When I started to read (just a couple of years ago - remember, I used to hate reading, and never understood how people could sit for hours and hours and read a book!), so when I started to read a couple of years ago, one of the books I first started reading (after DS of course), was "Dear John" by Nicholas Sparks.
I finished the book in just a few hours.It was (still is) such an incredible story and I just couldn't put it down!
Of course, it is a love story.
It's about an angry rebel who dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army.
John had nothing else going on in his life, his mother passed away and his relationship with his father was not very good. He didn't really know what to do, until of course he meets Savannah. They are immediately attracted to each other and fall in love, but John has to go away to the Army and so Savannah patiently waits for him to finish his tour of duty so they can start a life together.
Well, 9/11 happened, and changed everything!
John feels it is his duty to re-enlist and so the wait for him becomes longer and longer.Well, what can I say guys...Savannah ends up falling in love with someone else, and their dreams instantly fall apart.
Through the whole book though, while John is in the Army, him and Savannah write letters to each other, even up until the point when she gets married and he finds out through a LETTER!
If any one of you has read any Nicholas Sparks' novels, you are already aware that his endings are always sad. Well, "Dear John" is one of those novels and the ending was not the happiest of endings.
In any event, back to my point... after I finished the book, my first thought was "wow, they HAVE to make a movie out of it".
Well, ok, I'm lying, my first thought was "WHY??" ... followed by a couple of tears flowing out of my eyes... but my second thought was definitely the movie one!
Well, ok, I'm lying, my first thought was "WHY??" ... followed by a couple of tears flowing out of my eyes... but my second thought was definitely the movie one!
Well, I was SO excited when, not too long ago, I heard that "Dear John" would be made into a movie!
I made my boyfriend stand in line with me AN HOUR AND A HALF before the movie started on opening night because I wanted to get the best seat!
Wow, I was so excited!
FINALLY, my wish came true!
FINALLY, my wish came true!
Well guys, what can I say... I WANTED TO WALK OUT OF THE MOVIE MID-WAY!
It was horrible!
It was NOT like the book at all!! They even changed the ending!
It was NOT like the book at all!! They even changed the ending!
Sure, the plot was similar and blah blah blah, but the movie lacked so much depth and so much emotion! It was just simply a horrible movie. I was extremely disappointed.
So in this case, I can honestly say, that the book was a hundred times better than the movie.
But that makes me think though... I never read "The Notebook" by Nicholas Sparks, and the movie was SO incredibly good!! I have seen it maybe 10 times times and still cry every single time! And I don't even have the desire to read the book because I saw the movie... now it makes me wonder though... is the book EVEN BETTER??I also heard that "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger was an amazing book and that the movie didn't even come close to how good the book was... in this case, I didn't necessarily like the movie, so I WILL read the book (have it on my bookshelf).
Same goes with "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult. Heard that the movie was not that good but that the book was great!
"The Reader" by Bernhard Schlink was an AMAZING movie and the book was so so...
I guess it just really depends and it's all very individual. It also has a lot to do with who the actors are, because sometimes the actors don't really fit the character of a book and that can ruin it as well...
Has anyone seen the movie and read the book "Dear John"?
What about "The Notebook", The Time Traveler's Wife", or "My Sister's Keeper"?
Sincerely,
Aventura Book Worm
Most of the time the book is better than the movie. Mostly because they often try to make the story something that would appeal to a larger audience while a book stays true to the story. I can only think of a few times that the movie actually did "right" by the book: The Stand, North and South, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Julie and Julia. Movies I actually like more than the book: PS I Love You and Bridget Jones. Otherwise, I try to enjoy the movie for the movie and the book for the book. This is easy to do in some cases: Harry Potter, Twilight, Percy Jackson because they are entertaining in their own right.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your about Dear John. I wanted to walk out in the first few minutes when they said Tim was married and Alan was his son, made Tim seem much older than the book. I've heard The Time Traveler's Wife is a great book, but I admit it's hard for me to see a movie first then read the book, since I already know the ending. :) Have you read Eat, Pray, Love? My goal is also to read it before the movie comes out this summer with Julia Roberts.
ReplyDeleteGreetings, I found your message on my page at bookblogs.ning and popped over for a peeky.
ReplyDeleteI'm a follower now! Great blog...
Dawn
www.dhullender.com
I've read the time travelers wife and seen the movie too. Its really tough for the movie to match up the expecation of the book.
ReplyDeleteBut 3 idiots Movie was way better than the book :)
Nice blog !
Book Review Blog
Found you on Book Blogs and totally agree with your Wednesday Letters recommendation.
ReplyDeletei think Notebook is amazing, one of my favourite movies of all times, I do not recommend reading Time Travelers Wife, I abandoned it, the movie was ok. Sisters Keeper is a great read, the movie was like a good Lifetime story. I have the Reader to read but unsure as I have seen the movie and enjoyed it.
Do not torture yourself with TTW.
I find that if I think a movie looks good I will look up the book first. This is how I came across The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards, where I saw the previews on the lifetime movie network, read the book then watched the movie. Had mixed emotions about the movie because I really did enjoy the book. This could of been because of the quality of a Lifetime movie. I also did not like Twilight the movie and probably would not have finished the series if I had seen the movie before, however the series is intriguing and I could not put the books down.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment to me on Book Blogs! (I know, I'm late, but I actually just saw it!) I'm following you now! As for this post - there is a saying ... never judge a book by it's movie. It's been true for so many books-to-movies that I've seen that I pretty much don't bother seeing the movie at the theater any longer - I may throw it in my Netflix queue when it comes out on DVD!
ReplyDeleteI've sees most of these movies, but i think that reading these books is also a good idea, thanks for posting!
ReplyDeletexx
www.afashionhouseofcards.blogspot.com
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