see a the whole series, just bits and pieces.

[dragonfly]

I enjoyed The Colour Purple but my all time favourite is Anne of Green Gables. I have the whole series on video. A book I really enjoyed was The Thorn Birds and I nearly didn't watch the TV series, as they are usually not as good as the book, but glad I did as I enjoyed it as much as the book.

[Crocus]

I have the book Anne of Green Gables, but haven't seen the movie or series. And yes, who can forget the Thorn Birds! xx

[jazzactivist]

I loved Anne of Green Gables too as a child, and my family's house was named "Green Gables" in honour of the book! Today I watched the film Pollyanna and had forgotten how much I enjoyed it first time around.

[cindy]

I have just ordered The Colour Purple as it sounds my kind of book. I did look to see if the dvd is available to rent and it is but most of the comments were warnings to have a copious amount of tissues while watching it and sure OH would not appreciate that

[buecherwurm]

well, Cindy, as far as I remember, "Colour Purple" is a very sad story.
I like the Jane Austen classic "Pride and Prejudice" and the series produced by the BBC with Colin Firth is really fantastic, I think. Have seen it a few times already. My daughter even knew some of the dialogues by heart at one time.

[Crocus]

Monarch of the Glen. I just love this series, everything about it. Not a movie as such. The actors, the breathtaking scenery, the story of course, and then the music. Have any of you read the book it's based on? "Highland Novels" by Compton Mackenzie? It's just loosely based on this book but still. I would very much like to read this book, hopefully it's in our library.

[jazzactivist]

I would say that The Colour Purple is actually an uplifting story. It tells how women experiencing extreme hardship can work their way through it in different ways and come out better than they started. You can't help feeling pleased for Celie at the end. My OH really enoyed the film, cindy, and there are enough different male characters in it to keep you wondering about them too.

Och Noo, crocus! Monarch of the Glen is a very romantic depiction of the Scottish Highlands. Compton Mackenzie is considered to be what is known as "Kailyard" in Scottish literature terms, which is a type of novel that puts romantic notions of Scottishness above its reality. A much better book to read, which was also made into a film, is Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon. It is set just before and during WW1 and tells the story of a young woman brought up in harsh farming circumstances in Aberdeenshire. It is written in dialect, so can be quite difficult to start off with, but if you read it out loud to begin with then you soon get the hang of it. What is most beautiful about the book is that the rhythm and language used closely reflects the harshness and beauty of the scenery.

Another good Scottish one is Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh, which was made into a film in the 90s. It is an altogether more modern film and tells of the life of a group of drop outs and drug users in Edinburgh in the late 80s/early 90s. It is funny, sad and shocking at the same time. The book again needs to be read out loud at the start, to get the hang of the "Embra" accent. It would be a film that your boys would probably like too if they haven't seen it, and provides a good counter-balance to Monarch of the Glen regarding what it is like to live in Scotland.

[eleanor2]

funnily i am reading a book now.where the book gone with the wind has just come on sale.very few people can afford to buy the book.this is 1938.they are all saving up because they have heard the book is being made into a film.there is a lot of excitement about the forthcoming film.it seems wierd to think of the days when books were expensive hardbacks that ordinary folk couldnt afford.very few t.v programmes.people just didnt have the same visual stimulation we had today.they had to use thier imagination more.there is a chapter describing the young girl reading and rereading the last chapter because she found the book so exciting.they did mention the library but their was a years wait for the one copy...i love watching films to books i have read.especially classics lke jane Austin and charlotte bronte.the books are riveting.but putting scenes and costumes to the characters.opens up your view point so much.

[jazzactivist]

I love reading novels that include information about other icons that we know well, eleanor. It really brings the story to life. I remember my Nan telling me how they saved up and queued for hours to see the film Gone With the Wind when it first came out. It was quite a challenging book and film for its time as well. Now we can watch it more or less any time we want.

[Crocus]

Hi Jazz, thanks for the info, I'll definitely ask at the library. About the accent, I've read quite a lot of books in accent, so can understand and I love it. I've priinted off the info, thanks Jazz! Trainspotting we saw, but I didn't read the book. xx

[jazzactivist]

This particular book is very difficult initially, crocus, even for people who live in Scotland. It includes words in Doric, which is the dialect around Aberdeen, such as "kine" for cows. However, once you have read one or two pages and got into it you soon become familiar with it. Some copies of the book have a glossary at the back to help. It is well worth persevering, though, as it is a great story. Your library should have no problem getting it and it is still in publication as it is so popular.

[Crocus]

Oh, okay Jazz, thanks for explaining. Glossaries always are a big help. If the library can't help, we also have a bookshop in town where you can either buy, or swop books and the owner has quite a number of books, it's bliss browsing about in there - I usually want to buy all the books, but of course, not possible! She searches for books all over. This bookshop is part of a large house and every room has it's own identity. One room sells pottery, the books (largest room) there's the most lovely knitting and wools Jazz (you'll go mad in there) handmade soaps etc. - it's a lovely place to visit.

[jazzactivist]

It sounds great, crocus. Just my type of place. OH and I found a new secondhand bookshop yesterday, and it was open on a Sunday. We went for a walk around to explore our area a bit more and discovered it in Grange-over-Sands station. It is just a room actually in the station itself with a few rows of books and a roaring fire. I was so happy to find Raymond Blanc's books of recipes from his retaurant. Grange station is an Edwardian railway station, and there is also a house for sale that is actually part of the station building and the front door opens right onto the platform. Very easy for catching the train or for trainspotters.

By the way, I don't know if people realise but the "Trainspotting" of Irvine Welsh's title actually refers to the old railway station in Leith, Edinburgh. It is long closed down and part of the site was made into an indoor swimming pool, but behind it is the scrubby old railway area and derelict buildings which is where a lot of drug dealing goes on. When I worked there, drug addicts in Edinburgh often used to say that they were "going trainspotting" which was street language for going off to score.

[Crocus]

(I was hoping she has a website Jazz, but it doesn't seem so. The wool is something spectacular actually. I couldn't get my sister out the place when se visited). Next we went into the bookroom, couldn't get her out of there either!

[dinger]

Another book I loved was "No Greater Love" By Daniel Steele I also saw the film of it based on the Titanic .I have to say I enjoyed reading the book best though it was very sad.

I have seen the "Colour Purple" on film but never read the book.

[SeaShore]

Hi everyone,
I haven't been in for a few days as Aysha my little girl has been ill in hospital. I have just come home for some respite and thought I'd pop on here to say hello. I am going to order a copy of How Green Was My Valley. My dad's side of the family are all Welsh and although I don't see them much I love that part of the country. The book sounds fabulous - almost a little like Cider With Rosie. I'll let you know what I think!

Jazz - I completely agree with you about reading books before watching films. I thoroughly enjoyed Phillip Pullman's "Northern Lights" trilogy and when the film of that came out I felt that the essential philosophy had been lost somehow. It didn't disappoint me too much though - there is something more nourishing about reading a book than sitting passively for two hours just watching a screen. You can always go back to a book and savour it again . . . and again . . .

Dragonfly - what did you make of the third Anne video when she's in Europe during the war?

[dragonfly]

Seashore, I'm very sorry your daughter is poorly and hope she gets better soon. I enjoyed the third video but not as much as the first one.

[dinger]

Hi seashore I do hope your little girl is soon better . it is very worrying to see children ill.xx