Big reputation, big reputation, you and me got big reputations ohhhh…
(I COULDN’T HELP IT)
There are just some books out there that definitely gained some good rep because of the movies that came out. I, for one, have been enjoying a few movies more than the books themselves lately, and it got me thinking of all the other movie adaptations that I really liked but where the book was kind of underwhelming for me.
And I realized, yeah, there are books like that, where the case is the movie is just so much better.
Here’s my top ten, in no particular order accompanied by lovely gifs!
(Note: I did try to go for movies I really enjoyed and the accompanying books that were a bit underwhelming. What I didn’t add were books that I thought were just as fantastic as movies, like A Monster Calls or The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, etc.)
Top Ten Movies That Gave Books Their Good Reputation
Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy – Maybe it’s because the book was super drawn out and had several subplots, but I thought the movie was much better in this instance. I didn’t care for Beau in the book, but I thought he was really lovely in the movie. There was also no love triangle to deal with, so it’s clear who the romantic interest would be!
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn – The movie seriously threw me for a loop, but for good reason! Psycho characters are awesome when in movies, but reading in their perspective takes getting used to. It really didn’t help that the main characters were obnoxiously pretentious, so I couldn’t even finish the book. But I loved the movie.
A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell – I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that this did become a movie, but the movie was SO GOOD and I cannot explain WHY. Maybe it’s a combination of it being treated as a dark comedy and the actors, but I absolutely did love this movie. When I read the book, though, the characters went in the way of Gone Girl. Obnoxious and, in one case, obnoxiously incestuous.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han – Okay, fine, I loved the book, too, I thought it was adorable, but it’s not usually my cup of tea. In any case, the movie was great for two reasons: Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, and their chemistry (okay, so three reasons, but who’s counting?). Also, Peter Kavinsky is more adorable in the movie. He’s kind of a jerk in the book. Kind of. Still cute, though!
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – This book was opulent, and also another one I actually enjoyed. But there’s really nothing like watching the opulence on screen, especially the 1920s partying scene. This movie honestly didn’t do so well in the cinema circuit, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and not just because of Leo’s role in all of this.
IT by Stephen King – I will be one of the very few people who’ll probably say that I’m not a big fan of Stephen King. I have some of his work, and the movies I’ve seen adapted from his books were done very well, so I’m guessing his books are also written very well. I just…the content in them I’m not a big fan of. The same thing can be said about IT, though honestly, the movie was fantastic enough that I even overlooked my fear of clowns just to watch it.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote – I loved the book, don’t get me wrong, but there was something about the ending that I wasn’t such a big fan of. I mean, the movie itself had a lot of issues, and some of the things in the movie (with Audrey Hepburn) doesn’t lend well to modern sensitivities now. That being said, I’m kind of a fan of the Hollywood ending in this case, and the movie is the reason why I read the book.
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella – Again, this is probably an unpopular opinion, because the movie is kind of a mess, but I’m biased towards most movies with Hugh Dancy in it. That being said, as messy as this movie was, I thought it was adorable, and again, it made me read the book! (Which I was kind of not a fan of at the end of it, but still…)
Life of Pi by Yann Martel – This movie was absolutely gorgeous, and it really held well to the idea of the book. The book was great, too, but it did drag on a bit, and for something that’s a small novel, it really shouldn’t have done so. That being said, I would definitely recommend this, especially because of how beautiful the setting is and how well the cinematography was done.
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger – I couldn’t get through this book, mostly because the main character’s friends were absolutely annoying. In both book and movie, the MC does leave the highly coveted job for personal reasons, but I thought the movie had a better way of telling it. Also, fashion is always better when you can look at it. And Emily Blunt is the absolute best. Along with Magic Meryl.
Story and Somnomancy 
I didn’t even know that Breakfast at Tiffany’s was adapted from a book!
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It was! I enjoyed the writing in the book, but the ending was a little sad and a bit underwhelming.
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That is disappointing. One of the worst things to happen when you’re reading is an underwhelming ending in my opinion. Hopefully it didn’t ruin the book for you.
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