The Jim Butcher Files: Dresden . Codex Alera . Cinder Spires & More

[BuyMore]

Originally Posted by alansplace

I've not yet run across anyone who viewed the TV series after having become a fan of the novels and actually liked the TV series. I however liked the TV series a lot as I saw the entire series as it was broadcast on SyFy. But then it got cancelled and because I missed it, I located the books and started reading them. I liked the books even better. I have DVDs of the TV series and watch them periodically.

That's why books are usually better. It's better to watch a movie or TV adaptation before reading the book, rather than the other way round. We usually find the movie or TV adaptation lacking one way or another if we've read the book first.

[Toxaris]

I watched the TV series after I read the books. I like both, as I see them as separate things with the same name... Otherwise I would be annoyed by certain choices made in the series. On itself, both are enjoyable.

[red_phoenix]

Originally Posted by BuyMore

That's why books are usually better. It's better to watch a movie or TV adaptation before reading the book, rather than the other way round. We usually find the movie or TV adaptation lacking one way or another if we've read the book first.

I have had the same experience with books and movies. I try to watch the movie/TV show first, then read the book.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by red_phoenix

I have had the same experience with books and movies. I try to watch the movie/TV show first, then read the book.

I do the exact opposite. Will go out of my way to read the book first before the movie / tv series. Especially when the trailer looks like a real promising and interesting movie. And sometimes it so happens that the movie never gets watched. Not sure why, but finding a 2 hour uninterrupted block of time for the movie seems hard to justify for me.

[alansplace]

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by alansplace

I've not yet run across anyone who viewed the TV series after having become a fan of the novels and actually liked the TV series.

Originally Posted by BuyMore

We usually find the movie or TV adaptation lacking one way or another if we've read the book first.

I am one of those that did not like the tv series - could not even bring myself to finish all episodes. Maybe because I came in with expectations from the books.

Originally Posted by Toxaris

I watched the TV series after I read the books. I like both, as I see them as separate things with the same name... Otherwise I would be annoyed by certain choices made in the series. On itself, both are enjoyable.

I seem to lack the ability to see it as two different things with the same name.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by alansplace

I've not yet run across anyone who viewed the TV series after having become a fan of the novels and actually liked the TV series. I however liked the TV series a lot as I saw the entire series as it was broadcast on SyFy. But then it got cancelled and because I missed it, I located the books and started reading them. I liked the books even better. I have DVDs of the TV series and watch them periodically.

Originally Posted by BuyMore

That's why books are usually better. It's better to watch a movie or TV adaptation before reading the book, rather than the other way round. We usually find the movie or TV adaptation lacking one way or another if we've read the book first.

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

I am one of those that did not like the tv series - could not even bring myself to finish all episodes. Maybe because I came in with expectations from the books.

Originally Posted by Toxaris

I watched the TV series after I read the books. I like both, as I see them as separate things with the same name... Otherwise I would be annoyed by certain choices made in the series. On itself, both are enjoyable.

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

I seem to lack the ability to see it as two different things with the same name.

Has anyone read Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers (first published in November 1959) and also seen Paul Verhoeven's 1997 film, Starship Troopers? The film is almost totally unrecognizable as the same story as the book. I'd read the novel in 1960 and liked it a lot. Then I saw the film in 1997. I had read reports during the making of the film concerning the decisions that were made so the filmmakers would be able to stay within the film's budget and with what they had left after adhering to the budget constraints be able to make a visual film from material that did not lend itself at all well to visual expression. Very soon after the film began I'd seen enough evidence to verify the reports that I'd read. So I cleared my mind of the novel (as best I could) and tried to watch the film as an entirely new entity. I guess it worked. Bottom line. I liked the novel and I liked the movie.

The above applies very well to the Dresden Files TV show. Wolf's problems were pretty much the same as Verhoeven's.

[BuyMore]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

I do the exact opposite. Will go out of my way to read the book first before the movie / tv series. Especially when the trailer looks like a real promising and interesting movie. And sometimes it so happens that the movie never gets watched. Not sure why, but finding a 2 hour uninterrupted block of time for the movie seems hard to justify for me.

Sometimes it's the other way round for me; I watch the movie first, then decide not to read the book. Mostly it's because 1) the movie is quite good on its own, and 2) the book is too long.

Cases in point: The Hunger Games and The Lord of the Rings.

I've read The Divergent Trilogy, but I haven't watched the movie yet (still waiting for it on the cable network). The trailer looks promising, so I hope the movie is good, too.

[IcecreamLtDan]

I'd read most of the books by the time I came across the tv series. I had already known that the tv series was only "loosely" based on the books so I went in with a blank mind as well. I enjoyed the tv series good enough. I though Paul Blackthorne was good as Harry Dresden and I loved Terrance Mann as Bob, that was about it though, the rest of the acting I was not impressed with. Valerie Cruz was a miss as Murphy, not due to her looks or anything, but I found here acting wooden and uninspiring.

[piper28]

Originally Posted by alansplace

Has anyone read Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers (first published in November 1959) and also seen Paul Verhoeven's 1997 film, Starship Troopers? The film is almost totally unrecognizable as the same story as the book.

The interesting thing is I've always felt that the movie was a pretty decent adaptation of the book, and always thought those that thought it was a terrible adaptation must have watched a different movie than I did .

Of course, I think I watched the movie before I'd read the book (I honestly never really developed much of a taste for Heinlein, so I'd never gotten around to reading it before that). So I think that maybe more easily let me see the adaptations they made as acceptable.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by BuyMore

Sometimes it's the other way round for me; I watch the movie first, then decide not to read the book. Mostly it's because 1) the movie is quite good on its own, and 2) the book is too long.

Cases in point: The Hunger Games and The Lord of the Rings.

Hunger Games - unless you want the extended version with behind the scenes information, save yourself reading it. The movies (1 and 2 so far) are exactly like the books. There is some small details in the movies that don't get explained unless you read the books, but there is nothing major being left out. Great books though if you got the time - much more detail than was possible to squeeze in movie lenght.

LotR - while I don't regret having read it, I don't wholeheartedly recommend the book either. It is at times a bit boring, but what I personally dislike even more is the strong focus on christian religion or concepts thereof. Definitely not a light read.

I've read The Divergent Trilogy, but I haven't watched the movie yet (still waiting for it on the cable network). The trailer looks promising, so I hope the movie is good, too.

I haven't seen the movie either yet. This is one of those I might skip. Yes the trailer looks promising - except the end of the last book is a bit weird. Almost like somesone said: hey too many pages, end it now.

[AlbertaCowboy]

Originally Posted by alansplace

Has anyone read Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers (first published in November 1959) and also seen Paul Verhoeven's 1997 film, Starship Troopers? The film is almost totally unrecognizable as the same story as the book. I'd read the novel in 1960 and liked it a lot. Then I saw the film in 1997. I had read reports during the making of the film concerning the decisions that were made so the filmmakers would be able to stay within the film's budget and with what they had left after adhering to the budget constraints be able to make a visual film from material that did not lend itself at all well to visual expression. Very soon after the film began I'd seen enough evidence to verify the reports that I'd read. So I cleared my mind of the novel (as best I could) and tried to watch the film as an entirely new entity. I guess it worked. Bottom line. I liked the novel and I liked the movie.

The above applies very well to the Dresden Files TV show. Wolf's problems were pretty much the same as Verhoeven's.

Starship Troopers is one of my all time favorite novels. It's one that I reread every year at leat once.
I saw the movie before I'd read the book, and I hated it. It was because of that experience that I refused to read what I thought was drivel.
I wish wish wish that I would have read the novel years earlier, and had never seen the movie.
I'm not one of those fortunate souls that are able to clear my mind of the book before watching the movies. Sometimes, as with LotR, and The Hunger Games, one is pleasantly surprised. Other times, as with Congo and Sahara it feels like a bout of food poisoning in my brain!

[AlbertaCowboy]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Hunger Games - unless you want the extended version with behind the scenes information, save yourself reading it. The movies (1 and 2 so far) are exactly like the books. There is some small details in the movies that don't get explained unless you read the books, but there is nothing major being left out. Great books though if you got the time - much more detail than was possible to squeeze in movie lenght.

LotR - while I don't regret having read it, I don't wholeheartedly recommend the book either. It is at times a bit boring, but what I personally dislike even more is the strong focus on christian religion or concepts thereof. Definitely not a light read.


I haven't seen the movie either yet. This is one of those I might skip. Yes the trailer looks promising - except the end of the last book is a bit weird. Almost like somesone said: hey too many pages, end it now.

I haven't read Divergent, but after having seen the movie this weekend, (it was wifey's turn ) I actually might read the series. I quite enjoyed the premise.

[BuyMore]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

I haven't seen the movie either yet. This is one of those I might skip. Yes the trailer looks promising - except the end of the last book is a bit weird. Almost like somesone said: hey too many pages, end it now.

Exactly! The ending is rather "WTF-ery" (sorry for the language, but that's how I felt).

By the way, while I'm okay with the actor (Theo James) who plays Tobias, I have a little bit of issue with Shailene Woodley playing Tris. She doesn't look petite at all!

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by BuyMore

Exactly! The ending is rather "WTF-ery" (sorry for the language, but that's how I felt).

By the way, while I'm okay with the actor (Theo James) who plays Tobias, I have a little bit of issue with Shailene Woodley playing Tris. She doesn't look petite at all!

That is the problem with movies in general: everybody looks like, ummm, a movie star. I object to Katniss in the Hunger Games movies - she simply looks too good in her normal non-dress-up outfits.

I am glad you also think the end of Divergent is strange - can't remember the name of the book- I only bought the omnibus.

Edit: The book in question is Allegiant (thanks BuyMore for reminding). Having read it, I am not so sure if I want to read the other side stories anymore.