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When a novel is made into a movie does the deal get better or worse?.

What do you mean by does the deal get better or worse?

I mean is there value added to your reading experience,does it add clarity and detail to the book or does it numb your power of imagination.

I don't think it adds or takes away from my reading experience. My imagination will come out with a completely different character than what was described. I have seen movies based off of books and gotten upset over the actor choices because they aren't no where near what I was thinking, only to be told that the actors are as described in the book and that I was wrong. The movies are just interesting you get to see where someone else's imagination took them.

Walterevws wrote:I mean is there value added to your reading experience,does it add clarity and detail to the book or does it numb your power of imagination.

Interesting question. I have felt both ways about it, so I think it depends on how well the movie is made and how well it follows the book's storyline. I cannot stand when I've read a book and then see the movie and it's a completely different story. Examples: I read the book, "The Reverant" and then my husband went and saw the movie, which he loved. He came home eager to discuss his favorite scenes with me, but none of those scenes were in the book. There were full storylines that were created solely for the movie. Also, Nicholas Sparks' novel, "The Longest Ride." I reviewed the book and when I saw the previews for the film, the story was completely different. This is very annoying.

Another thing that can make it disappointing, is when you've read the book and have images in your mind of the character's appearance or the scenery, only to have the cast and setting not live up to expectations. I enjoyed reading the "Twilight" series, but found some of the casting to be a distraction because it wasn't how I had envisioned them. Then, it becomes difficult to conjure up your original perspectives on the book because they are forever tainted with visions of Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart.

That "deal" depends on how well the book was adapted into a movie. There were successful books like percy jackson ended up as terrible movies and below average books like princess diaries made into wonderful movies.

Most of the time I'm frustrated by the movie because it didn't meet the expectations I built up in my imagination, but occasionally it exceeds my expectations and makes me appreciate the story even more. One example of this is Pride and Prejudice. I still prefer the book over any of the movie adaptations, but like you said I felt they added to the appreciation I originally had.