Do you feel unmotivated to read a book when you've already watched the movie?

Submitted by Maxinprogress t3_z8ng2o in books

I'm reading Shutter Island and I saw the movie. The whole book is supposed to be a mindfuck but I am in on it the whole time... Isn't that depressing? I already know the detective is waisting everyone's time with his fake search for the fake patient, I understand everything in a different context. For example when the psychiatrist is looking at the ceiling exasperated because Teddy wants to call the doctor who's on vacation, I don't think "oh wow the whole team isn't taking this seriously at all, something's up", I just think "Oh teddy, you fool...". Anyways anyone can relate? I want to finish the book but some part of me is thinking "What's the point?".

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BasicReputations t1_iychtcc wrote

Nope - usually a good movie makes me excited for the book!

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Maxinprogress OP t1_iycojt9 wrote

that's interesting, when I read this I picture all the characters with the movie actors I feel like my imagination is being dampened by the movie

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enderverse87 t1_iycc25h wrote

Sometimes there's big differences, or just seeing it from a different perspective.

I even like Novelizations.

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Ermahgerd1 t1_iyciapu wrote

Nopes. Only if the story is boring in the movie, which is almost never the case. Even a crappy movie, often has a controversial story behind it. Makes me even more curious about the book.

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TheLostVoodooChild t1_iycj3og wrote

I find that watching the movie first can really help with visualization. Having seen the movie, I have a clear image in my head of what the characters look and sound like. I can easily visualize the setting, because I've seen it. Also when a book is made into a movie they tend to "shave off" bits of the story to make it fit within the time frame. So if you read the book after you watch the movie then you can fill in a few of the holes in the story( or at least expand upon them). I really enjoy reading books that have been made into movies for this very reason . I enjoy discovering the bits that they left out . The plot holes in the movie that you didn't realize were there until you read them explained in the book. The more in-depth back stories, and such. That being said, I do understand that it does take away a bit of the entertainment regarding plot twists.

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Maxinprogress OP t1_iycpbeg wrote

I so agree with the visualization, I didn't notice myself but the set up is very clear to me in Shutter Island thanks to the movie and I do struggle to place everything visually normally, confused the whole time about where that bush is and those trees, behind the house, front of the house? The thing about finding all the details I ve heard that many times from you all it seems recurring. I do enjoy that part too but yes knowing the plot is a bit depressing to me.

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Possible-Ad3257 t1_iyclx7m wrote

I completely agree! Cannot read a book if I’ve watched the movie first, so I avoid adaptations completely if they look good so I can read the book first 😂

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Maxinprogress OP t1_iycpnk8 wrote

thanks, can you expand so that I know if we struggle both for the same reason?

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_TheLoneRangers t1_iycnz6z wrote

More motivated for favorites, and its always been fun. I've just happened to see the movie first on so many, i can't rob myself of the book experience.

I do like having separation from the last movie watch so the movie is not super fresh in my mind.

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Apple_Cobbler_1899 t1_iyci77m wrote

It actually depends on the book or the movie.

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Maxinprogress OP t1_iycpfjx wrote

true and I think Shutter Island is so mindfucking it's a shame to know the mindfuck

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Apple_Cobbler_1899 t1_iycpm1b wrote

I didn’t even know it was a book before you posted it here, the movie itself is a mindfuck. When I get a chance to get the book, I will try read it

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TisButAScratch18 t1_iycscv4 wrote

Definitely more. My favorite book right now is a novel I found out about after watching its movie adaptation. If I like the plot I am more than happy to see more of it.

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[deleted] t1_iydifmy wrote

I usually avoid the book if I’ve seen the movie first. Or I’ll come back to the book years later when I have a less complete visual memory of the movie. It’s worse than rereading to me, because I not only have the full plot laid out in my head, I’ve also got a preexisting idea of how people and settings look from and sound from the movie, so I’m trying to fit the story into that mold.

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GrudaAplam t1_iycgu8x wrote

Not if it's a good book. If it's like a Star Wars novelization, yeah, sure.

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Puzzled-Barnacle-200 t1_iyckwwd wrote

It depends how much I enjoyed the adaptation. If I really enjoyed it, it will often push me to read the book sooner. If I just fairly enjoyed it, I'll often not be as interested in reading the book.

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Maxinprogress OP t1_iycpjwk wrote

The movie is just awesome so I am very excited to watch again now that I have some context from the book.

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BDAS100 t1_iycm79t wrote

Sometimes! But it actually depends.

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Denverdogmama t1_iycseoy wrote

Absolutely not! I have always been excited to see the words based on the book by in movie credits. I remember seeing Jurassic Park for the first time and being excited to see it was also a book. I went home and a movie tie in copy was already on our family bookshelf, thanks to my grams. She used to grab a paperback or 2 every time she went grocery shopping and then send them to our house after she read them.

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Denverdogmama t1_iycsqva wrote

On the flip side, I hate getting excited when a favorite novel is adapted for the screen and the movie sucks. My first and most memorable experience with that was Flowers in the Attic (the 1987 theatrical film, not the recent Lifetime movies).

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BlondieBabe436 t1_iycundi wrote

Quite the opposite. Often I've already read the book before it becomes a movie; so I'm usually disappointed in the "cinema adaptation" Also if I hear it was based on a book I'll make sure to read first before watching; to get an idea of whether it's even worth watching or not. So basically unmotivated to watch the movie but motivated to read/already read.

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Competitive-Finger26 t1_iycz7ss wrote

I struggled for years to get into Dune (the book). There's just so much getting thrown at the reader early on, it's all very strange, and I could never get very far. The recent movie was a great entry point for that world, and after seeing it, I finally "got it." Read the book and loved it.

Unfortunately, starting the second book in the series, it gets wierd again :)

When I was young, one of the books I read over and over was the novelization of Temple of Doom. Movie books are awesome!

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unlovelyladybartleby t1_iyd3ulm wrote

I like to see what was supposed to happen, and often the book answers questions about the movie

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ObscureMemes69420 t1_iydma3m wrote

Rule #1 Never watch crappy film adaptations of good novels.

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JKCT1973 t1_iydmz06 wrote

No. The book is always better!

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vivahermione t1_iydoc52 wrote

No, usually it leaves me more motivated because I'm curious to see how the film differs from the book. If anything, reading afterwards enriches the film. Movies always leave something out, after all.

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South_Honey2705 t1_iydx4pj wrote

More motivated as usually the book is better than the screenplay

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