“A half-read book is a half-finished love affair.”
Are books always better than movies? Here at What We Reading, while we might seem somewhat biased, the truth is that there is room enough in the world for both mediums to coexist, each with its advantages and disadvantages. However, few things irritate us more than seeing a stellar piece of storytelling butchered on the big screen. Sadly for us book lovers, it’s something that has been known to happen from time to time. Join us today at What We Reading as we take a look back at the history of film and highlight the best books that were and still are better than their movie adaptations!
The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials #1) – Philip Pullman
First up on our list of books better than the movie is Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass. The first entry in the His Dark Materials series, this young adult fantasy is one of the all-time classic winter reads. Brilliantly crafted, imaginative, full of adventure, and with compelling theological messaging layered in, it makes for a profound read every time it’s picked up.
The movie adaptation, on the other hand, fell short. Exposition is used in every scene, and the overuse of CGI hasn’t helped it stand the test of time. What’s worse, however, is the movie’s attempt to avoid offending anyone’s religious beliefs, which somehow managed to offend everyone at the same time.
Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1) – Christopher Paolini
Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle series begins with Eragon, an ordinary farm boy discovering a polished blue stone. When that stone brings a dragon hatchling, however, he realizes that his days of simple living are over. Thus begins a young adult fantasy series brimming with magic, dragons, destiny, and stellar storytelling – all the elements for a successful series.
The Inheritance Cycle received a movie adaptation just a couple of years after the publication of the first book. Stefan Fangmeier, a visual effects supervisor-turned-first (and only time) director, took the reins. Sadly, the film suffered incredibly from being touted as the first in a long sprawling franchise. Filled with dull dialogue, exposition, and lukewarm performances, any sequels in the works were swiftly cancelled following the film’s poor performance.
The Hobbit (The Lord Of The Rings #0) – J.R.R. Tolkien
Originally penned for his own children, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is arguably the most defining piece of fantasy fiction ever written. Introducing the world to Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, and Gollum, readers embark on a sweeping adventure of Middle-Earth in an epic tale of a reluctant hero, a powerful ring, and the cruel dragon, Smaug the Magnificent.
Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy did a wonderful job of condensing all of Tolkien’s trademark world-building into three satisfying movie adaptations. However, quite as to why The Hobbit received the same treatment, we’ll never know. A book consisting only of 366 pages was somehow adapted into three long, complex, and bloated adaptations that ultimately feel completely unnecessary.
Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
David Mitchell’s 2004 book, Cloud Atlas, is a far-reaching and profound exploration of reality and identity. Blending philosophical and scientific speculation, the book follows six different protagonists across six time periods, each with their own unique short stories.
The book was given a 2012 movie adaptation, with the Wachowski siblings taking the reins as directors. The results were rather mixed. While the film is gorgeous to watch and the score composed by Tom Tykwer is stellar, there are serious shortcomings that make this another instance of the book being better than the movie. The length, clocking in at over three hours long, makes it far more complex than it needs to be, and multiple actors are given race-changing makeup, which is always problematic.
The War Of The Worlds – H.G. Wells
One of the most significant pieces of science fiction ever written, H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds laid the foundation for many formulas that have become standard across the genre. The story of a Martian invasion of Earth featuring three-legged machines, heat rays, and toxic gases has inspired countless works of fiction and received two major movie adaptations in 1953 and by Steven Spielberg in 2005.
Sadly, both adaptations are held back by glaring issues that deviate from the source material. Despite being secular all his life, the 1953 version leans too heavily on the Christian narrative and features spaceships rather than the iconic tripods. Both films also swap out the novel’s Victorian England setting for the good ol’ US of A.
Check Out The Best Books Like The War Of The Worlds
Frankenstein – Mary Shelley
Undoubtedly another one of the best books ever written, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was a trailblazer in science fiction, blending gothic horror and romantic storytelling with its symbolism, messaging, and themes. It’s been adapted countless times since on-screen adaptations became a thing, with the majority of them falling well short of matching the magic of the original book.
The most defining of these adaptations are the classic Universal black-and-white movies, though even these have their problems. The most glaring of these issues is how dumbed-down the monster is in all of these films; it is one of many creative differences the film makes from the book, and subtracts away from one of its most important messages.
Check Out The Best Books Like Frankenstein
The Lorax – Dr. Seuss
When it comes to books better than movies, there’s a seemingly endless list of Dr. Seuss classics that have failed to match expectations with their on-screen adaptations. But, in terms of completely missing the entire point, The Lorax takes some beating. The original book is a whimsical and affecting children’s tale of environmentalism and a cautionary tale about greed and mindless progress.
Its 2012 adaptation? Not so much. Gone are the social change elements, replaced with an overly annoying orange mascot and a story of a young boy who plants a tree to impress a girl.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
