Books vs Movie Adaptations – which one is better?

Today at Daastan, we are debating whether movie adaptations as are as futile as readers make them sound or is there another side to this claim.

The books vs movie adaptations

Nowadays tons and tons of books are not only made into movies but also years long TV adaptations (series). However, the question arises “is there a need for a TV adaptation or are books enough on their own?” While there maybe cases where poorly made adaptations enrage readers but there have also been adaptations as good as the book itself. Some may go as far as to say that good cinematography can change a bad book for the better. Therefore, one really comes to the conclusion that this debate can not reach a verdict. Without further ado, let’s talk about some famous books and their adaptions to see which one is better.

All the Bright Places

One afternoon on the ledge of the school building Violet Markey meets Theodore Finch. Violet was the school’s ‘famous girl’ until one day she wasn’t. After her first brush with death, Violet grows estranged from her environment. She becomes fixated on her sister’s death, reliving it again and again in her mind. To find her way back to the land of living Violet must get out of her comfort zone. On her journey of healing, she makes the most unexpected friend, whose own demons seem to follow him everywhere.

“When you consider things like the stars, our affairs don’t seem to matter very much, do they?”

Movie Adaptations

For Gen Z whenAll the Bright Places came out it was a book that dealt not only with coming-of-age experiences but also the sensitive topic of suicide. Jennifer Niven’s book soon became a bestseller and talk of the town. After its release in 2015, fans wrote fan fiction and made movie trailers for the book. Finally, after almost 5 years of book’s release Netflix came out with movie adaptation of “All the Bright Places”. To their disappointment, one of the most anticipated movie of the year ended up being underwhelming.

The Shadow Hunters

A 15 year old girl ‘Clary Fray’ from New York finds her whole world shifting when she comes across Shadow Hunters. Shadow Hunters – a community of people with half angel and half mundane blood. Her introduction to the shadow world turns her life upside down and Clary discovers her true self amidst betrayal, loss and magical creatures.

“We are all the pieces of what we remember. We hold in ourselves the hopes and fears of those who love us. As long as there is love and memory, there is no true loss.”

Movie Adaptations
The Shadow Hunters CW Adaptations

Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instrument series is the perfect YA fantasy to binge read. You would be surprised to find the extent of Clare’s fan club. Over the years there have been not only one movie adaptation but also a show based off Mortal Instruments by CW. There are mixed opinions among the fans about these adaptations. But according to IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes, the series adaptation has received more love than the movie.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Captivated by his own portrait, a young boy in Victorian London sells his soul in the pursuit of vanity. The book follows the moral degeneration of the young boy, Dorian Gray as he buries himself deep and deep in the wells of mortal sins. Almost every single passage in the book is an example of utmost intricacy. We have extracted some of our favourite excerpts from the book for you.

  • You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit.
  • The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.
  • Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.
  • The world is changed because you are made of ivory and gold. The curves of your lips rewrite history.
  • A man can be happy with any woman as long as he does not love her.
  • The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its monstrous laws have made monstrous and unlawful.

Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray (2009)

“The Picture of Dorian Gray” is true work of art by all the standards of aestheticism. When the book first came out in 1890, it received a lot of criticism on the forwardness of its content. However among the modernists and postmodernists, the book was celebrated so much that it was adapted for a movie not once but twice. In 2009, it was made into a movie starring Ben Barnes, which is equally good as the book if not more. About his book Wilde wrote in a letter,

“Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be—in other ages, perhaps.”

The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray (2009)

We hope you enjoy our books vs movie adaptations picks. Let’s us know your favourite movie adaptations. For more literary goodness, stay tuned!

Noor Hashmi
Noor Hashmi is a student of literature at Numl University. She is an aspiring poetess. She runs a blog by the name of “Diaries of Huda” sharing her journey through poetry. In her free time, she loves to paint and bake.

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