From Pages to Silver Screens

“Eat, Pray, Love” is just one of the most recent books that have made it to the silver screen. And although I’ve never read the book, it’s held a special place at the top of my books-to-read list ever since its author, Elizabeth Gilbert, visited IU in 2008.

But now that it’s a movie, I’m stuck with the dilemma of movie vs. book — which will be better?

To be fair, I should read the book and watch the movie. That way, all I have to do is be decisive and weigh my opinions, which, though easier said than done, is simple.  

And if I get stuck, I can always Google search for book vs. movie worksheets (they exist; I’ve checked) to help me out.

This strategy is logical and fair. Problem solved.

But not so fast.

Now I’m faced with the task of which to do first: read the book and then see the movie? Or watch the movie and then read the book?

I’ve always thought that choosing to read the book first and then standing by it as better than the movie is the most chivalrous option. By choosing the book over the movie, I am defending literature and preventing the death of leisure reading.

This is crazy logic, I know. But every time I’m on the fence about which was better, it’s that logic that makes me pick the book.

And I know it’s not fair, because usually the movies are good — and sometimes probably better than the books. But I have a sneaking suspicion that movie lovers probably lean toward the movie being better, just like I lean toward the book.

But when I see the movie first, it’s like I’m giving in and betraying reading. So I try to make it up to myself by declaring that I will — I WILL — read the book now that I have seen the movie. And sometimes I do.

Most of the time, I don’t.

I can claim it’s because I’m busy, but the truth is, reading the book after seeing the movie takes the fun out of reading the book. Everything is preset for me. I know the plot and I know how to picture the characters and the settings. The only thing I gain is plot details that might have been cut out of the movie version.

But if I read the book first, the plot is new and exciting as I turn each page. I am free to picture the characters and locations how I think they should look by drawing from my own life and experiences. Then, when I watch the movie, I can compare my interpretation of the book to Hollywood’s interpretation.

The differences can show me new ways of thinking. And then when I read the book again, I can combine what I like best about my version and what I like best about the movie version to have the best of both worlds — a la Miley Cyrus.

So maybe choosing to read the book first is simple. After all, the best of both worlds is a rare thing when you don’t live in a TV show.