RAYNETTE RAMBLINGS

Welcome to my little corner of the internet

BOOKS Vs MOVIES

Hi there, and welcome to my blog,

So, today’s topic is books vs movies. Which do you prefer? Would you rather read a book over a period of days or weeks, or would you prefer to watch a movie of that same story, often starring your favourite movie stars, in a couple of hours?

The trouble is – it’s not as simple as that, is it? How many books have you seen massacred when they made the movie? Only occasionally have I ever watched a movie made based on a book, that I’ve enjoyed more than the book. Some are even so bad, they spoil the book for you.

Prior to writing this blog, I asked my family and friends for their take on books vs movies and received varying opinions. However, some movies and books were mentioned repeatedly, for good and bad. So, the results are in:

Movies as good as, or better than, the book:

The Devil Wears Prada (by Lauren Weisberger) – great acting, plus you didn’t have to imagine the fabulous clothes. Meryl Streep made Miranda Preistly come alive for me.

Anatomy of a Scandal (by Sarah Vaughn) – terrific book, great mini-series made by Netflix starring Rupert Friend and Sienna Miller.

The Godfather (by Mario Puzo) – the movie was beautifully filmed, great acting by Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. Generally speaking, the movie(s) were every bit as good as the book.

All the Harry Potter movies (by J.K. Rowling) - so colourful, so well-made compared to the books, which didn’t appeal to me (I know my opinion is different to just about everyone else on earth on this one).

The Wizard of Oz (by L. Frank Baum) – wonderful film starring Judy Garland, although I haven’t read this children’s book.

Dracula (by Bram Stoker) – any and all movies they have made from the book are worth watching, (especially if you like being scared witless). The book, for some, was hard work.

The Accidental Billionaires (by Ben Mezrich) – was the book on which they based a movie called The Social Network, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield. It was a particularly good movie. This opinion was unanimous.

To Kill a Mockingbird – One of the best movies based on a book, thanks to Harper Lee standing her ground on the movie set and insisting on sticking to the story.

The Shawshank Redemption – great movie (I have yet to come across anyone who didn’t like it) based on a terrific book (by Stephen King – what would you expect?)

Rebecca - the original film starring Joan Fonatine and Laurence Olivier is a wonderful classic, as good as the book by Daphne Du Maurier (which is one of my all-time favourites).

And some which didn’t work so well:

Bonfire of the Vanities – What a great book (by Tom Wolfe). What a dreadful movie! Even Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis couldn’t save it.

The Time Machine – great book (by H.G. Wells) but the movie didn’t live up to expectations.

Dune – apparently, the movie was no match for the book by Frank Herbert (although I have not read, nor watched, the book or the movie so this is other people's opinions).

The Great Gatsby – unfortunately, the book by F. Scott Fitzgerald did not translate well into a movie, even one starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

The Dark Tower – everyone I spoke to agreed that the book was good (Stephen King again) but the movie was a huge disappointment. I guess trying to get over 800 pages down to a couple of hours is just too big an ask.

The Time Traveller’s Wife – an interesting, slightly dark book by Audrey Niffenegger, and they made a fluffy romance movie out of it.

The Book Thief – although I have never read it, it is considered a great book by Marcus Zusak, but the movie was apparently, very disappointing.

All The Light You Cannot See – fabulous book by Anthony Doerr but really awful movie, thanks to poor casting.

One Shot - good book by Lee Childs

, but the movie titled Reacher, based on the book, starred Tom Cruise and was not a hit with viewers due to the disparity between Tom Cruise and Jack Reacher.

OK. So you can disagree with these if you wish, but you must then tell me your thoughts on ‘books they made into movies’ - which worked, which didn’t.

Until next time,

Love,

Raynette

RAYNETTE'S RAMBLINGS

Welcome to my little corner of the internet

Hello and Welcome,

Have you ever written a review for a book—perhaps on Amazon or Goodreads? I have, and it’s not as easy as it sounds. Sometimes it’s hard to find the right words.

On the other hand, it doesn’t have to be a dissertation on the structure and nuances of the plot, characters, dialogue, or ending—it can be a few well-chosen words, as in these reviews from various media:

How to Avoid Huge Ships by John W. Trimmer

A reviewer humorously warned:

“I bought this book as a precaution. I live in Kansas. I have yet to see a huge ship, but I feel safer knowing I have this book.”

The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort

One reader was expecting a wildlife tale:

“I was hoping for a book about wolves. There are no wolves. Not even a single one. Very disappointed.”

A Shore Thing by Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi

A reader offered a unique perspective:

“If Hemingway had written ‘Jersey Shore,’ this would be it.”

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

“This book is a complete lie. I ate everything in my house for a week and didn’t turn into a butterfly. Zero stars.”

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

“I wanted to read about vampires, not a sparkly stalker with boundary issues. My garlic necklace was unnecessary.”

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

“I thought this was a book about interior design. Imagine my surprise. My grandma is still traumatised.”

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Spoiler: The ‘great’ Gatsby throws mediocre parties and makes poor life choices. Not so great after all.”

Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

“Too much whale, not enough plot. I now fear both the ocean and long books”.

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

“Holden Caulfield is the original hipster. Complains about everything, does nothing. Five stars for consistency.”

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

“Expected a thrilling adventure. Got a walking tour of Middle-earth with a side of riddles.”

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

“I tried to replicate her journey. Gained weight, got lost, and annoyed my friends with spiritual quotes. Would not recommend.” 

 Book reviews are strange things. People generally are, for some reason, reluctant to write them. Why is that, I wonder? They are usually happy to absolutely shred the book at a Book Club meeting but are not game enough to put pen to paper. Or is it a matter of ‘couldn’t be bothered’? But what about if they loved the book—I would have thought they would be thrilled to tell the world, via a written review, how marvellous it was.

But then again, some books are over-flowing with reviews. Check out the following:

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Overview: A painfully beautiful first novel that is at once a murder mystery, a coming-of-age narrative, and a celebration of nature.

Reviews: 641,000

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Overview: A gripping psychological thriller that has captivated readers with its suspenseful narrative and unexpected twists.

Reviews: Over 505,000

Verity by Colleen Hoover

Overview: A romantic thriller that delves into dark secrets and complex relationships, keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

Reviews: Over 397,000

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

Overview: A poignant exploration of love and resilience. This novel has resonated deeply with a vast audience.

Reviews: Over 390,000

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Overview: Set during World War II, this historical fiction highlights the strength and sacrifices of women during tumultuous times

Reviews: Over 358,000

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Overview: A psychological thriller that unravels the mystery of a woman’s silence after a shocking act, keeping readers intrigued till the end.

Reviews: Over 351,000

Reviews help sell a book and many authors read every review of their books, yes, even the bad ones! Think about this when you finish your next read. Think about how much your review will mean to the author who put their heart and soul into creating the story, the characters, the beginning and ending, the plot, the dialogue—and who probably put years of their life into it.

It doesn’t matter whether it was published by one of the ‘big four’ traditional publishers, or if it was self-published—it took the same amount of effort to write it.

Believe me, when an author reads a review of their book where someone enjoyed, loved, or even hated it, their heart sings.

Have you ever written a book review? If so, what inspired you to make the effort? I am genuinely interested in what makes people write a review.

Until next time,

Love,

Raynette xx

RAYNETTE'S RAMBLINGS

Welcome to my little corner of the internet

Hello and Welcome,

Do you have a favourite author? Or possibly more than one? Write and tell me who you love reading, and why. What makes a book interesting and worthwhile to you?

Conversely, what don't you love? 

Do you prefer something character-driven, or a great story line? Is the setting important to you? And how about dialogue?

I'm one of those readers who doesn't really care about the look, or condition, of the book I'm reading - to me it's all about the story and the characters contained within the pages. It's not important to me if I paid a lot of money for it or if it was loaned to me by another reader, all that matters is that I'm drawn into it and I can't put it down.

One of my all-time favourites is Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. It's beautifully written and deeply researched. What a tragedy that the author died, at age 48, and that Gone With the Wind was the only book she wrote which was published in her lifetime.

But then, I also love Michael Connelly and one of his major characters, Bosch, not to mention The Lincoln Lawyer. Both series feature Los Angeles and jazz, an unbeatable combination, in my opinion. Both series are well written and researched stories. And what great characters! Who doesn't love Bosch, and Micky Haller!

 Another favourite of mine is a book by an American author, Colin Harrison, called The Havana Room. Unusual, slightly weird, like nothing else I've ever read, it tells the story of Bill Wyeth, a rising real estate attorney doing very well, thank you, in New York—until a tragic accident claims everything he has achieved—his family, his fortune, his Park Avenue apartment, his career. But this is Manhattan, and Bill still has much further to fall.

 Not to everyone's taste, but I loved it.

 I actually have two absolute favourites: A Turn of the Blade by Veronica Sweeney—it was published in 1996, which was when I first read it. I read this book in bed of a night and I would put out the light and lay there worrying about the heroine and what was going to happen to her; she seemed to think about things the same way I did, and it was scary. I have since read it again—twice!

My other favourite is Henry's Daughter by Joy Dettman. What a story! It originally caught my eye in the bookstore because my maiden name was Henry—so I was Henry's daughter—and I could not put this book down once I started it. Strange and unusual story, fascinating characters, great ending.

What are some of your favourites? And I don't mean the one you finished last night, I mean ones that live long in your memory. You may have read something many years ago and you still think of it. Or you read it at a time in your life when it moved you because of the timing of reading it. Or it reminded you of someone. Or it scared nearly to death. Or parts of it were so beautiful you wrote them down so you would never forget them.

I look forward to reading about your favourite books.

Love,

Raynette xx