There is nothing better than going to the movies with the people you love and proceeding to discuss it afterwards. Growing up with four older brothers who were bookworms, I was always leeching on them after the movies for the additional details or questions about details I might’ve missed that would be found in the book. They were always able to add to the already wondrous plot, telling me the significance of various aspects within the film. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve decided to always try to read the book before the movie because it makes it all the more fun.
“I’ve always enjoyed a movie more when I’ve read the book,” explains Tim Nesbit, who is Carolina Forest High School’s Media Specialist. “You get to see the changes and adaptations that filmmakers add to the story.”
When you watch a film right after being well-versed in the story from the book, you see multiple lenses being played out than just what is projected. Oftentimes, directors put little Easter eggs in the film that only the book watchers would understand because it’s so subliminal it gets overseen by a first-time watcher.
Some feel, however, that watching the movies before reading the book provides a better experience.
Junior Jenna Corrado gives her opinion. “I don’t read a lot, but whenever I see a movie I really like l pick up the book version. I think movies are good sneak peeks for books, and reading the books first leaves more room for disappointment.”
An upcoming film is the Ballad of the Songbirds and Snakes, a prequel of the Hunger Games trilogy and also another one of Suzanne Collin’s book-to-movie adaptations. After I read Suzanne Collins books, I watched the movies, and I was amazed at how much more I was able to pick up than before.
Ultimately, I believe that reading the books first gives you more insight into a story, and seeing it played out with actual characters really heightens the visual you have in your mind. Another series I’m very fond of is the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, and when the Disney+ show comes out, I’m ecstatic we’ll get to see Riordan’s take on a visual portrayal of his Greek mythology-inspired stories. When people have the full descriptions down by reading books first, they get to see a wider picture than just the frames being played out in the theater.
