Never Judge a Book by Its Movie

[Jen Wardrip]

Love it or hate it? How do the big-screen and small-screen versions of your favorite books stack up to the real thing?

[Cheryl C. Malandrinos]

I was a fan of Little House on the Prairie way before I read the books. I know many people who won't watch the show because it strayed so far from the books, but since I fell in love with the show first, I just treat them like totally different entities and enjoy both.

The first two Anne movies--Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea--were very well done. Though they strayed from the books they always seemed to stay in touch with what the books are all about. Sullivan Entertainment has since gone so far away from the books that they are no longer enjoyable to me. I bought Anne 3 on DVD, but rarely watch it and I won't invest in Anne 4 because the actors are no longer the same and they kill Gilbert off in this one. I never understood Sullivan's thinking that Gil and Anne had to be invovled in WWI solely because they had placed the first two movies in different time periods. I never would have known that if he didn't tell us, and I think that is basically an excuse for his straying so far from the books now.

Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys were great on-screen and in print, and my son enjoyed Goosebumps in both mediums too.

Okay, now that I've totally shown my age I will walk away. LOL!