From Page to Screen

I wanted to share what happened to me for the last years but I can't help but rant on the recent series I've watched. That I guess that will be on my next post instead.

As an avid reader, I always get thrilled whenever I hear that a book I love is being adapted into a movie. I don't expect a scene-for-scene remake but I'd be happy if they stick to the core of the storyline and character arc. I understand that changes need to be made in order to make it interesting and to have an element of surprise. What irks me the most is changing the storyline for the sake of appealing to the society.

I recently read an article about George RR Martin saying "No matter how major a writer its is, no matter how great the book, there always seem to be someone on hand who thinks he can do better, eager to take the story and 'improve' on it." Can't blame him, A Song of Ice and Fire is a good book, albeit hard to read, and the ending of the TV series was a sad sad one. It seems like they were in a hurry and didn't take the time to develop the idea properly. 

Recently, I watched the third season of Bridgerton on Netflix. I actually started reading the books because I loved the first TV series. I became a fan! The book is better than the TV series but I still liked the first two seasons. I was disappointed when the show's writers chose to sacrifice a good storytelling for the sake of trendy, woke ideologies. I feel that it compromised the show's overall quality and I'm no longer excited for the next season. I mean I just really want to watch a good story without someone forcing an agenda. While I'm thrilled to see more representation on the show, I think it's important not to overdo it.

CCTO (photo not mine)

CCTO (photo not mine)

Anyway, one of my favorite book to movie adaptation is Harry Potter. I used to rush to National Bookstore and Powerbooks to see if I can get a copy whenever a new book is released. I love the book but I cannot imagine what a Quidditch game was, how a Golden Snitch looks, and the other out of this world terms. This is one of the reasons why I also love this movie adaptation as much as the book series. I get to see the words in these books in motion. Book or movie wise, it sets a good balance of being loyal to the plot and at the same time giving the movie audience something new to experience.

Any bookworms like me who feel the same about books to tv/movie adaptation? Let me know!