I have seen a variety of blog posts, booktube videos etc. discussing the above topic and I really wanted to put my two cents in! I have watched a lot of adaptations both TV and film over the years but it was only when I sat down to do this, did I realise I haven’t read many of the books I have seen adapted. So actually my job was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be.
Below is a list of a couple of adaptations that are my fave. FYI, I watched the adaptations before I read the books!
Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa
I can’t remember when I first watched the TV show but I remember it popped up on Netflix and just decided to give it a go. It is now one of my all time favourite TV shows. Last August, I decided to give the actual manga a go and see if I enjoyed reading in that kind of format so I thought the best way to test the waters was reading my fave shows source material.
I prefer the show and manga the same. The adaptation is pretty spot on.
Hercule Poirot series by Agatha Christie
I have mentioned many times on this blog that this show has my entire heart. I watched the TV show before I started to read the books and I love both so much. David Suchet as Poirot is just my favourite casting of anything ever!!
I like both the book and the show the same. Certain books can’t translate well over to the screen due to certain narrative features but I think it does a great job adapting the source material.
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Let me tell you! The book has nothing on the movie!!! I felt that the book was very boring and surface level, great ideas it just lacked execution but the movie was AMAZING. I remember being shocked by how lackluster the book was as I expected it to be so rich like the movie was. The film added necessary detailed which I felt was missed from the book.
I preferred the movie, hands down!
This is the exact same situation as Stardust. The movie added so much detail, nuance and world building to the story that the book just missed out on. I will give this book some leniency though as it was written for children while Stardust wasn’t.
But again, I preferred the movie.
The Phryne Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood
I found this underrated gem on Netflix and fell in love with the characters. I was super excited to pick up the book but sadly it fell short. I think this was down to the fact I already knew what was happening. Also, some of my favourite episodes weren’t even adapted they were written by the TV shows screen writers.
In conclusion, I prefer the TV show.
Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
I watched the film before my second year of my film qualification in preparation for the foreign languages section of the curriculum and I was just so invested in the movie. WHen I read the book you had the notable things like cutting down sections in order for the story to fit in the 2 hour timeframe, I loved all the extra details we got to know about the students which the film missed.
That being said I love them both equally.
The Witcher Series by Andrzej Sapkowski
I just recently finished the book, my review just went out. I loved both the show and the book. I loved the short story nature of the book and I loved the non-linear nature of the show. I would say I preferred the TV show just a bit more due to learning more about Yennefer and Ciri which we don’t get in the book.
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
My absolute childhood favourite movie! I read the book years a go and enjoyed it but I don’t remember much. I do try to watch the Disney movie though every year as it just gives me so much nostalgia. I love how weird it is and I want to get lost in the world of Wonderland!
IndiaReadsALot 