'Yeah. I thought the book was better, though.'
'Oh, I haven't read it.'
'WHAT?!'
There are people in the world who, shock horror, do not like reading. There are people who can't read for one reason or another, or who don't have access to books. There are people who are just not that interested in a book until the film sparks their interest in a visual way. And this goes both ways.
No doubt, as book lovers, we've all had a conversation along those lines. You're talking to a friend or family member about Game of Thrones or Divergent or some other book to screen adaptation and they drop the bomb, leaving you feeling confused, angry, annoyed, or disappointed in them. It's no secret that one of, if not the, biggest over-arching beliefs of the bookish community (at least online) is that you should always read the book before you watch it.
I disagree
This idea of always having to read something before watching it, and looking down upon the 'fake fans' who have only seen the film version needs to stop. It's elitist, alienating, and just down right stuck up. The fact of the matter is if you like something, you like something. Regardless of whether you've read all ten books in the series, or if you know every single quote and which character said them, or if you own every last piece of merchandise.
There are people in the world who, shock horror, do not like reading. There are people who can't read for one reason or another, or who don't have access to books. There are people who are just not that interested in a book until the film sparks their interest in a visual way. And this goes both ways.
Yes, I will always push the A Song of Ice and Fire books on Game of Thrones fans, but that's because they are truly fantastic books that are - in my opinion - leagues above the show in terms of quality. However, if someone turns around and says 'nah, I'm good, thanks' I'll drop it. You do you, and all that. I will not diminish someone else's enjoyment of a film or programme, and I will certainly not make them feel less of themselves just because they haven't read the books. Who am I to dictate what they can and can't like? Whether they're a 'real' fan or not?
People see readers as snobbish and pretentious and annoying at the best of times. Let's not give them the chance to say 'I told you so' about us.
Great discussion Charlotte! There are some cases when I read the book first and some cases where I watch the movie or show first. For example, I know for a fact that the GoT books probably wouldn't interest me, but the show looks very interesting to me and I'm looking forward to starting it! I think sometimes you want a very visual aspect, and sometimes you want to be able to visualize it yourself.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I think watching GoT first can actually help as well - it's a lot less complex than the books, and the first season is very true to the books, so it can help you make sense of everything. I totally get the visual thing - especially with fantasy. Sometimes the way things are portrayed on screen don't match the ideas in my head, or vice versa.
DeleteBLESS THIS POST!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much!!!!!!! I 100% agree - there are loads of films that have encouraged me to pick up books I otherwise wouldn't look twice at. It's about the story, and the way people connect with it. And no hate/snobbishness should stop that! XD
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! It was the trailer for the Hunger Games that got me into the books, as originally I thought it was about eating disorders, and when I learnt it was sci-fi I was like 'I'll never read that'. So glad the film sparked my interest because I adore that trilogoy!
DeleteYES!!!
ReplyDeleteI have felt like this for soooo long! I agree with all your points about how we shouldn't force reading the book before seeing an adaptation. I personally always avoid trailers or casting of characters because I want to create the story in my head before it is tainted with the film's versions or the actors (not saying they are bad, just not my own versions).
If someone wants to read a book because of a movie, then PLEASE DO SO I WILL BE HAPPY A MOVIE GOT YOU TO READ.
I can understand why readers will want people to read the book first - if it's their favourite and they want to share it immediately, or if the film has had low ratings etc - but I can also see why people will want to watch things before reading, if they ever read them. It takes a lot less time and investment to sit through a film compared to a book. Reading in all of its forms should be celebrated. If your favourite celebrity recommends something and it makes you pick it up, that's great! If you pick up a film tie-in version of something, that's amazing!
DeleteI love this discussion! I try to never force a book on someone, but I will always recommend it. If they don't have access to the book and I really want them to read it, I'll even let them borrow mine. There aren't many incidents where I say I haven't read the book, but I think that's because I feel so pressured by the book community that I HAVE to read the book first.
ReplyDeleteThat's definitely the right way to go about things! It's like the saying 'you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink' - you can recommend your favourite books a thousand times, but if someone is more interested in the film you can't make them read it. I like reading things first to form my own ideas of the worlds, so for me I end up saying I haven't seen something more often than not!
DeletePersonally, I don't like watching movies or tv series. It's just a preference of mine but I never look down on anyone who does. We love the same fandom! There is no need for hate. And I do agree with you about ASoIaF; the show makes me cringe sometimes.
ReplyDeleteTV shows are my second favourite thing, after books, but I usually watch original shows that aren't based on anything else. It is always nice to find someone to discuss things with, but it can also be interesting to hear about the show compared to the book, or vice versa. I'm so over Game of Thrones... HOW has it become so bad?!
DeleteThis is such a great post! I agree that it's silly for booklovers to look down on people who watch the movie without reading the book. I think that it's great if movies and television introduce people to a book they might not otherwise have known about - sometimes they might decide to pick up the book and sometimes not. Either way, they should be able to enjoy the story the way that they want to. Even I have watched a few movies based on books without reading the book first - and I read over 150 books a year!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction