Friday, August 12, 2011

Books Vs Movies


Best way to time travel : Read books.
------------------------------------------------
Few months back, one of my Friends made me buy a book. He himself had not read the book. But have been suggested by many and read somehwere that,this is 1st part  of a very Widely acclaimed and International best Selling trilogy.

Few days after that purchase, On a uneventful evening I opened the book for the first time but could not read beyond first few pages. The book was just not connecting with me. I gave it few more try in next few days, but never managed to go beyond the 1st 15-20 pages. So the book ended up in some corner of my cupboard.

Last saturday, after returning from office I just switched on the TV and going through the channels @ random. on HBO, I noticed a movie based on the same novel was to be telecasted @ 9 PM. It reminded me of a T- Shirt tag line that I have read some days ago (my younger brother's). It said "Why read books, Just watch the movie." And believe me I did not like the T-Shirt (I love my brother).

Now, I am not a movie buff. I normally watch movies for the heck of it. But some how I wanted to see this movie. I felt like anyways I have already wasted my money on the book. lets just sit for 2 hrs and find out what was the book about.

To my horror the movie turned out to be in Swedish (with English Subtitle). But I enjoyed the movie thoroughly. I had to concentrate more on the subtitle than on the screen, But I did not move till the movie was about to over. 5-10 mins before the movie was scheduled to over, I with lots of relucatnce switched off the TV. I just did not wanted to know the ending.

The only thing that kept coming to my mind was if the movie is so good, How beautiful the book should have been. Or the book is acutully very good,but its no my taste. in that case I should not have liked the movie also (that too in swedish). So i decided i ll give it one more try. If required I ll force myself to read atleast 1st 50 pages.

So Thursday , I carried the book to office, read few pages there. Nothing much. Thursday night i continued reading. Still not very exciting. But slowly the plot become interesting and I started enjoying the writing. Now I knew whats going to happen next ( as I have already seen the movie), but the experience of reading the book completely different from it watching it on TV. And today I finsihed reading the book. 

My reaction : The movie was SHIT, if u compare with the book. 
Even when I knew whats going to happen next, Book gives so much details of every thing, it literally transforms the reader(at least me) to the scene of action. With all the slightest details ranging from the kind furniture, color of the wall to the clothes the character is wearing, You feel like you were actually watching all events unfolding right infront of your eyes. As if you are physically present there. With movies, you like the acting, you like the special effects, but you never connect with the character like this.

Reading a book feels like time travel. Watching a movie is just a dream.

P.S. : the novel is question is "The Girl with Dragon Tatto" and Thanks Sarat for making me buy this book. I enjoed reading it.

1 comment:

  1. man, good to see that you have started writing also.. sure the a book is much better than a movie..

    ReplyDelete