12 Of The Best Book To Film Adaptions
These days everyone is either rebooting or adapting a book. In some cases, the adaption is faithful to the word and works out beautifully. Other times, the film goes in another direction from the book and more often times than not, it doesn't work out.
Admit it, when reading a book; you have a vision for what you're reading. You can see it so clearly right down to the color of the house the couple is staying at or you can see the hero and heroine so well that you are practically cheering them on or crying as you turn the page.
But when you hear your favorite book is becoming a film are you one of the concerned that worries if the film ruins the book for you? *Raises Hands*
There is some excellent book to film adaptations that it's truly hard to list them all. So, we decided to go with our Top 12. If you loved the film but haven't read the book, try adding it to your summer reading list.
12 The Notebook
Published in 1996, this book was actually Nicholas Sparks' first published book. Sparks has said in interviews that the story about young lovers Noah and Allie was inspired by the grandparents of his wife, who were married for 60 years. Sparks said that their “rare and beautiful relationship” had withstood the test of time. The popular adaption starring Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner and Gena Rowlands was released in 2004 and made over $81 million dollars.
11 The Silence of the Lambs
This novel published in 1988 is a sequel to Thomas Harris' 1981 novel Red Dragon which has also been made into a film. The horror story featuring everyone's favorite cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter pits him against a young FBI trainee agent named Clarice Starling. The film of the same name was released in 1991 to huge box office success and earned Jodie Foster, her second Best Actress Oscar. Anthony Hopkins also won Best Actor for his chilling portrayal. Who can look at Fava Beans and Chianti the same way again after watching this film?
10 The Age of Innocence
Edith Wharton novels are beautifully written with at times tragic or bittersweet endings. The Age of Innocence is one of these novels that not only has you turning the page, but also has you feeling sorry for every character in the book. This novel about the Guided Age, social class and the rules of New York society was initially released in serialized form in Pictorial Review in 1920. Later on that year, the full book was released. It would be Wharton's 12th book. It was adapted as a film in 1993 which starred Daniel Day Lewis as wealthy attorney Newland Archer, Winona Ryder as ingénue and Archer's fiancé, May Welland and Michelle Pfeiffer as the tragic Countess Olenska who is marred in scandal upon her return home to New York. This was one of the most faithful adaptions of a book that we've ever seen. Perfection.
9 The Outsiders
One of the coming of age stories around is the S.E. Hinton novel, The Outsiders. Published in 1967, Hinton was 15 when she began to write the novel about Ponyboy Curtis and his friends and 18 by the time it was published. The story follows two groups, the Greasers and the Socs that are divided due to social and economic status. The Outsiders during its time was controversial. It was on The American Library Association's Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged books of 1990-1999. It was at #38. The film, based on the novel, was released in 1983 and a who who of rising stars including Rob Lowe, C. Thomas Howell, the late Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillion and Tom Cruise.
8 To Kill A Mockingbird
Published by the late Harper Lee, this novel was released in 1960. The classic book won a Pulitzer Prize. According to Lee, the characters and plot are based on family, neighbors as well an an incident that occurred near her hometown when she was 10 years old.
The themes in this novel about Scout, her father and attorney Atticus Finch and Tom Robinson are about racial injustice and the culture of Southern life back then. The 1962 film based on the book starred Gregory Peck who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Atticus Finch.
7 Bridget Jones's Diary
Helen Fielding wrote this successful novel in 1996. If you're not familiar with the story, it's told in diary form by the main character Bridget, who's a young, single working woman in London. Fielding's other books based on the popular character has other book to film adaptations including Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and the upcoming Bridget Jones's Baby. The first book based on the film was released in 2001 and starred Renee Zellweger who was nominated for Academy Award for her portrayal of Bridget, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. The book won the 1998 British Book of the Year and in 2003, the BBC's survey The Big Read listed the novel at 75.
6 Doctor Zhivago
This novel by Boris Pasternak was published in 1957. It's about a doctor and poet named Yuri Zhivago and the novel is a long, compelling romance that spans from 1903 though it's epilogue in World War II.
Although initially refused publication in Russia, it was eventually published in 1957 after it was smuggled in from Italy. Pasternak wound up being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature in 1958. The book was adapted to film in 1965 by famed director David Lean and starred Omar Sharif in the title role and Julie Christie as his love Lara Centipova.
5 Gone With The Wind
Gone With the Wind was written by Margaret Mitchell in 1936. Mitchell would not have anything else published. The book is a historical romance set in times before, during and after the Civil War along with Reconstruction. FYI, did you know that the book is the second favorite book among Americans with the first being The Bible? That data is from a Harris poll conducted in 2014. There are now over 30 million copies of Gone With The Wind published to date. Mitchell also won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937. The film adaptation is a classic made in 1939 with Vivien Leigh as the heroine Scarlett O'Hara and Clark Gable as the rebellious Rhett Butler.
4 Fight Club
"The first rule about Fight Club is: You don't talk about Fight Club." Just had to type that. For people that didn't know that the cult film was a book. It is. It was written in 1996 by Chuck Palahniuk. It's a satirical novel whose comic book sequel was released in 2015.
The story features an anonymous narrator and main character Tyler Durden who after a fight starts a fight club featuring bare-knuckled matches with the following rules: “You don't talk about fight club. You don't talk about fight club. When someone says stop, or goes limp, the fight is over. Only two guys to a fight. One fight at a time. They fight without shirts or shoes. The fights go on as long as they have to. If this is your first night at fight club, you have to fight.” The film adaptation made in 1999 starred Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden, Helena Bonham Carter as Marla Singer and Ed Norton as the narrator.
3 The Hunger Games
Although all three books have been made into feature films, the first book written by Suzanne Collins set the tone for the rest of the dystopian series. Published in 2008, the series follows the story of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark as they are chosen to play in the ultimate game of survival.
Ranked second to the Harry Potter series, The Hunger Games Trilogy made NPR's poll of the Top 10 teen novels. The first film made in 2012 stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark and Liam Hemsworth as Gale.
2 Jurassic Park
The 1990 novel that started the blockbuster franchise was written by the late Michael Crichton. Much like its film adaptation, the book is a cautionary tale on genetic engineering featuring an amusement park that featured genetically created prehistoric animals. Its sequel, The Lost World, was published in 1997. Steven Spielberg made Jurassic Park into a feature film in 1993. Although there are a couple of missing scenes from the book, a scene made specifically for the movie was made. The film starred Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Sam Neil, Sir Richard Attenborough, Samuel L. Jackson and Ariana Richards.
1 The Godfather
“I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse.” There can't be a list of best book to film adaptions without listing this novel by the late Mario Puzo. Published in 1969, this crime novel is about the organized crime family, The Corleone's and their quest for power at any cost. The book covers Don Vito Corleone's backstory as well as in the time periods in 1945 through 1955. Doesn't matter if you are man or a woman, this book holds up perfectly. The book like the film covers the mob war that begins when Vito Corleone is shot and the rise of his youngest son, Michael as the new Don despite others objections and attempts to stop him.
The film directed by Francis Ford Coppola was made in 1972. It was a blockbuster success making over $269 million dollars and won several awards. The film starred Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan and Robert Duvall.