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Azaelia of Willowbottom · 07-05-2004, 01:03 PM

I read the books before seeing the movies, and I like it better that way. I have a vision of Middle-Earth in my head that is pretty much untouched by PJ's movies because I let my imagination do the work before I sat down and let PJ's take over. It's not that the movies are bad: they're the best I've ever seen, it's that I love having my own picture of the story. Also, I think it's *easier* to read the books first because your expectations aren't touched by what the movie was, and you won't get bored if things move a bit slow and the battles aren't as nonstop as they are in the movie. I say this because one of my friends tried reading FOTR after seeing the movie, and she couldn't make it past the chapter, The Council of Elrond. I think that the movie is, in part, an action movie. Things move right along and the battles are long and drawn-out. (I'm thinking specifically of Helm's Deep, which took up a huge chunk of TTT that could have been better used) Anyway, what I'm saying is that her expectations were made by the movie. Reading the books before the movie somewhat eliminates that.

There are problems with books before the movie... You may get mad when your favorite book scene is botched, the little differences add up and start to annoy. You know when something's been changed, and not necessarily for the better. I tend not to let this get to me, but my book-loving friend really was made angry by the movies. In general, the people who I've talked to (except for my friend the Council of Elrond quitter) who read the books after the movie seem to have the attitude that "the movie was good and the books were awesome", while some book fans seem to have the attitude, "The books were so much better than the movie!" Maybe that's just my experiance... I certainly don't mean to generalize... I just think it's easier to have the more positive opinion when you read the books second. Of course, I've met many like myself who have read the books before seeing the movie and still think that the movie is excellent while loving the books.

07-05-2004, 01:03 PM	#10
Azaelia of Willowbottom Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: By the Sea Posts: 446	I read the books before seeing the movies, and I like it better that way. I have a vision of Middle-Earth in my head that is pretty much untouched by PJ's movies because I let my imagination do the work before I sat down and let PJ's take over. It's not that the movies are bad: they're the best I've ever seen, it's that I love having my own picture of the story. Also, I think it's easier to read the books first because your expectations aren't touched by what the movie was, and you won't get bored if things move a bit slow and the battles aren't as nonstop as they are in the movie. I say this because one of my friends tried reading FOTR after seeing the movie, and she couldn't make it past the chapter, The Council of Elrond. I think that the movie is, in part, an action movie. Things move right along and the battles are long and drawn-out. (I'm thinking specifically of Helm's Deep, which took up a huge chunk of TTT that could have been better used) Anyway, what I'm saying is that her expectations were made by the movie. Reading the books before the movie somewhat eliminates that. There are problems with books before the movie... You may get mad when your favorite book scene is botched, the little differences add up and start to annoy. You know when something's been changed, and not necessarily for the better. I tend not to let this get to me, but my book-loving friend really was made angry by the movies. In general, the people who I've talked to (except for my friend the Council of Elrond quitter) who read the books after the movie seem to have the attitude that "the movie was good and the books were awesome", while some book fans seem to have the attitude, "The books were so much better than the movie!" Maybe that's just my experiance... I certainly don't mean to generalize... I just think it's easier to have the more positive opinion when you read the books second. Of course, I've met many like myself who have read the books before seeing the movie and still think that the movie is excellent while loving the books. __________________ "Wherever I have been, I am back."