Book vs. Movie: An Epic Unwinnable Battle

Let’s face it, we’ve all heard at least one version of a book versus movie battle. Surprisingly, most seem to conclude that the book is always better. Despite the fact that we’re constantly surrounded by media. It’s fascinating! 

This indicates that, despite the seeming decline in print media in favor of digital, we still highly value our creative words. Not only that, but a lot of people prefer the book. It’s remarkable, really, when you consider that our average attention span in 2019 is only 8 seconds - less than a goldfish! 

Clearly we have “battle” lines between the book and movie adaptation, but what are they? 

Detail

Many of our long-loved favorites are quite lengthy and include numerous details about everything from characters to setting. As readers, we devour these details because it allows us to paint a mental image of what’s going on with the characters in their own world. This is especially true within the Sci/Fi & Fantasy genres that can be epic in proportions. 

Depth

There’s something about words that, when done correctly, describe things in a way nothing else quite can. When you read a good book, you feel like you know the characters. Their tragedy becomes yours, and their anger is well-deserved toward that jerk of an antagonist because you hate that guy/girl, too. Books create new worlds or simulate a world very similar to our own that we can live in for a little bit. We gain a deep understanding (we feel) about the people, places, and events that occur.

Character Development

Who here has had a book crush? How about a book best friend? I’ve had both, and I’ll bet most book enthusiasts have, too. No shame here! That’s a telltale sign of a great book, right? How we relate to and understand characters has an enormous impact on whether we enjoy or appreciate a book. In order to relate to, or be distant from, characters, they have to be thoroughly developed first, though. 

Attempt at concept recreation

A book sets the standard for its movie. If a movie is based on a book, the book came first, which means any important concepts and themes must be represented in the movie. Otherwise, it shouldn’t be “based on the novel.” A film must not only make an attempt at representing important ideas, characters, and moments, but it needs to do it well to succeed. 

The battle lines are drawn and defined. The battle commences! Why the book “always” wins.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “the devil is in the details”? Well, 400 pages (or more) of book can pack a heck of a lot of details into one story. Some series have multiple 400+ page books. How on earth could a 2 hour movie represent all 400+ pages of details for your viewing pleasure?

It couldn’t! Filmmakers have to make decisions about what’s important, and sometimes we viewers just don’t agree, even when the movie ends up being 3+ hours long! The effort is there, but sometimes it just misses for us. 

Do you ever really feel like you know a movie character? Or that you’re in the movie with them? Meh, maybe on a rare occasion. But an average length movie doesn’t typically offer the kind of depth a book can.

You can easily lose yourself in a well-written book, but it’s a little harder to lose yourself in a movie when everyone else is watching the movie right next to you. There’s also the issue of casting. Are the actresses & actors able to effectively create the world you imagined?

Casting also plays a role in how well you connect (or don’t connect) to your beloved book characters. If an actor doesn’t create enough character development or decides to take some creative license, your book crush will probably not become a movie crush. Likewise, when you were reading the book, you developed an image in your head of each character, and if something doesn’t match with the film characters? Well, you might not like that very much.

Probably the biggest reason people tend to favor the book over the movie is because a lot of movies swing and miss at their attempt to recreate the main concepts from the book. Reading is a pretty personal endeavor, and there are always going to be “easy” themes that translate for most people. Those are obvious choices to be included in movies.

The harder part is finding the less obvious, nuanced ideas. Because we interpret these nuances differently, sometimes films skip things we feel are really important. Or, they add things that seem trivial. These areas are definitely where our differences show. Filmmakers also have to consider how to create these ideas. Even if it was a critical theme in the book, they have to find a way to represent that visually, which can be hard for complicated ideas.

It’s true, it seems as though books have the edge. BUT, can we really compare a book to a movie? I don’t think so. Here’s why. 

Different expectations 

The reality of trying to compare a book to a movie is that we don’t really have the same expectations. A book might be entertaining, but often it’s more than that. It’s an escape, a new world to explore, a haven where we can get away from our life for a little bit and think about things we don’t know. A good book can literally be a walk in someone else’s shoes. 

We don’t expect that of a movie, though. We go to a movie to be entertained. Sure, it might be an escape, but the fact of the matter is, you’re still in the theatre with other people who may or may not be munching crunchy foods and kicking your seat. If you’re lucky, they’ve silenced and put away the cell phone that will momentarily blind you if you look right at it on accident. Life is still right there, and a movie is more about living and doing something fun than being fully immersed.  

Different medium

We can’t compare apples to apples with a book and movie because they’re different mediums. It’s more like comparing an apple to an orange - similar aspects, but not the same. You can hold a book in your hand, read it in private, feel those feelings by yourself and enjoy (or weep at) them. You can read a physical book and turn the pages, or you can read an ebook on a screen. Most of all, books are word-based.

Movies, on the other hand, are a little different. You can only watch a movie on a screen, whether that’s a TV, tablet, phone, etc. (there are more and more screen options by the year it feels like). You can’t mark your place where you left off, although some media players will remember, most will not. It’s all about the visuals: setting the scene, character portrayal by a real person, emotion through audio and visual together. 

Different experience

Have you ever finished a book or finally put it down after a long time reading and felt disoriented? Like you were a little confused where you were and what time it was? That’s called a book hangover. Or at least that’s what I call it. If you read a book and get a book hangover, it’s obviously good, right? It has captured your attention so much that you have literally forgotten what’s around you in the real world. 

But do you get a movie hangover? Probably not. Maybe in a few select circumstances, but that’s not the norm, right? You are aware that you’ve been sitting there for 2 hours because your butt is numb or sore and you’ve run out of drink. You might be feeling hungry or tired, but you are definitely aware of yourself and your surroundings. You might love the movie! Great casting, acting, costumes, etc. But it’s not the same as getting lost in a book. They’re different experiences, and that’s okay! They’re meant to do different things. 

Am I suggesting a movie can be just as good as a book? I absolutely am! 

TheLord of the Rings: A Brief Case Study

I absolutely love TheLord of the Rings...films. That’s right, the films. I’m even watching one right now. 

I saw The Fellowship of the Ring first, and immediately decided to read the book. I picked it up from the library, giddy with excitement. Of course I would like the book if I liked the movie so much. 

Wrong. 

I couldn’t even get through the first chapter. The description is simply too much for me. There’s so much written on the page that it leaves no room for me to imagine the world. Which is crazy! Because it’s an exciting world with wizards and dragons and elves. 

Which is why I love the movies: they create a visual for me with a ton of intricate details (J.R.R. Tolkien invented 20+languages for this series, guys. It’s really incredible.) in a subtle way. The actors and actresses embody the characters well, and overall, the visual effect is just pleasing and exciting. But the movies don’t beat me over the head by describing every tiny detail of every single thing like the book does.

The Moral of the Story

The “battle” will always be present between books and movies, because we love them both. As a group, we love entertainment and we love getting swept away in a good book - there’s no doubt about it! And our love of stories is continuing to become more widespread as technology makes it possible for almost anyone to write, self-publish, and share their words on the internet. 

Movies get a bad reputation for trying to represent books. But, look. We don’t really expect them to replace the book, do we? It’s not the same and we all know it (even if you aren’t ready to admit it). So why do we keep comparing two things we know are not the same? 

We shouldn’t! We can enjoy both books and movies for their unique pleasures. Don’t like the book? Maybe the movie will be better. Movie was great? Doesn’t guarantee the book won’t be boring. 

Next time, before you compare, think about how the book and movie pair together. How do they compliment each other? How are they different? And why do you think that is? 

Fellow book AND movie lovers: I’d love to hear from you! This is a hot debate and can get rather heated sometimes, so let’s talk about it! Email me at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com or leave a comment below and tell me about your book/movie experiences.