Hey all, I’m not sure if this discussion fits better in the books or in the movies subreddit since I’m talking about both. But as a book lover, I felt this would be the best place.
I often feel like when comparing a book to its movie adaptation, the book is better. *Of course* the book is better, with a fleshed out plot and character motives. If I finish a book and immediately watch the movie, I almost always hate it. There are very few instances where I feel like a movie does justice to the original work (Holes comes to mind as a pretty faithful adaptation).
But I’ve come to realize something… I just need time. I read “the Housemaid” a couple years ago, and I remember finding it average. However, I went to the movie last night and really enjoyed it. I realized that enough time had gone by for me to forget the gritty details, but I still remembered the overall premise. I remembered some of the twists of the book, but not so many that changes to the story bothered me.
I reflected on other books that I’ve read that were turned into movies. Turns out that if I wait at least 6 months between finishing the book and then watching the movie, I can truly enjoy the story again without being annoyed by the details. To that end, I read Project Hail Mary about two years ago, and I am now so excited for the movie. Scenes that I pictured vividly at the time have blurred over time, and I’m now genuinely excited to see how somebody adapts the story.
Anybody else feel like the passage of time helps to soften the blow of somebody adapting a story?
by catsbutalsobees