My Favourite Books On the Big Screen: to see or not to see?

by Rana Asfour

I am always conflicted when a book I particularly enjoyed reading is to be given the Hollywood treatment.

I have found that my reservation is rooted in selfishness. A part of me refuses to relinquish its hold on an appropriated image - and experience - that I feel is not only mine but should remain mine alone. Characters - however imaginary - are real to their readers and develop a personality that is dependent not only on what the writer tells us about the characters but also on our interpretation of what we are being told.  Every reader arrives at a book with their own set of experiences, prejudices, and view of the world and if Edmund Wilson is to be believed then never will 'two persons read the same book' and never will the same person read the same book in the same way twice.

With that, I have come to appreciate that reading a book and watching an adaptation of it on screen are two separate experiences that when you think about it allows a fresh perspective on the familiar. Besides, let's face it, seeing your characters being given flesh and blood is exciting and there's a lot to be said when it comes to time out at the cinema. Isn't there?

What do you think?