I LOVE Alfonso Cuarón’s sci-fi action movie Children of Men. I’ve watched maybe six times and every time, the ending always almost brings me to tears. So when I learned it was adapted from P.D. James’ book of the same name, it was a no-brainer deciding what my next book would be.
After finishing the book, it wasn’t difficult to reach to the conclusion that I enjoyed the movie better.
While James’ book gives a more in-depth look at how human infertility and humanity’s slow death march towards extinction affects the sexual dynamic between men and women and almost demented ways humans try to cope with a world without children or a race of dead men walking, I feel the book dedicates WAY too much time describing the failing of human civilization and the Regrets and guilt of Theo Faron. It’s not even until after 2/3 through the book where it feels like the plot and story are properly paced and stuff of consequence actually begin to happen.
The film’s adaptation by, comparison, feels consistent in its pacing and the world building and woe-is-mes of Theo feel more compact a take up less of the audience’s time.
What books do you feel were worse than its film adaptation and why?
I'm going to get eaten alive, but Lord Of The Rings...
I know, I know, they're classics, they basically defined the genre, if you like fantasy you have to understand how LOTR made it... but my god, are they dry. I remember being so excited for the Helms Deep scene that was so incredibly cool and drawn out, intense battle in the films. The book was not that.
Nope, not wrong. The movies are my favorites of all time. I’ve tried to start the fellowship on multiple occasions and put it down like 1/3 of the way through the book. It’s fucking boring.