Tag: Field of Dreams

Would You Rather Read the Book or Watch the Movie Adaptation?

~ The Regal Writer ~ 1 Comment
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No, it’s not your imagination. There are numerous adaptations of books being turned into films or mini-series lately, more than other years. From Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Gamus premiering on Apple TV+ to true crime Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann currently being shown in theaters,  published works are being retold for the screen. In fact, many stories we see on the big screen or via streaming services are based on top-selling books.

For a great list of books turned into films, check out this story on Stylist.

But is one storytelling experience better than the other? Is it better to read the book first or to view the film adaptation? It’s a decades-long debate with no real answer. It’s more a matter of personal preference.

Hollywood often looks to newer book releases for inspiration for films. Some of the most popular films can be traced back to its written version. One that comes to mind is Field of Dreams, based on the novel Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella. Though lesser known than the film, the book is just as good, though it contains a couple of characters and a subplot that doesn’t appear on screen.

Many readers swear that books are better than the film version. I’ve read many books that were turned into films that I found lacking in substance. The books were still better. Bee Season was a decent book, but the film adaptation wasn’t nearly as compelling. While The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri was made into a movie, the literary novel that it was based on provided more depth.

The reverse can also be true, that film adaptations bring the written story to life and make it better, more believable. Field of Dreams is one example of that. And though I never read the original story of The Graduate by Charles Webb, it went on to become one of the best films of all time.

There are several reasons for enjoying books over the movie or mini-series:

  • Books allow the imagination to run free and paint pictures in our minds.
  • Books provide more plot details, subplots and secondary characters
  • Books provide more backstory than films might be able to do.
  • Books allow readers to experience the story at their own pace; there are no time constraints as there might be in films.
  • Books allow readers to think more deeply about what they’ve read

Conversely, films offer a few advantages of their own:

  • Films are more visually appealing; you see the action as it happens and it leaves nothing to the imagination.
  • Films provide a more streamlined experience because they focus on the major events and characters of the story, while subplots and secondary characters are often cut.
  • Viewing films can be enjoyed alone or with others. It can be a shared experience.
  • It takes less time to experience the story—two to three hours compared to several days or weeks for a novel.

There are other factors that contribute to the choice of reading the book versus watching the movie. Many people are more visual by nature, so they prefer watching films. Or perhaps they’re simply not book readers.

Can reading ruin your experience of the film? That depends on who you ask. I still enjoyed watching the Harry Potter films—all eight of them—and I will watch them over and over. The books are just as good if not more so because of the added layers of plot.

Some readers claim that seeing the film first can enhance their reading experience. The film gives them a cursory idea of the story, while the book fills in more of the details and provides more backstory. On the other hand, some film adaptations are so far removed from the original that it can ruin the original meaning.

It all comes down to personal preference. I myself prefer the book reading experience. I feel I get more out of the story that way. But really, there is no right or wrong way. Whether you read the book or watch the movie or both, you’re still enjoying the power of story no matter what form is takes.

Ten Recommended Books about Fathers and Fatherhood

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A few weeks ago, I shared my list of recommended books about mothers and motherhood. This week, to commemorate Father’s Day, I’ve created a similar list of great reads about fathers.

Like my Moms’ list, Dads come in all shapes and sizes and bring all sorts of drama and emotional nuance to these stories. In some instances, Dads were a minor character or a deceased one that still left a major influence on an adult child, sometimes many years later (Shoeless Joe), while others are the main character of the novel trying to make their way in the world while providing a good life for their children (The Shipping News). I’ve also included one memoir, a positive reflection on a father’s love of sports that was passed on to his daughter (The Best Seat in the House). 

In almost every book, the father character brings intrigue and conflict. You can’t ignore the impact a father has on their child—for good, bad or indifferent.

By the way, most of these are also films, so if you don’t feel like reading, you can always watch the story unfold on the screen.

Without further delay, here are my best book recommendations with strong father figure characters. You may have your own list, of course. What books have you read that featured a strong father figure character?

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Told from the point of view of six-year-old Scout Finch, readers not only learn about life in the South during the Great Depression, but about Scout’s relationship with her father, Atticus, a widower and a lawyer who wants justice to be served and to bring up his children right.

Bee Season by Myla Goldberg
As Eliza attempts to win the national spelling bee, her father becomes obsessed with her success. As she gets deeper and deeper into her “training” under her father’s tutelage, the family’s connections begin to unravel. Readers see how controlling her father becomes, which impacts all his familial relationships.

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Not everyone appreciates the name they’re given at birth. Gogol is haunted by his name, given to him by his father who named him after an author he had always admired but who came with a lot of baggage. The unease that Gogol feels about his name fuels many of the conflicts in his life, especially those with his father.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Set in 1964, this is a coming-of-age story about 14-year-old Lily who runs away from home with the family housekeeper in search for the truth about her mother. I included this book on this list for the impact Lily’s father had on her life and the final showdown she has with him in an attempt to claim her independence.  

Disgrace by J. M. Coetze
After being accused of sexual misconduct by a student, English professor David Lurie leaves the university “disgraced” and moves to South Africa where his daughter Lucy lives. There he attempts to mend the broken pieces of their relationship.

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
Life isn’t always the way we believe it to be. Delia’s life is turned upside down when she learns that she was kidnapped by her father when she was four, an incident she has little memory of. As events unfold, Delia is forced to confront some hard truths about her father (and mother), though she stays loyal to him in the end.

Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella
The movie Field of Dreams is based on this novel by W.P. Kinsella. Farmer Ray Kinsella heeds the call to build a baseball field in the middle of his Iowa cornfield. As he follows a trail of clues, he ponders his life without his long deceased father who had longed to be a baseball player. Each step takes him closer to his ultimate reward—reuniting briefly with his father.  

The Shipping News by L Annie Prouix
When Quoyle loses both his parents to suicide and his wife leaves him for a younger lover, he moves with his children to Newfoundland to a house that was in his family for generations. What struck me most about this story was Quoyle’s dedication to his children and his willingness to uproot their lives and start over in an part of the world to protect them from the pain and grief he has suffered through.

The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais
One of my favorite books and a pretty decent film. After their restaurant in India is destroyed by fire, killing their mother, an Indian family moves to London, then to Paris where young son Hassain begins to find his way in the culinary world against his father’s wishes who wants him to remain true to his Indian roots. Despite his gruff manner, Hassain’s father truly loves his family, and readers see determined he is to keep the family together as they struggle to adapt to life in a new country.

The Best Seat in the House by Christine Brennan
If you read USA Today, you no doubt have read some of Brennan’s stories. She’s covered sports for several decades at a time when few women covered the sports beat. In this memoir, Brennan pays homage to her father, an avid baseball and football fan who followed the Detroit Tigers, Toledo Mud Hens (the Tigers minor league team) and Notre Dame. It’s a fun read to learn how father and daughter can bond over sports. These are all great reads, by the way, no matter what time of year. And you don’t have to be a father yourself to enjoy them.