It’s the age-old question: do you prefer the book or the film?
Way back in 1987, I was one of the people who enjoyed the film, “The Name Of The Rose”.
I hadn’t read the book, but that made the ending more enjoyable.
Sean Connery starred as a super-sleuth monk, and the Hollywood heart-throb of the time, Christian Slater, played his young charge. The film was evocative, exciting and a little bit different.
Fast forward a little, and I decided to read the book by Umberto Eco.
The memories of the film were blurry enough, and I fancied reading something a little bit different.
As the chapters went by, my mind was conjuring up a completely different vision of the two main characters. There was also so much more historical detail and nuance in the book.
So was the book better than the film? And is this always the case? Well, mostly yes!
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
The one exception in my view is “Jaws”. An incredible film, but a rather mediocre book.
Apart from that, the book always seems to be better.
There’s no more assured director than your own imagination.
Words can convey so much more than a panning shot, a tense scene or a dangerous exchange.
Don’t get me wrong, I adore films, but they always seem to come in second place to words.
We may not be looking for Umberto Eco, but we’re all about fiction here at the “Friend”. If you need a bit of help putting pen to paper, why not try one of our Story Starters?
There are no pictures of Sean Connery or sharks though!
For more from the team, read our blog here.
Tracey Steel Having worked on a number of magazines over the years, I have found my perfect place on the “Friend” as I’m obsessed with reading and never go anywhere without a book! I read all of our stories with a mug of tea close by and usually a bit of strong cheese too!
