Agreed! I find it so much easier to appreciate classics once I've seen the adaptation after finishing the book. The dialogue and general description can be pretty hard to get into, but once there's a visual, everything makes a lot more sense. I know for Pride and Prejudice, I skimmed a lot of the dialogue because I found it much too flowery, and as a result, I didn't fully understand the development of Darcy and Lizzie's relationship. Plus the musical score always makes everything better!
I still prefer books over movies, so long as I can properly delve into them. Especially since we've been getting some pretty horrendous adaptations, lately...sigh.

Aww I definitely understand you, Tasya! Recently, I just finished reading a classical book called "Far From the Madding Crowd" by Thomas Hardy, and I sort of struggled somehow with the book because it didn't feel realistic to me. But when I watched the movie, somehow it made more sense watching it in the big screen and I found the story more enjoyable when it was a film :/ It's kind of weird, but there are some stories that are depicted much better through films rather than stories.

Great post Tasya!

Jillian @ Jillian's Books

I definitely get this! The first one that comes to mind is The Hunger Games. It took me until around the time the last movie came out to really absorb the content of the books (and I read the books before the first movie came out)! The thing I started understanding is just the brutality of war, and I don't think that really sunk in until the last two movies. I actually changed my ratings for the books after seeing them. So I guess the answer is yes, movie adaptations definitely affect our thoughts on the books!

Great idea for a post by the way. :)

Here's the thing about adaptations: they're adaptations. They will never be a straight-up story experience like reading the book will. Studios have time constraints, budget constraints, playing to a wider audience, limits with CGI (kinda), etc. So for me, adaptations are like a recap of the story I read.

Also, classic Regency lit, including all Jane Austen, gets infinitely better when you know why, social ettiquette-wise, things in the story are considered horrific, or titillating, or swoon-worthy. There are several books out there that give a good, not dry or academic, brief explanation of things like "touching her hand while courting would have been too risque, nevermind kissing". That brings a depth of enjoyment to the literature that can't be matched when you see a modern actor in a modern medium (movies and TV) playing the character.

I completely agree with Great Gatsby. I could picture all the scenes better after I watched the movie than before. I had trouble picturing some of the magical creatures from Harry Potter too but I'm not a very visual reader. But I don't have the same problem with Jane Austen books so I guess it depends on the book for me. Generally speaking, I tend to always like books more than the adaptations but don't we all? :D

I definitely think they do! Especially if you see something about a movie BEFORE you read the book- it's almost impossible to get the visuals out of your head! For example, if I read a book before I see the movie, I formulate my own idea of the character. BUt if I have heard about the movie BEFORE the book, I will never NOT see the character as the actor portraying them.

I like though the idea of seeing classics in a new light- and even magical worlds like HP. I admit to liking NONE of the books you mentioned- not TGG, not P&P... not even HP. But I wonder, if I watched the movies, if like you, I'd feel differently. I just may have to give it a shot! I LOVE this post!

I agree with Shannon that they affect my experiences in that if I see the movie before reading the book, I can't not picture those actors and visuals. But I don't watch movies after reading books, so I don't have an answer for how that might affect me. It's interesting to hear how it's affected your reading experiences though and made you appreciate the books more. I had never thought of that. Sometimes seeing the actors actually acting out the emotion and chemistry can have a stronger affect than picturing it in your head.

Yesss, I know everyone hated the PJO movie but it's what actually got me into reading the series! Sometimes movies with their atmospheric roles just really transport you into the time and period you know? Love the discussion post Tasya!

There have been a lot of times where I have loved a movie adaptation so much that I wanted to go back and read the book it was based on. For example: Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants is one of my favourite movies, and then I read the book because I loved it so much. The book was really good, but even more so because I already knew and loved the characters.

Other times, I will watch an adaptation of a book or series I have read, and be disappointed in them. I hate it when this happens. Although, sometimes, I can separate the adaptation from the book or series it was based off and enjoy it as something new (like the Heartland show).

I don't think I have read a book, watched an adaptation, and then read the book with a greater appreciation for it, but that sounds pretty awesome, Tasya!

The Great Gatsby is a good example of a movie adaptation that helps the book. I think for books with a lot of detailed settings that movies really help with visualization. But I'm biased because I ADORE adaptations because then I get to read the book and then see how someone visualized it and compare it to what I have in my head. But I can see how seeing the movie first might box in your imagination and make it difficult to get the full reader experience with the book.

Liselle @ Lunch-Time Librarian