“When you reread a classic, you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in you than there was before.”- Clifton Fadiman
Reading always seemed like a hassle to me, especially if it’s schoolwork; however, I have phases when I would bury my nose in a book and read it until my eyes get tired. And then there are times I would restrain myself and make a book last for a few weeks/months as if I’m watching a series on TV.
A little suspense is always good.
I enjoy getting lost in a huge bookstore (not library, ‘coz they tend to be a bit creepy) and realizing that I’ve spent an hour moving from shelf to shelf scouting for interesting finds. I do have a bad habit of buying books more than I can read, though.
The thing I like about reading is that your mind is free to make your own lil’ movie.
You get to be your own actor, director, set designer, casting agent, and even the special effects guy. And what's even better, is when the book is adapted into a film because then you get to picture in your head how it’s supposed to be played out and you get to compare what you have imagined the story would be like to its cinematic equivalent.
That’s the freedom that I love with reading. The freedom of the imagination.
I know it’s unfair to compare the book and its film version since they are two wholly different things but it’s just fun seeing how much of what you have imagined is synonymous to what is actualized-- like when I read J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (a fun read, but not my cup of tea), I was amazed at how similar the visuals were to the ones in my head.
Books aren’t necessarily a lot better than its movies, though.
Take for example Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook or Lauren Weisberger's The Devil Wears Prada. They didn't compare to their film versions.
I didn't really enjoy reading Devil Wears. I know chick lit's are supposed to be just a light, fun read, but after 360 pages, I still couldn't find a concrete storyline and it seemed redundant at times. But the movie, I loved.
You get to be your own actor, director, set designer, casting agent, and even the special effects guy. And what's even better, is when the book is adapted into a film because then you get to picture in your head how it’s supposed to be played out and you get to compare what you have imagined the story would be like to its cinematic equivalent.
That’s the freedom that I love with reading. The freedom of the imagination.
I know it’s unfair to compare the book and its film version since they are two wholly different things but it’s just fun seeing how much of what you have imagined is synonymous to what is actualized-- like when I read J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (a fun read, but not my cup of tea), I was amazed at how similar the visuals were to the ones in my head.
Books aren’t necessarily a lot better than its movies, though.
Take for example Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook or Lauren Weisberger's The Devil Wears Prada. They didn't compare to their film versions.
I didn't really enjoy reading Devil Wears. I know chick lit's are supposed to be just a light, fun read, but after 360 pages, I still couldn't find a concrete storyline and it seemed redundant at times. But the movie, I loved.
And as for The Notebook, it has got to be one of the most romantic movies I have seen even though the book was a little boring. And frankly, watching a breathtaking scenery of a swan-filled lake is a whole lot better than just reading about it.
***That's also one thing I look for in a book: Great setting and sceneries. Because then when it is translated into film, it will definitely satisfy the aesthetic eye.
On the other hand, Nicholas Sparks' Message in a Bottle-- one of my favorite books- was much better than the movie. (I remember picking up the last copy dusty since it was behind the other books, ignored) I preferred the novel because you can see how the story is built up, page by page. You are able to process it all in completely as opposed to absorbing everything in in just under 2 hours.
And most often than not, changes are made in the script in order for them to squeeze all of it in, which consequently degrades the quality of the story.
This is probably why I could never bring myself to watch a movie unless I have read the book first. (Or maybe because I'm just too lazy to read once I've already seen the film.)
This is probably why I could never bring myself to watch a movie unless I have read the book first. (Or maybe because I'm just too lazy to read once I've already seen the film.)
Books on my shelf that I have yet to read and see:
Feel free to comment on which books/movies you have read/seen are worth reading/watching. Thanks! :)
Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha
Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife
Boris Pasternak’s Dr. Zhivago
David Nicholls' Starter for Ten
Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha
Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife
Boris Pasternak’s Dr. Zhivago
David Nicholls' Starter for Ten
E.B. White and Garth Williams’ Charlotte’s Web
Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights
Frances Mayes’ Under the Tuscan Sun
Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera
Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights
Frances Mayes’ Under the Tuscan Sun
Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera
Helen Schulman’s P.S.
Ian McEwan's Atonement
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility
Jean-Dominique Bauby's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Melissa Banks’ The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing
Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient
Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie
Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity
Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl
Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient
Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie
Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity
Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl
Robert James Waller’s The Bridges of Madison County
***Currently reading Cecelia Ahern's P.S. I Love You.
Premise is unique and interesting. A definite tearjerker. I'm only at page 42 and I've never cried as much as I did with Nicholas Spark's Message in a Bottle.
Premise is unique and interesting. A definite tearjerker. I'm only at page 42 and I've never cried as much as I did with Nicholas Spark's Message in a Bottle.
Can't wait to see the film next year!
4 comments:
High Fidelity's my first Nick Hornby book! =) I totally couldn't relate to the pop culture references but I loved him still.
How about About a Boy? If you've seen the movie and then read the book, there's this part wherein you can SO totally hear Hugh Grant saying the lines! :p
Parang gusto ko tuloy basahin yung "Information in a Container with Narrow Neck and No Handles!" :P Haha
I got ebooks of Nicholas Sparks but it's really different when you're holding the book in your hands and just lying in bed reading. Much more intimate than sitting in front of the glaring computer or squinting at the tiny phone screen eh? =) Just wanna share :)
"Information in a Container with Narrow Neck and No Handles!"---> HAHAHA! Haay, natago mo ba yung list? We should start one again! Hehe.
Cge, try ko read High Fidelity next, recommended by you! Hehe. Nope, haven't seen About A Boy yet. Is it good?
Nicholas Sparks ok siya but sometimes overly cheesy in a way? Parang drama sobra. But in fairness in that genre he does it really well.
What am I saying eh fave book ko pala is Message! Haha.
What N.Sparks books have you read/ did you like?
By the way, check out the Lil' Miss Mischiefs Blog. It's about our HS shenanigans. Haha. Mag-post ka rin! There are a few stories na ikaw dapat magpost, like you and Ms. Lim, pati yung "Am I Slim Shady?"
I'll IM you the username and password.
:P
What did you think of the movie "P.S. I Love You? I was kinda bored with it and I can see where in this case how the book could be better than the movie. Do you recommend reading the book?
Hi. I saw P.S. I Love You early this year and I was really disappointed. It wasn't terrible but personally I thought the book was way better. They changed quite a few things in the movie and they tried to Americanize the story in a way.
The book(which was also written by an Irish author)centered on Irish characters and in rewriting the story, it somehow lost its charm.
[My friend, however, enjoyed the film though she's never read it.]
I would recommend the book, yes. It's different from its movie version, which is good. It's funny, it's sad, it's touching, and charming. It's one of the few chick lits I really enjoyed reading. :)
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