Tag Archives: Book vs. Movie

Book VS Movie – The Help

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Read The Help (2009)

The Help is a novel about African American maids working for white families during the 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi. It touches topics on racism, but also newfound open-minded perspectives. It follows Skeeter Phelan, a white resident of Jackson, helping black maids, especially Aibileen and Minny, through their struggles as she writes a controversial book about harsh work environments for the maids

Skeeter and her mom

Book – Illustrates Skeeter’s frustrating experiences with her mom, who has a very old-fashioned mindset.

Movie – especially focuses on the two’s unexceptional love, regardless of different perspectives.

Minny and Leroy

Book – follows Minny’s abusive relationship with Leroy is illustrated in greater detail. In the book, she even eventually runs away from him.

Movie – extremely minimal, only scene is when he throws a plate at the wall, and you can hear him yelling.

Themes 

Book – deep analysis of racism, privilege, and inequality.

Movie – overall lighter tone, despite both the book and movie being for middle schoolers/freshman, the movie is even more on the kid-friendly side.

Ending (Same plot, but..)

Book – more emphasis on Skeeters success from her book and her new career opportunities.. A bit more open ended.

Movie – follows Aibileen after she gets fired, showcases the dependence many white families had on their maids in these times.

Watch The Help (2011) on Disney+ or Hulu

Overall :

Book

  • Detailed and serious storytelling. 
  • Character development and societal criticism

Movie

  • Brief, empowering, emotional.
  • Visually captivating and heartfelt adaptation

Personally, I liked the movie better because I was able to follow along the whole time. The book was slightly over-detailed and there are many times when I lost the plot.

The Help book and movie by Kathryn Stockett are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. The book is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book vs. Movie: All Quiet on The Western Front

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Disclaimer: The movie being compared is the newest 2022 movie.

All Quiet On The Western Front is a classic anti-war novel depicting the tragedies of the western front during World War I. Set from the viewpoint of the Germans, it features Paul Baumer and the set of ‘life and death’ colleagues he makes in the army. Rather than a hopeful take on the war, the author takes from his own experience to realistically express the war’s effect on soldiers and its moral implications.

While difficult, the best advice I can give for readers is to not get too close to any character ❤

Book Rating: 10/10 Movie Rating: 8/10

  1. Signing of the Armistice
    • Book: There is no mention of the signing of the armistice and only through a rumor at the end is it known that the war is coming to a close
    • Movie: Slowly throughout the movie, it cuts to the signing of the armistice. Specifically, it details the heavy restrictions the French politicians place on Germany as a clause in the armistice.
  2. Going Back Home
    • Book: There are two scenes in the book where Paul returns home for rest and recuperation before going to war. Mainly depicts how Paul doesn’t fit in and feels like the ‘lost generation.’
    • Movie: There are no scenes where Paul returns home.
  3. Timeline
    • Book: Starts directly at when Paul has already been in the army for more than a year and flashbacks occur to depict the past. The timing is also more spread out, which allows for more events to take place.
    • Movie: Starts from when Paul registers for the war with his friends and then skips to the later years of the war.
  4. Graveyard Battlefield
    • Book: One of the first (and amazing) battlefields that took place at the western front was in a cemetery and it depicts Paul’s use of coffins and corpses as a shield from bombs and guns.
    • Movie: There are no war scenes at a cemetery.
  5. The Main Antagonist
    • Book: Corporal Himmelstoss is a key figure in the book that often gives punishments over the smallest mistakes, symbolizing the power authority figures have over recruits. He has great character development in the later half of the novel when he joins the war at the western front and learns that power is useless when faced with life or death.
    • Movie: There is no mention of Corporal Himmelstoss. Rather than him, Prussian General Friedrich becomes the key figure in the book that symbolizes the hierarchy in the army. There isn’t much character development with him and he is often seen ordering soldiers and doesn’t directly interact with Paul and his friends at all.
  6. Kat’s Death
    • Book: Kat is hit in the head by a stray shard from a bomb and dies.
    • Movie: After stealing a goose from the owner, the owner’s son shoots Kat with a gun.
  7. The Ending
    • Book: Paul dies from a sniper shot one month before the war ends.
    • Movie: Paul dies during a last ditch effort by Prussian General Friedrich to win the war at the western front. He gets shot and dies just hours before the war ends.

General Thoughts: Movie vs. Book

The war scenes in the movie are arguably one of the best war scenes in the film industry. It gives a very accurate and desperate picture of the western front. I love the use of the many common weapons used during that time, such as poison gas, tanks, and flamethrowers. Would definitely recommend if you are interested in really good fight scenes!

Something I didn’t like about the movie was the ending. A big reason about why the novel is titled All Quiet On The Western Front is because Paul dies on a day so unremarkable that the commander just wrote ‘All Quiet.’ It reveals how unsignificant death was in the war, but it was something Paul was fighting against throughout the whole book. However, the movie shows Paul dying in a big fight on the last day of the war, which kind of undermines the whole point of the title and the book.

I do recommend both the book and movie to historical fiction lovers, so you should definetely check it out!

What to compare them for yourself? All Quiet On The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. The movie All Quiet on the Western Front is also available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Book vs. Movie: The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

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Clary Fray believed she was a human, also known as a mundane, who possessed the unique ability to see Shadowhunters, half-angel warriors who protect humans from evil. However, after her mother is kidnapped, Clary discovers that she is a descendant of past Shadowhunters. Seeking to save her mother and the Cup from a Shadowhunter named Valentine, Clary teams up with Jace, Alec, and Isabelle to enter the Downworld.

  1. The Demon in Clary’s Apartment
    • Book: Clary kills the demon with a Sensor.
    • Movie: Jace kills the demon instead of Clary.
  2. Simon’s Kidnapping
    • Book: Simon drinks a blue cocktail, turning into a rat and accidently being taken away by a vampire
    • Movie: Simon is purposefully kidnapped by the kidnappers to lure Clary into a trap. He is never turned into a rat.
  3. Portals
    • Book: No training is required to use portals.
    • Movie: Shadowhunters must train to use the portals or else they will lose their santiy and be lost in limbo.
  4. Jocelyn’s Pregnancy
    • Book: Valentine was unaware of Jocelyn’s pregnancy for years.
    • Movie: Jocelyn is seen heavily pregnant in a flashback with Valentine and her first child.
  5. The Cup
    • Book: Valentine successfuly steals the Cup.
    • Movie: Clary tricks Valentine with a fake replica and keeps the Cup.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. City of Bones is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Giver: Book vs. Movie

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Recently, I sat down and watched the movie adaptation for The Giver. While I had never watched it before, I have read the book twice. It is one of my favorites. I think the movie is good– but it isn’t as good as the book. There are some differences in the plot and its overall execution. I may be biased, though, since I always seem to prefer books over movies! Anyways, here are the important differences between the two versions of The Giver:

  1. Age of Jonas

Jonas is a new coming Twelve, so he is about twelve years old. This is not expressed in the movie, since Jonas is depicted as sixteen. This alters some aspects of Jonas’s character and actions.

  1. Character and Plot development

Compared to the book, the movie rushes plot and character development. Some characters feel not nearly as fleshed out as they do in the book: I was introduced to many characters and scenes very fast. However, this is expected for movie adaptations since they have less time compared to the book. But it does make enough of a difference to include it in this list.

  1. Receiver of Memory Trait

Jonas’ special ability is identified by his light colored eyes, and is central to the plot development plus the specific abilities. However, in the movie, the characters with special abilities are identified instead by a birthmark on their wrist. This seemed weird to me: they changed a huge part of the plot for almost no reason. I don’t think it would be impossible to give the actors contacts.

  1. Jonas’ and Fiona’s Relationship

This is also another weird change. Since the movie aged up the characters, there is a kissing scene between the two. This did not happen in the book, but there was some romantic connotation involving Jonas and Fiona. 

  1. Stirrings

In the movie, stirrings are not addressed as directly as they are in the book. Also, Jonas is given an injection instead of a daily pill.

  1. Ending (not spoiled)

The ending ended slightly differently from the book, including a major aspect not previously mentioned. I recommend you go watch the movie if you’re interested to see it!

The Giver by Lois Lowry is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby. 

Divergent – Book vs. Movie

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NOTE: SPOILERS AHEAD

Recently, I got the chance to watch the movie Divergent over Thanksgiving break. I was curious to see how this movie was since Divergent is one of my favorite books. I was pleasantly surprised by the film.

A Quick Introduction

Divergent, written by Veronica Roth, is a dystopian novel in future Chicago. To give you some context, Divergent is about a young teenager named Tris who has to decide between five factions. These five factions value different things and organize society. Abnegation – selflessness, Candor – truth, Erudite – intelligence, Dauntless – courage, and Amity – peace. To determine which faction Tris is to be placed in, she takes a test that tells you which factor you belong to. However, the test determines her to be Divergent–meaning she belongs to multiple factions. Unfortunately, this is extremely dangerous; the government cannot control divergence. After contemplating her results, Tris decides to join Dauntless. The story continues to describe her struggles as a Divergent and the corrupt faction Erudite.

My Ratings

Book – 10/10

Movie – 8.5/10

Comparing the Two

After watching the movie, the plot follows the story, but minor details are left out. For example, the film does not show how the evil leader of Erudite almost drowns Tris. While this scene is intense, it is crucial for Tris’ character development. Her character development changes her relationships with family and friends, which makes the story more engaging. The movie did a great job of bringing the book ‘to life’ and had accurate portrayals of the characters. However, as I mentioned earlier, the movie leaves out important plot details essential to making Tris a stronger, more determined character.

In comparison, the book dives into Tris’ more profound thoughts and emotions. In contrast, the movie doesn’t intricately show her graduation process from childhood to adulthood. In the part of the plot when the trainees attempt to murder Tris, the book describes the scene more graphically and shows Tris’s inner thoughts, which lead to her hatred towards other important characters. These parts of the story help to strengthen (and loosen) the bonds between Tris and her friends. I thought that these minor details made the story more interesting. Since the movie did not include these details, the plot was weaker. While Divergent is a great movie, the book is significantly better. Both of the book + movie are worth reading or watching. However, you should read the book first.

Divergent by Veronica Roth is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby

The film Divergent is also available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Book vs. Movie: The School For Good and Evil

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Soman Chainani’s hit novel, The School For Good and Evil, was recently released as a Netflix movie on October 19th, 2022. It follows the story of two young girls, Sophie and Agatha, who are whisked away to a fairytale world where they are either trained as villains in the School for Evil or heroes in the School for Good. Despite their beliefs, Sophie is placed in the School for Evil while Agatha attends the School For Good, leading to an onslaught of adventure and excitement.

However, there are several differences between the book and movie adaption.

  1. Sophie and Agatha’s Friendship
    • Book: Sophie was extremely popular among the other villagers and was only friends with Agatha to improve her image and paint herself as a benevolent saint.
    • Movie: Sophie willingly became friends with Agatha and enjoyed her company, leading to her becoming ostracized by the other village kids who found the two of them weird.
  2. The Rules for Good and Evil
    • Book: The Rules for Good and Evil are as followed “The Evil attack. The Good defend. The Evil punish. The Good forgive. The Evil hurt. The Good help. The Evil take. The Good give. The Evil hate. The Good love”.
    • Movie: The only rule mentioned is that “The Evil attack. The Good defend”.
  3. Trial by Tale
    • Book: Trial by Tale was originally a competition between the School for Good and the School for Evil. The top students from each school were selected and would face horrific monsters and dangers in the Blue Forest. Afterwards, any student who has survived by sunrise, would be proclaimed the winner.
    • Movie: Trial by Tale is a test to see if Sophie and Tedros were actually each others true love. They would start at opposite sides of the forest and if they managed to reunite with each other, Sophie would be allowed to attend the School for Good with Tedros.
  4. The Circus of Talents
    • Book: The Circus of Talents was a show between the Evers and Nevers to decide which school would host the Theater of Tales.
    • Movie: There is no Circus of Talents.
  5. Lady Lesso’s Origin
    • Book: Lady Lesso is from The Endless Words.
    • Movie: Lady Lesso is originally from Gavaldon, like Sophie and Agatha.
  6. Gregor
    • Book: Gregor does not exist at all.
    • Movie: Gregor is the son of Cinderella and Prince Charming. However, despite his royal lineage, Gregor fails miserably at being a prince and aspires to run his own grocery store, leading to him being turned into a stymph after his third fail.
  7. Blood Magic
    • Book: There is no such thing as blood magic.
    • Movie: Blood magic is a dark but powerful type of magic that is used by both Rafal and Sophie.
  8. Sader
    • Book: Sader taught History of Heroism at the School for Good and was also a blind seer that guides Agatha along her journey by sharing his visions.
    • Movie: Sader is not present at all.
  9. Lady Lesso and Rafal
    • Book: There is no romantic relationship between Lady Lesso and Rafal.
    • Movie: Lady Lesso was originally in love with Rafal and attempted to win him over by becoming more and more evil.
  10. The Bridge
    • Book: At the bridge, there is a barrier between the two schools, preventing anybody good from going to the School for Evil as well as preventing anybody evil from going to the School for Good.
    • Movie: There is no barrier between the School for Good and the School for Evil.

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book vs. Movie: Detailed Differences from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

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Warning: There are spoilers ahead!

1. First encounter

  • Book: Peter Kavinsky’s first scene was when he rolls up his black Audi the time he saw Lara Jean after her small car accident and asked if she was okay, pulls over his car and climbs out inspecting her car.
  • Movie: Peter’s first scene was when Lara Jean was backing up her car in the school parking lot with her sister Kitty and almost ran over Peter.

2. Lara Jean’s letters

  • Book: Kitty sent the letters because she was mad at Lara Jean for joking about telling Josh that she had a crush on him.
  • Movie: Kitty sent the letters because she thinks that Lara Jean is lonely, so sending the letters would help her sister “find some romance.”

3. Confrontation about the letters

  • Book: Peter asked Lara Jean in the track field about the letter he got. Then the next day, Josh approached her at her locker and asked about the letter he received. She said that she already has a boyfriend so he doesn’t need to worry about what was written there, but then she runs up to Peter when she sees him in the hallway and kisses him.
  • Movie: When Lara Jean saw Josh walking toward the field track while Peter is asking her about the letter he got, she launches herself to Peter and kissed him on the track.

4. Fake relationship

  • Book: Peter suggested the fake relationship inside the room after their Chemistry class and to show that he is over Gen, his ex-girlfriend.
  • Movie: Peter suggested the fake relationship in front of Lara Jean’s house when he brought her home, saying that it will make Gen jealous which will help in getting them back together.

5. Ending

  • Book: It ends with Lara Jean writing a letter but only “Dear Peter” was mentioned, it ends on a cliffhanger which makes the readers unsure of what her decision about her feelings for Peter is.
  • Movie: Lara Jean wrote a letter to Peter saying she likes him and went to their school to personally say it to him as she read the letter out loud.

Book vs. Movie Review: Mockingjay

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Mockingjay is the third (and final, if you don’t count the prequel!) book in The Hunger Games trilogy. It’s about the main character and heroine, of the novels, Katniss Everdeen, following her story as she fights the Capitol to end the vicious gladiatorial games called the Hunger Games. Her lover, Peeta Mellark, has been captured by the Capitol, and now they are holding him hostage, altering his memories of Katniss so he will think of her as a threat instead of an ally. This book has a wonderful blend of action, suspense, and romance (with just a little character rivalry thrown in for good measure), like any other Hunger Games novel, but that’s not all. Mockingjay also has, not one, but two movies to go along with it. Here are my thoughts on the book versus the movies.

#1: First of all, here are some things I think the producers of the movie did well. They did quite a good job sticking to the main plot and including what I think to be the most important parts. Yes, they did add in or change a couple of things, but, in my opinion, the overall feeling of the book was captured in the movie.

#2: Of course, there were some parts that I felt needed to be emphasized more in the movies. For example, the vote to hold another Hunger Games, but with the Capitol’s children, was treated as the big decision that it is in the book, but in the movies, they kind of glossed over that part. Also, the death of Katniss’ sister, Primrose, wasn’t as significant as I’d have liked it to be in the movies. It was like she died, and then everyone moved on really quickly, unlike in the book, where Katniss spends years recovering.

#3: The look of the characters was also changed in the movies. In the book, Katniss is supposed to have black hair and olive skin, while in the movies, the actress of Katniss is a blonde, Caucasian woman. Also, Peeta is supposed to have blue eyes and blond hair, but in the movies, his actor has black hair and brown eyes. However, this is just a minor difference and it doesn’t take away from the fact that the actors and actresses did an amazing job of portraying the characters’ emotions, which is what I think is the most important part.

In summary, I think the book Mockingjay is better than both of the movies, but it’s hard to beat the original. However, I wasn’t disappointed with the movies, because the main plot and feel of the book was conveyed on the screen. In my opinion, the books are usually better than the movies, unless the movie comes out first. What do you think?

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Coraline: Book VS Movie

Aside

Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, is a fictional thriller, originally written as a novel, but later turned into a movie. The basic plot of the story is that a little girl named Coraline and her family move into a new house. Coraline finds a door in their new house that leads to a magical world where everything is perfect. Inside her perfect world, Coraline has ‘Other-Parents’ with sewn on button eyes. They try to convince Coraline to stay with them forever, on the condition that Coraline sews buttons into her eyes. This terrifies Coraline, who then tries to escape.

While I love both versions of the story, there are some major differences between the book and the movie.

Firstly, book Coraline’s parents are much nicer than they are in the movie. In the book, Coraline’s parents are stressed and tired. While they could have been nicer to their daughter, they were very busy and Coraline was being negative and bothersome. In the book, there is a very touching scene where Coraline tells The Cat about when her dad took her ‘adventuring’ and accidentally stepped on a wasp’s nest. Her dad took 39 stings to protect Coraline. So, in the book, Coraline’s parents are much nicer, and Coraline was mostly at fault. Throughout the book, she learns to appreciate her parents. In the movie, Coraline’s parents ignore Coraline and are unnecessarily snappish with her. In my opinion, the movie’s portrayal of Coraline’s parents makes more sense, because her parents’ unkindness is what drives Coraline to prefer the other world.

Secondly, in the book, Coraline visits the other world once and decides she doesn’t want to stay. In the movie, Coraline visits the other world three times before she decides to escape. Coraline in the book is very wary of other world and doesn’t trust her ‘Other Mother’. Movie Coraline was quick to accept the new world and wanted to stay there forever, until she learned that she would have to sew buttons on her eyes.

Thirdly, there is a character in the movie that was not present in the book. His name is Wybie, short for Wyborne. His grandmother’s sister was also taken by the Other Mother. Wybie finds a doll that looks exactly like Coraline, so he gives it to her. The doll was secretly a spy for the Other Mother, trying to find out what Coraline’s insecurities were to lure her to the other world. In the book, both the character Wybie and the doll he found did not exist.

There are many other small differences between the book and the movie (like Mr. Bobo AKA Bobinski, the singing rats, and Coraline’s blue hair), both the book and the movie were excellent. Would recommend!

Coraline by Neil Gaiman is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book vs. Film: The Summer I Turned Pretty

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The very talented author Jenny Han’s book, The Summer I Turned Pretty, was recently made into a series that has everyone falling in love with the characters. Han’s book series includes the books, The Summer I Turned Pretty, It’s Not Summer With You, and We’ll Always Have Summer. So far, the series on Amazon, The Summer I Turned Pretty, has one season that covers the first book in the series. The show is confirmed for a season 2 already, and fans are hoping for a 3rd as well. For those that haven’t read or watched it, essentially, the series features a girl, Belly, who visits her mom’s best friend’s summer house at “Cousins Beach” every summer with her older brother, who is best friends with the other two boys, Conrad and Jeremiah, that own the house. All the previous summers, the boys have viewed her as a child, but all of a sudden they finally see her as an actual girl. I won’t spoil it, but the romance that goes between the characters is really interesting to watch, as are the character developments they all make. One of my favorite parts about this show is the soundtrack which features Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, Jack Harlow, and more.. I would definitely recommend reading the books first, but it is so cool to see what you pictured and imagined come to life and the actors did a great job portraying their roles. If you haven’t read or watched it, this is just a warning that the next paragraph does have spoilers. 

There are plenty of differences between the books and the show, however I don’t think it takes away from reading/watching either. It’s different in a good way and exciting to see how things play out in both. The first general difference I noticed is that in the book, the storyline focuses mainly on the two families, however on the show we are introduced to many more characters in a lot of events like the Debutante Ball, and those characters do affect the chemistry aspect between people a lot. It seems like in the show, they’re building more of a sense of community rather than isolating one group of people. I really like this because it mixes things up. Adding onto that sense of focusing on more people, the two moms are also given more of a storyline and have their own drama going on, unlike in the books where they weren’t highlighted as much. This same thing is seen with Belly’s older brother, Steven. In the books, he left the beach house in the middle of summer, but on the show he is a lot more involved. Speaking of Steven, Belly’s best friend ends up having a crush on Steven, instead of Jeremiah like it was in the books. This adds tension between Taylor and Belly and personally I like Taylor in the show better than in the books.

In the books, Belly had her first kiss with Jeremiah and he kissed her with the intentions of making Taylor jealous (because she liked him in the books), but since the show version of Taylor had a different love interest, Belly has her first kiss with an old friend, Cam. Their relationship doesn’t last too long as Belly ended things with Cam. In the books, it’s the other way around, but either way Cam knew where Belly’s heart truly was. Cam being there is a great asset to the plot because it allows the viewers to be empathetic as he was such a sweet boy. These are all somewhat minor differences, but some of the bigger ones include the fact that Belly actually had more chemistry with Jeremiah than she did in the book, creating so much more tension between the two brothers. Belly also doesn’t get a visit in the winter from Conrad, the scene is completely different. In my opinion, the biggest difference was the kids’ knowledge about Susannah’s (Conrad and Jeremiah’s mom) cancer. In the books, the kids all know about Susannah’s cancer. However, in the show, Conrad is the only one who knew about his mom’s disease. This is a huge explanation into why he acted the way he did. In the final episode, Jeremiah found out about the cancer which led to everyone knowing. This made everything serious and real, because Susannah didn’t want to go through chemo this time. Overall, the show and books were amazing and I truly think that since the author was involved with making the show, it had a great impact on the overall quality and vision of the show. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who likes rom-coms and tension. 

  • Kaitlyn Y.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.