There are two types of people, those who have to read the book before seeing the film and those who don’t. I try to be a reader before a watcher, sometimes it’s hard to avoid, but here’s my staple five books to read before you indulge in the movie adaptation.
Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling
This one is pretty obvious right? The book series is unlike anything else, it’s one that I fell in love with as a child and have continued to love into my adult life. I can’t think there’s ever a time when Harry Potter hasn’t been there, and it’s the books that really developed that love for me. The films are brilliant, they are a huge part of my love for this series, but the books offer you so much more. You find out about different characters that don’t even get a look in in the films, and some that aren’t explored enough. It ultimately offers a lot more depth and meaning to the events you see in the film.
Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien
I’m hugely guilty of not having read the books first, but then I was quite small when the first Lord of the Rings film came out, so I couldn’t have really been expected to read the books. Now though I have only read the first book, but I am slowly getting through them, they are just rather heavy reads. The reason I’ve put this one in the list though is because of how rich the story is and how many more characters are involved in the book. If you can really absorb the written story and love it, then I think it’ll make the films seem more enjoyable for you.
IT , Stephen King
I’ve added IT in because it is a horror and it is scary. I read the book last year, in the space of a week, I loved it very much. I think with films that are super scary, unless you want nightmares, maybe reading the book first will ease you into it a bit more. I have the film on my to watch list and I’m excited to see it and see how it compares to the book. The narrative in the book was very interesting and I really enjoyed the reading process, so I’m hoping for good things from the film, which I am now prepared to watch!
Children of Blood and Bone, Tomi Adeyemi
This book is seriously amazing, the story is so action packed that it is such a fast and fun read. It’s fantastic that it’s already been snapped up for a film contract too, so read this book whilst you’ve still got plenty of time. It’s a film you will want to be behind when it comes out and I think reading the book first is the best way to go for this one, you’ll get caught up in the very justified hype. If you liked Black Panther then give this book a read and allow the magic to lure you in.
Ready Player One, Ernest Cline
This book is one of my all time favourites, it’s fantastic and so much fun to read, so I was thrilled when I heard it would be made into a film. Now the film is epic and awesome, but it doesn’t stick to quite a lot of the book’s plot. The characters are ever so slightly changed, but not for the better in my opinion. I enjoyed going into this film knowing the book because it was fun to play spot the difference, but I also thinks its nice to read the book with no assumptions of the world or the characters and to forms those ideas yourself.
