When watching or viewing an adaptation of a literary piece we have read, we usually expect the adaptation to repeat or duplicate the experience we acquired by reading the printed version.

Question

When watching or viewing an adaptation of a literary piece we have read, we usually expect the adaptation to repeat or duplicate the experience we acquired by reading the printed version. Do you think this is realistic or not? Expound on your answer.

Answer 1

When we read a book, we become attached to particular events, characters, and relationships within those characters. When production companies are looking to adapt a book into a movie or show, there are unfortunately events and characters that must be rearranged for the entire book to fit into 1.5 to 2 hours time. There are also some scenes which do not transfer well from book to movie. To an extent, we must keep this in mind when watching the "movie version" of our favorite book.

For example. I read the Hunger Games when I was 16 and it took me less than 24 hours because I simply poured over that book and enjoyed it so much. I was 17 when the movie was released and I, of course, saw it in theaters because I was a fan of the series (I preordered Mockingjay). There is a scene in the book which was not transferred into the movie and that is one involving a goat (if you have read the books you will know what I am referencing and if you have not it is not necessary in my example to explain - you should read the books to find out). This is an example of production companies cutting scenes from the book they feel are not necessary to the overall storyline, character development or viewers' attachment. You may feel the scene should definitely have been included in the movie, but, for the movie to not be three hours long (it is already over two hours), they had to eliminate some scenes, and while it may hurt some of those who were very attached to the goat scene from the book, it does not take away from our enjoyment of the movie as a whole.

When we watch an adaptation of a literary piece, viewers understand that, while not everything makes the cut, our overall enjoyment of the adaptation as it pertains to the literature must remain intact. We cannot watch the Hunger Games movie and feel as though the production teams have taken away everything that made it a good read. It is somewhat expected that changes are to be made, but not so many that we lose the meaning.