In fact after seeing lots of movies I've ran out and bought the books they were based on to see how much better the book was too the movie. Which is how I ended up reading Lord of the Rings! Saw the first movie and had to find out the ending... too curious to wait for the two other movies!

i've sometimes read the book afterwards but then i am ultimately really disappointed. i don't always read the book first. if i do, its not because there's a movie coming out. the best book to movie was The Hours. what do you think?

Yeah, tdamji, I was just going to mention The Hours. I actually think the movie is slightly better, more powerful lines and a terrific cast.

Anyway. I often don't seek out books that are going to be made into films. If I happen to read the book right before the movie comes out it's probably more of a coincidence.

It depends on the book. For the Nanny Diaries, I won't read the book, but for some others like The Lovely Bones I will definitely read the book first. I guess it depends.

yes, figurine - i also thought the movie was a bit better but then michael cunningham had a part in that too.

I prefer to read the book first, but I find this sometimes makes me judge the movie too harshly. E.g.: I read The Namesake within 6 months before seeing the movie, & every time the movie was slightly different from the book, I went back to the book in my head (i.e. not just enjoying the movie for what it was).

Ideally it would be nice to read the book well before the movie adaptation.

It just depends. I'd rather read the book first, but sometimes the movies deviate so much that it ends up being a disappointment.

I don't really care what order I read the book/see the movie in. Though to me it seems better to see the movie then read the book because I don't find myself shouting obscenties at the screen when they change my favorite part.

You know, I'm a huge bibliophile. I love books and I like to go at books on my own pace (which I have been told, can be very fast), but I also happen to HATE book trends, and trendy books are the usual suspects for adaptation.

That said though, if the book's plot or character seems interesting and the movie is in production or something, I would read it before the movie comes out if I can. It's not necessarily a pre-requisite, but I would prefer it.

BUT if the book poses no interest to me, then I could hardly care less about reading it before the movie.

It HAS happened as well though, that a book that I'd tried to read but couldn't finish, or a book that didn't seem compelling to me at all came out with a movie that caused me to pick the book up to read it. But not very often though. Heheehe.

i'm an avid reader, so i really, really try to read the book first. 9 times out of 10, if i see the movie first i won't read the book (unless people say it's SO good) after i see the movie. i do want to read the nanny diaries, so i'll probably hold out on seeing the movie. it does suck when you read a book and then they botch the movie (like stephen king's desperation), but there's just something about reading them and imagining the story fully in your mind, without the aide of the visuals you picked up while watching the movie.

oh, and beth, you should definitely read the lovely bones, it's really good!

well said wynnkey! i pretty much read anything & everything, but if talk about a certain book due to a movie coming up sparks my interest, then i'll definitely check the book out.

I just realized how long my post was!
Sorry. Thanks to whoever bothers to read it.

I have to say though -- Bridget Jones was a far better movie than the books.

It depends on the book and movie in question, but I usually read the book first, and prefer to, although I would probably be smarter if I didn't! I almost always prefer the book to the movie and get annoyed about the changes, so I might be able to enjoy the movie more if I hadn't read the book. With some books, I refuse to see the movie, just because I know they'll be screwed up so badly. That animated adaptation of The Polar Express, for example.

Sometimes, if I've read the book first I've been really disappointed by the movie. For instance Memiors of a Gheshia didn't translate very well to the screen. Same thing with Beloved, the book was so powerful, but on screen it made very little sense. But, then there are books like the Shining, much better as a movie (the Jack Nicholson version).

I must watch Beloved. I liked the book and thought it would be really interesting to see Thandie Newton in that role.

Hey wynnkey, I read your post. Interesting stuff.

I like reading the book first and i have usually noticed the book is much better than the movie. For example, i loved the book White Oleander but i didnt like the movie that much. I just really hope i dont feel that way about lovely bones and my sisters keeper! I have high hopes for those movies!

I like reading the book first and i have usually noticed the book is much better than the movie. For example, i loved the book White Oleander but i didnt like the movie that much. I just really hope i dont feel that way about lovely bones and my sisters keeper! I have high hopes for those movies!

I like to read the book first so that I can imagine what characters and locations look like. 9 times out of 10 the movie disappoints.

I try to read the book first, but sometimes I'll watch the movie first and then let the book fill in on all the details that the movie was sure to have missed.

it usually happens that I either read a book and then later on it gets made into a movie, or I see a movie and then later on I find out it was a book, so I go and read it.

As much as I would love to read the books, I have 2 toddlers and don't have the time...just the movie for me! And even then I usually wait for Netflix.

I used to read the book first, but I was always disappointed with the movie. They always leave out my favorite part, so now i see the movie first and then read the book.

i'd read the book and not go see this what's going to be horrible movie.. sorry but her acting ...SUCKS

usually i read the book first, but when i watch the movie i'm almost always desapointed particulary if i read the book only a few weeks before i watch the movie. I read Red dragon and the next day i watched the movie and i didn't like it.

Yeah, most of the time I read the book first then go watch the movie. I read the book 'A Walk To Remember' and went to watch the movie went it came out couple of months after. I loved both but the movie made me cry more haha.
But if I have to do a report/essay on a book (and there's a movie for it too) for school, then that's a different story XD lol.

I looove adaptations, so if I don't get around to the book before the movie, I'll try to read it after I see the movie. Sometimes movies spark an interest for me in books I never would have normally read, for instance I had no interest in Harry Potter until I saw the first movie, and then I devoured the first four books. I just like to see how the movies stack up to the books, no matter what order I see them in. One of the best movies I saw last year, Children of Men, I read the book afterwards and discovered that the movie had managed to extract the best plot it could have from a pretty boring book, which makes it a great adaptation in my eyes.

I like to read the book first.

I like to read the book first but usually its just a disappointment-- they seem to always leave out my favorite parts of the books.

I try to read the book first, the book is usually better. The Devil Wears Prada had an awesome ending in the book and a let down ending in the Movie. I was so glad I had read the book! YaYa was the same!

I actually would rather see the movie first, then read the book... The book usually goes into a lot more detail, which enhances my vision on the movie (if I've already seen it), whereas, if I've already read the book, I am too critical of the stuff the movie left out! (like they could really fit 600 pages into a neat 2 hr. block...ha!)

I just finished reading Shopgirl, which is one of my favorite movies

I usually like to read the book first; however, if I see a movie that I really liked based on a book then I'll probably read it.

But, when I really like a book and it's adapted into a movie, the movie generally sucks. Especially when they alter or completely change the ending as they did with Circle of Friends.

I usually don't have time to read books so I just settle for the movie. Having said that, I happened to have read The Nanny Diaries a long time ago.

i love to read so when i find out a movie that is about to be released is based on a book. i rush to read. so many movies now are based on books. Harry Potter, the Lord of The Rings, Narnia, Bridge to Teribithia. and i can't wait to see The Other Boleyn Girl. i finished the book earlier this year. good stuff

If you read the book first, chances are you won't like the movie as much because it won't be exactly as you pictured it. But if you see the movie first and then read the book, it adds more depth to the characters/plot. Thus explaining why I like to see the movie first and then read the book, that way I'm a happier consumer rather than a nitpicky, unsatisfied one!

I read a lot, so most of the times I read the book first, and I get disapointed, because the movie is almost never as good as the book.
So, if I know there's going to me a movie, I wait with the book, and enjoy both. Problem is, I useally have to avoid a lot of spoilers...

I love to read so I do try to read the book first. And actually 9 times out of 10, I usually do. I agree with darkbeauty that the movie always never lives up to my expectaions from the book. I felt that way when I saw The Devil Wears Prada. I had read the book a few months before the movie even came out and although I LOVED the movie, I kept remembering parts of the book that I wish had been included.
To me, reading a book let's you imagine the characters and situations so it makes it more fun.

I would like to read the book, but doubt it will happen. I will read a book after I see a movie. It does bother if I do that.

I usually like to read the book first but it's not the end of the world if I don't. Sometimes I will read the book afterwards just to see how much they differ.

Totally agree with wynnkey about Bridget Jones - movie much better than book

Most of the time if i read the book first, then I am disappointed with the movie. If I see the movie first, I can still enjoy the book. But I never go out of my way to see the movie first.

It really depends on the book and film. I could read first watch later, watch first read later, only read, or only watch. It all depends on the story and script.

(I really hope that made sense )

I prefer to read the book first, but it won't stop me from seeing a movie if I haven't.

i try to read the book first, but if won't be able to get a copy, or i can't finish the book, then i'd go ahead and watch the movie.

case in point: the lord of the rings. i couldn't finish the first book (fellowship of the ring) -- i was having a really hard time with the old english so i just went ahead and watched the trilogy without finishing the series. (i have all three books, and i only attempted to read the first one -- so bad!)

I like to read the book directly after seeing the movie because I use what I've seen in the movie to visualize what's happening in the book, that way the movie isn't ruined for me. As if the book is just a continuation of the movie instead of the basis for a movie.

I'd rather read the book first mostly. Although with some 'lighter' books I'll not bother. For example I have no interest in reading 'The Devil wears Prada', 'Gossip Girl' or any of the Candace Bushnell books.

I rarely do, but more because they change many movies made from books So much
eg Bridget Jones the second one
I was hoping to see something similar than what was in the book

i do the opposite think , first i see the movie and than i'll read the book.

I like to read the book first, because if I see the move first and then read the book, my personal visualizations are tainted. Yes, this does mean that a lot of movies end up disappointing me, but I think that's because a lot of times people try to make movies out of really good books, and there's a lot of places in the movie-making process where a poorly-chosen person can make it a really mediocre movie (script-writer, director, actors, costumers, etc.) It only takes one genius author to write a great book, but it takes hundreds of various types of geniuses working well together to make a great movie. Therefore, I tend to cut adaptations some slack. I still prefer books, though.

I like to read the book first b/c I like to picture the characters myself and then see how closely that translates in the movie. I found that Stephen King's TV Miniseries "The Stand" has, thus far, most closely resembled what I pictured in my head.

I'd rather read the book first, but I don't insist on it

I read about a new book every night or every other night..I read a lot. So most likely I read the book before I see the movie. However, I never read the Nanny Diaries yet. I probably will pick up the book before I see the movie.