Thank you for inviting me to do a guest post, Brandi!
I would love to hear what you and your readers think about something that I have been pondering: Should books ever be made into movies?
Now, don’t get me wrong. I love movies. A lot. But they are a very different form of storytelling. A movie is like a poem. There is a unity in film storytelling, a briefness that frames it and makes it poignant. And in my experience, the best movies were conceived as movies. Movies can call our hearts out of us, but they are not our own. Not in the way books are.
While a movie is the creation of a director, given to us as a gift, a book is a co-creation between a writer and reader. The characters don’t come to life before a reader’s eyes. They come to life in a reader’s heart and mind.
Movies are over after a brief flicker in the dark, over in one sitting. Books have more time to spend with the reader. You may put a book down and go about your day thinking about the story or characters.
Take Finn Mac Cumhaill from Tyger Tyger for example. What does Finn really look like? Close your eyes and remember him: the sexiest, most courageous guy you can think of. Add an Irish accent, a bit of swagger. There you go. That’s your Finn. Partly my creation, sure. But really more your own. He came to life in your head and heart. I just planted the seeds he sprang from.
I have favorite movies that were made from books. But … I can’t say that the story didn’t lose substance the process of becoming a movie. It is as if someone has drawn a beautiful, flickering ghost out of the book I love.
So … let’s discuss it. Do you think books should be made into movies?
Kersten Hamilton
Thank you and I look forward to hearing what my readers think!!
