Books or Movies?

[Sevenofninenz]

I was on the train yesterday coming home from Armageddon and I was reading Star Trek The Search for Spock. And there were these stupid people on the train as well, and one of the guys was like You know that's on VHS and I was like Yes, and then he was like What's the point in reading it if you can watch it on the tube? And that got me thinking. What is better, watching the tube, or reading a good book?[/url]

[Hitchhiker]

Generally I would say reading a book. I love books, I love the sensation of reading books. I like movies, but they generally demand too much of my attention. I'm just not a visual learner in that way.

Surprisingly, though, although I love the computer, I don't like reading a lot on the computer. I have a problem staring at the computer screen for a long time without type or interacting, that's why interactive tutorials catch more peoples' eyes than just basic ones.

However, I generally prefer the movie over its novelization, such as in the case of The Search for Spock. This is usually because when someone sets out to write a movie, they plan it as a movie. Even the best novelizations, I find, only manage to mimic the actual content of the movie.

As for the reverse, I usually prefer the book over its movie-ized version, although a lot of the time it depends which one I read first. I didn't like the Harry Potter movies because although they are good movies from a movie entertainment standpoint, I thought that they didn't supplement the books all too well.

That's why I hope that nefarious Disney does not botch their attempt at making a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie, since DNA ended it so abruptly due to his deadline dilemma that the book actually doesn't end until halfway through The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

[1/1]

Depends on how much time I have. If I want to know a story but I only have a few hours, I'll watch it but otherwise I'll read it.

[sabertooth1217]

Most of the time I would have to say that I do in fact prefer to watch the Movie. I don�t really like to read books only because I am a very slow reader. There are times on road trips that my sister and I are both read two different books (About the same size font and style) that she would pass me in pages by far. I could be on page 12 when she�s on page 30. When that happened I always got a little upset, it only bothered me because she was able to read two books during the trips when I don�t finish even one.

When school makes you read books, which I am currently reading The Scarlet Letter, I half the time find myself reading Spark Notes so that I cam escape from actually reading the book. Spark Notes really do not help you that much without reading the book, which Is my I have around a 77 in English right now.

For school, if there was a movie of the book, I would not watch it. When we are in circle discussion, which is where the whole class gets in a circle and talks about the book for a grade, I could say something that hasn�t happened yet and get myself in real deep trouble with my English teacher. But before the finial test I usually go over all of the Spark Notes again and rent the movie, depending on the price of it at a movie store.

[Arellia]

Depends on which came out first. For example, LOTR. I could not let myself see 'Fellowship of the Ring' until I had read ALL THREE BOOKS. However, with something like 'Search For Spock,' I wouldn't bother...usually, I find the books made after the movies just aren't as good. But go figure.

[IntrepidIsMe]

I agree, books that come out after movies usually aren't all that great. But if a movie is based on a book, and it's something that I'm interested in, I'll read the book first. I did that for the LOTR trilogy, but I only read the first one, as I hated it, In that case I liked the movies better,

[Jeremy]

I think it depends what film or book it is, some books are better and some films are better,

[tomparis]

I'd rather read the book, and, if I can, watch the movie after I've read the book.

[Tuvok8917]

same as Colonel Thornberry

[Link, the Hero of Time]

Simple answer, read a book.

An author can put so much more detail into a book then they can into a movie without it getting boring. On top of that, the directors of the movie have to decide what parts of the movie they want to keep and what parts to throw away.

Perfect example would be the Harry Potter movies. Those people who have both read the books and saw the movies know what I mean. Especcially in the Prisoner of Azkaban. They took out half the book and rushed everything else.

Another perfect example is My favorite author Steven King. When I watched some of the Movies that have been made out of his stories I begin to feel sick. I mean these people took something good and twisted it into the biggest pile of poo I could have seen. Though I do admit some of the movies are good.

[Creeper the sneaker]

Well lets see here, I usally read the book and then I go watch the movie. Sometimes the book is better then the film.

[sabertooth1217]

[GhostOfAMemory]

With something that was written as a movie then turned into a book... the book usually isn't very good. But with turning books into movies, I'll read the book first, if I can. A lot of times in those cases the books are better, but sometimes actually SEEING it is so much better than just reading it. Hearing the emotion in people's voices, etc. Like with LOTR I LOVE the books, but I like the movies better because you can actually see what's going on, the interactions, hear the emotion, etc etc. But books also have a lot more detail, so in movies you loose some of it. I remember reading matilda and a little princess after seeing the movies, and looking back now, the books are probably better... but... it all depends!

Just in general though I can't decide if I like movies or books better

[sabertooth1217]

The books of LoTR are very long and over detailed I think
I love the books and Movies of LoTR

[Sevenofninenz]

I was watching LOTR The Fellowship of the Ring last night on TV and I thought to myself, you know I still haven't got around to reading that book. So I changed the channel. But I was okay with that because it took John Rhys-Davis 45 years to get around to reading it.

[Dirt]

Reeeeeeeeeead the book then see the panzers move in the documentary on tv