With this Prime Day being so huge on all things electronic, we thought we would slow things down, breath out and show you some of the best books that people tried to ruin by turning them into movies and TV shows. Amazon is offering an awesome deal, where you can get $5 off when you order $15 worth of books when you use the coupon code PRIMEBOOK19 so get reading!
Lost in space
The Martian
Staff Pick
While saving Matt Damon seems to be a Hollywood past time these days, the written version of the Martian is slightly better than the movie. It’s close, but the first-person narrative in the book makes it much more compelling. However, now I always see Matt Damon in my head when I read it.
From $9 at Amazon
To the world
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
Amazon recently released Good Omens to the world as a short TV series, and my word was it amazing. The book is a favorite of mine, but the acting from Michael Sheen and David Tennant elevated the series to an almost masterpiece status.
From $8 at Amazon
Most watched
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)
We all know Game of Thrones, right? The whole world watched it. What if I told you the books were even better than the TV show? Well, they are and well worth picking up.
From $14 at Amazon
Diverge don’t
Divergent (Divergent Series)
While the books are solid reading for young adults, the movies were not. Not solid at all. Do yourself a favor and read these polished books; it will wash the taint of the movies away.
From $9 at Amazon
Writers choice
Wizard’s First Rule (Sword of Truth, Book 1)
I have never been more enraged than when I watched the first episode of the Sword of Truth series. It has almost no bearing on the book and made me want to burn Hollywood to the ground. Thankfully, the books are some of the greatest stories written ever, so all is good.
From $10 at Amazon
Accio books!
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire
All the Harry Potter movies are great. Don’t @ me. But the Goblet of Fire changed so much from the book that it loses some of the enjoyment. It’s the first movie from the lengthier books though, so it can be forgiven for trying to condense.
From $8 at Amazon
The future
The Hunger Games (Book 1)
Jennifer Lawrence was amazing as Katniss Everdeen, but the movies are too abridged from the books. You need to read the books to fully appreciate the plight of all the inhabitants of PanAm.
From $9 at Amazon
Brisngr!
Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1)
If ever you want a tale of dragons and heroes written by a young man with so much talent, it makes me jealous to my bones then you should read the Inheritance Cycle. If you want to bleed from the eyes, watch the Eragon movie.
From $10 at Amazon
Alien invasion
The Host
Of all the Stephanie Meyer books, The Host is the best. It has a lot of great sci-fi themes, love triangle aside, and Wanderer is a fascinating character. The movie blows past all of that and only focuses on the love triangle. It’s a shame really.
From $15 at Amazon
Want to know more?
Starship Troopers
There is almost no connection between the book and the movie. While the film is fun in a cult b movie kind of a way, the book is a thoughtful piece on citizenship and what that means for society. The movie does have Michael Ironside in though, so that’s a plus.
From $10 at Amazon
Both are equal
American Gods: A Novel
While I adore American Gods as a novel, the TV show is spot on. Here’s another show that Neil Gaiman had a direct hand in. It solidifies that if you want to make a TV show better, or at least on par with the Book, hire the author to write the screenplay. Gaiman not only brings American Gods to the TV, but he brings it into the modern world with artistry and flair.
From $9 at Amazon
The Sleeper awakens
Dune
I don’t really know what to say about the Dune movie; it’s the most 80’s movie I have ever seen! I think… Maybe calling it “Twin Peaks in space” is the best way to describe it? The book is weird, too, but in a better way. It’s a classic, and you should own it if you don’t.
From $10 at Amazon
Alright, alright, alright
The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger
You would think the combination of a Stephen King Novel, Matthew McConaughey, and Idris Elba would be a blinding success leading to many sequels and billions of dollars. It didn’t though, and happily, the book still exists in its pure brilliance.
From $10 at Amazon
Secher Nbiw
Children of Dune
Of all the Dune books, the Children of Dune evokes the most emotion in me. It is a playbook of how to write a novel, and I read it at least once a year. The Mini-series that they tried to create, however, was not so good. It lacked the gravitas of the books, and the budget left it looking terrible.
From $8 at Amazon
Books are almost Aways better
When it comes to adaptations, whether they are books, or plays, or videogames, the outcome is almost always the same; they just aren’t as good. If you have to watch a movie based on a book, I suggest you watch the film first. That way, you can expand the movie with the book rather than lamenting the loss of narrative.
Of the books listed here, you should pick up The Martian. It’s the closest to the movie in terms of content, and Andy Weir had a direct hand in the creation of the film. If you have seen Eragon and thought it was good – well, you are wrong, but you should definitely get the book. It will blow you away.
Finally, buy Good Omens. The book is a joy to read and the TV show is equally as good. Treat yourself to greatness whenever you can; it will enrich your life.
And don’t forget, use the code PRIMEBOOK19 to get $5 off your order over $15.
