top of page
Writer's pictureBenjamin Fife

#ReadingMagic - What was the first book turned into a movie that you read the book? - Day 25


When the cover was like this, why wouldn't a kid glom on to a low budget interperetation?

This may seem like the same question I addressed before - but nope. That was for movies that came before the book. This is the other - and the more traditional - movie to book pattern. And while there are dozens of movies that I've seen that would fit the bill since, there's one that comes to mind first. Truthfully, I'm not sure if I read the book first or saw the BBC movie first - is The Silver Chair from The Chronicles of Narnia. I've written about The Magician's Nephew, but I know I had read the book and seen the movie of this one first. The BBC production of the series when you watch it now is 'lacking' in the special effects department, but still captures the book very well. Like the later Pride & Prejudice production, this one followed the book as closely as it could.


For me, was my first exposure to Doctor Who indirectly. Tom Baker was Puddleglum for me before I even knew Doctor Who was a thing. When I've read the book, the scenes were set so well from the film adaptation my brain already had the setting secure.



Other books to movies that I've loved (and loved both versions):

To Kill a Mockingbird

Pride & Prejudice - multiple versions. :)

Seven Years in Tibet

Most of the Harry Potter series

Lord of the Rings (but the Hobbit movie just doesn't measure up with the books. Sorry PJ.)

Your favorites?

37 views5 comments

5 Comments


bjcriddle
Feb 12, 2021

Only slightly psycho..... :-)

Like

Benjamin Fife
Benjamin Fife
Feb 12, 2021

This may make me seem pslightly psycho - but I always love the Chocolate river scene. And Gene Wilder IS Willy Wonka if you ask me. Plus... I love the recent reference to the movie in Thor: Ragnarok. Overall, Roald Dahl was decidedly nuts. George's Marvelous Medicine, the BFG, even James & the Giant Peach have some decidedly bizarre elements.

Like

bjcriddle
Feb 12, 2021

I do know his books are bizarre, but that Gene Wilder movie is beyond crazy. The chocolate river scene...scary!! And Gene Wilder's facial expressions in that movie creep me out. Hahahaha!

Like

kevinfrei
Feb 12, 2021

20,000 leagues under the sea was my first exposure to science fiction. The old Disney movie was not a terrible adaptation. Recently, Netflix did a great job of Richard K. Morgan’s first Takeshi Kovacs novel, Altered Carbon (the first season is pretty close). I find that for novels involving complex characters, short series are better than 2 hour movies. And yeah, Peter Jackson trashed The Hobbit pretty badly. Also, bjc, do you not remember just how bizarre everything Roald Dahl wrote is?

Like

bjcriddle
Feb 11, 2021

I can't remember the first book I read that became a movie....probably Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. And that movie is weird....but I do love the Oompa Loompa song. Some of my favorite books turned into movies are: Ella Enchanted (the book and movie are quite different, but I like them both), Holes, Wonder, Matilda, and Narnia.

Like
bottom of page