But Have You Read the Book? 52 Literary Gems That Inspired Our Favorite Films

Good bathroom reading, with brief chapters comparing movies with the books on which they are based for titles ranging from [b:Frankenstein|18490|Frankenstein|Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1665008650l/18490._SY75_.jpg|4836639] and [b:The Third Man|48800|The Third Man|Graham Greene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1396732409l/48800._SY75_.jpg|791313] in the 1930s to [b:Dune|44767458|Dune (Dune, #1)|Frank Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1555447414l/44767458._SY75_.jpg|3634639] and [b:Passing|57640287|Passing|Nella show more Larsen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1636384216l/57640287._SY75_.jpg|2369306] in the 2020s. There's no judgement about which was better (IMO it's almost always the book), just descriptions of plot and character differences, and the resulting impact on the reader/movie watcher.

I wish Lopez had delved more deeply into some of the works, such as the choices Greta Gerwig made in 2019's [b:Little Women|1934|Little Women|Louisa May Alcott|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562690475l/1934._SY75_.jpg|3244642] that emphasized different issues from the numerous previous versions. Overall, though, this was a quick, easy read that left me with lists of books/movies that I want to check out, and others that I will continue to avoid. show less

I love this book. A short Introduction and then the 52 chapters which dwell on how several books led to memorable films or multiple subsequent films. Sometimes Lopez will be indistinct with which she is referring to (film or book) but that is the only drag on the reading. She is consistently concise and always informative. The book even has a nice little Bibliography. The chapters are given chronologically around when the film version (or versions were) was released, not when the book was published. There of course many other Book-To-Film adaptations but these 52 are the most well known films to be based on books according to Lopez. The book is introduced by a spoiler alert about plot and character revelations which might hurt viewers' show more sense of surprise. The book is written in association with Turner Classic Movies. This is a good book to start from when adding books translated, even on a subpar level, to film. show less

Watching the movie after one has read the novel can often be disappointing, which can also be true when one does it in the opposite order. Kristen Lopez looks at things a little differently in “But Have You Read the Book?” (2023). She argues that the book and the movie may often tell somewhat different stories, but they both can have value.

She looks at 52 movies, from “Frankenstein” in 1931 to “Passing” in 2021, and the novels from which they were adapted. Her conclusion? The novels are as worth reading as the films are worth watching.

As the title suggests, Lopez writes with a movie bias. That is, she starts with the movie, then tells us what's different in the novel, rather than vice versa. Rarely does she say that one is show more better than the other, even when they are very different.

As a practical matter, to tell the entire story contained in a typical novel, including all the characters and all the conversations and events, could make the adapted film six hours long or more. Thus much has to be cut out.

Less forgivable, at least to those who read and loved the book first, filmmakers often change the names of characters, the locales, the titles and even the plots. The first filmed version of “Frankenstein,” for example, is radically different from Mary Shelley's book. Some remakes have been more faithful, yet that doesn't make the original film any less worth watching. The same is true of “Rebecca,” “Dr. No,” “Rosemary's Baby,” “True Grit,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,” “The Princess Bride,” “Fight Club” and all the other films/novels she discusses.

All this has frustrated students down through the years who have written "book reports" after watching the movie.

So typically different are novels and the movies based on them that it can be startling when a movie like “No Country for Old Men” comes along. The Coen Brothers film is essentially the same as the Cormac McCarthy novel. So if you've seen the movie, why read the book? Lopez asks. But look at it the other way around. When one loves a novel, what one most wants is a movie that puts the identical story on the screen. show less

But Have You Read the Book by Kristen Lopez forces me to either read the book made into a movie or to rewatch the book adaptation of a novel. Kristen Lopez does an excellent job of describing the book and the movie of 52 books adapted to the big screen. So many nuances shown that I had not noticed. Lopez explores different genres and different eras of movies. A very concise and informative book.

3.5 stars
I went in with no expectations and was satisfied. I read it today on a lazy day off work and had fun doing it.