Poll: Do you read the book first or watch the movie?

[BlindMessiah94]

(There are some similar forum topics that I search bar'd but not exactly this topic so I created this one. Sorry if that breaks some search bar rule ^_^)

This is assuming the book came out first.

We live in a decade of book to movie adaptations with such ones as:

Lord of the Rings
Harry Potter
Watchmen
Twilight (shudder)

to name A FEW. There are tons tons more.

I have always made it a rule of mine to read the book (or graphic novel/comic) before seeing the movie.
I've always been happy with this decision and enjoyed both the books and movies more when doing this. Reading the books first allows me to create imagery in my mind and come to my own conclusions about how a world feels or looks. Then watching the movie I get to see another person's interpretation, which I find really fascinating. Watching the movie first would take away that opportunity for me. I'd read the book and already know how a Nazgul looks or whatnot.
Also:
I long since abandoned the fan boy mentality of "Movie must be exactly like book in every way otherwise it's terrible".
I believe movies and books are two different mediums. When a movie is adapted from a book it takes certain creative licensing. It's very difficult to create an analogous copy, and it should rarely be attempted. Come to think of it the only one that has done that succesfully is Sin City. It's frame to frame identical. Anyhow.

How do you all feel about the issue? What do you tend to do and why?

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

Well, it depends on whichever one I get my hands on first.
I read the first LotR book when I was a kid, before the film came out, but I watched Starship Troopers before I got the book.
I have no real preference for whichever I devour first.

 

[Hurr Durr Derp]

If I'm planning to do both, I read the book first, then see the movie.

However when I see a movie I don't always have the urge to read the book it's based on, so in that case I see the movie first and don't read the book at all.

 

[high_castle]

I'm an avid reader, so chances are I've read the book before the movie came out. However, I don't watch many book to film adaptations, since I'm inevitably disappointed in some aspect. Lord of the Rings did a good job, but it's the exception and not the rule (plus, fans are divided on this one, and I know several people who still gripe about changes from the canon). For me, if it's a story I love religiously, I won't see it as a movie. I know films can't possibly incorporate the same detail a book can, so I choose to preserve the integrity of the original.

Also...1000th post.

 

[dkyros]

Generally movies first, don't really have too much time to leisure read so if I really like the movie, I get to read the book later.

 

[Angry Caterpillar]

Whenever possible I like to read the book first. However, there have been some times when I saw a movie and was told about the book after, and I always felt guilty.

I know better than to expect a movie to be original now.

 

[snide_cake]

Usually like to read the book first, I find it gives you a lot more depth to the movie then. Reading for me is like me personally being there.

But I don't do it religiously, ie. I have watched Watchmen but have not read the comic.

I also try not to compare the movie to the book too much, in that you know there are going to be things left out in the movie, or skipped over, or just very lightly touched upon, because of time and reality constraints.

I hate when people compare movies and the books they are based on, stating they left this out, that they didn't do the book justice, that such and such a person didn't really look like that.

Comparing movies and books are like comparing coconuts and pineapples. They're both food but completely different. It's unrealistic to think that something BASED on something else will be exactly the same.....or live up to the expectations and perceptions you made in your head. Remember that it's someone else's vision of this and the material they were provided with.

...Wow that turned quickly into a rant....heh.

 

[yoshimickster]

Always read Watchmen before watching horrible movie. Otherwise you wouldn't know why it's so horrible. Plus the thing with that movie is, the book pushed the boundaries of the comic medium, but this movie? Just another action flick. Nothing at all.

 

[Levitas1234]

Always read Watchmen before watching horrible movie. Otherwise you wouldn't know why it's so horrible. Plus the thing with that movie is, the book pushed the boundaries of the comic medium, but this movie? Just another action flick. Nothing at all.

I greatly disagree, the movie was full of emotion that the comic book could not include. Yes the ending was different but who wants to pay money to see a movie that you already know the ending too. I love the comic and i love the movie. horrible my ass, the movie was very well directed, stayed true to the characters and the acting was exceptional.

I usually watch the movie first because the movie usually just happens to be how i figure out i like something very much.

 

[ace_of_something]

Probably see the movie first more often. Sometimes I don't even know a movie is based off a book because I don't spend 10 hours on the internet before a movie comes out to learn these things.

Also depends on what kind of book it is. If it's sci fi or fantasy I've probably read the book first.

 

[arsenicCatnip]

I tend to read the book first, then see the movie. Generally I hate the movie after, lol.

 

[APLovecraft]

i do have a lot of books but usually i don't realise they're adapted from books etc

 

[Fayathon]

Gotta read a book before I see the movie, it just bugs the hell out of me to do it any other way.

 

[Queen Michael]

I read half LOTR in Swedish, but then I just saw the movies because of the terrible book translation. Then I actually bought a copy of the English original, and it was great.

Usually I only see the movie because the book doesn't seem worth it. The Hose Whisperer seems good, but way too long a book. On the other hand, I usually don't see the movie of books I like since having already read the book and knowing what's going to happen there doesn't seem to be much point.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Generally movies, I read the books first only in cases of The Godfather (a very brilliant book) and Lord Of The Rings.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Since I can never really be botherd to read a book anymore, I'll watch the movie first about 98% of the time.

 

[Queen Michael]

the movie stayed true to the characters.

One word: Ozymandias.

But yeah, I admit it was one of the greatest movies ever.