Photo provided by: Sammie Jo Clark

Movies and books stimulate imagination in the human brain, however what happens when you watch the movie before reading the book? Viewers should read the book first so they can better enjoy the movie.

Books such as “Dracula”, “American Prometheus”, “Hunger Games” and “Shadow and Bone” share very few similarities. However, with the overwhelming emergence of literary adaptations, these titles aren’t only found on the shelves, but on the big screen as well. As the popularity of book-to-film adaptations grow, what does this mean for the awareness of next generation literacy rates?
Book-to-film adaptations have always been a prevalent and ever-growing part of pop culture. Since 1899, when “Cinderella” was first adapted into a movie in France, readers and audiences alike have been captivated by the idea of physically seeing what we imagined come to life on a screen. The most popular sub-category of this phenomenon is young-adult and teen novels being converted into films and TV shows. Some of the most popular young-adult book adaptations include “Twilight”, “The Maze Runner” and “Harry Potter”. This not only brings in money for studios, but also allows readers to see some of their favorite fictional worlds and stories brought to life.

As time goes on, it is only fair that more and more literary adaptations be made. However, as technology improves, this may pose a problem for the growth of human imagination. This issue can only be countered by one solution: viewers must read the book before watching the movie. Nevertheless, with the commonality and easy accessibility of media, people are going to succumb to the thought that it is easier and less time-consuming to watch the movie without reading the book.

This mindset is only limiting the enjoyment of the movie and viewers should always read the book before watching the movie. Without reading the book first, viewers are limited to the setting created on screen compared to the one the mind creates on its own while reading the book – and even if the book is read after the movie, the reader will only be able to imagine what the movie depicted.

Additionally, movies often end up leaving out simple side plots and details that, while maybe not crucial to the story, pose as building blocks for future plots, lengthen the experience and could simply be a scene that the readers loved. Even then, some adaptations are so far off from the book, only sharing the characters’ names and title, that viewers who did not read will walk away with an entirely different understanding of the story compared to those who did. This can even end up negatively impacting the movie rating and status. People who think reading the book will spoil the movie are wrong; in fact, it only makes the movie better.

In short, the growing frequency of adaptations in our media today will only expand as the reach begins to take over video games, poems and any other literature imaginable. The key word, though, is imaginable. To make the movies and our knowledge of literature stronger, viewers must read the book before watching the movie.