Books and movies make a good team! It is always fun to read a book and then view and compare the movie version of it. Here are three literary masterpieces that came alive on the big screen recently.
The most well-known film of the summer is the “Odyssey” by filmmaker Christopher Nolan. If one does not remember the story of the Odyssey from junior high/middle school days — AKSPL has copies of it (both in print and e-material). The epic poem by Homer shares the trials and tribulations of Odysseus as he and his crew make their way home after the Trojan War. The library has seen a resurgence of interest in reading the Odyssey since the film came out.
For fans of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz—“Wicked” and “Wicked: For Good,” were two huge films that were on everyone’s list to see. Wicked (the book) by Gregory Maguire tells the backstory of both witches from L. Frank Baum’s original novel. AKSPL has Wicked along with the other books in the series that carry on the legacy of the magical land of OZ.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is a literary work that has had several film adaptations over the years. It was also on many reading lists for high school literature classes. The tortured romance of Cathy and Heathcliff is one that is timeless. The BBC/PBS 2009 adaptation of Wuthering Heights on DVD is available here at the library. The 2026 film version by Emerald Fennell also offers a new take on this classic work of literature. AKSPL will have that on DVD soon. With both film adaptions it is interesting to see what highlights of the plot are covered and how the costumes are interpreted.
In reading a book and then comparing it to the film there are key questions one can ask. First, does the film follow the original plot of the book or has Hollywood taken a little dramatic license? Second, how are the actors? Do they resemble the characters in the story or not? Can they convince an audience they are these characters on-screen? Third, how are the period details in the movie? Is it set in the correct time period and location or has that changed? Lastly, was the book better or was the movie version better? That is always a spirited debate here with fellow librarians.
AKSPL has all three of the books listed above and two of the films. (Hopefully the “Odyssey” will be released on DVD in the near future). But there are lots of other books and movies to read, watch, and compare!