I LOVE Alfonso Cuarón’s sci-fi action movie Children of Men. I’ve watched maybe six times and every time, the ending always almost brings me to tears. So when I learned it was adapted from P.D. James’ book of the same name, it was a no-brainer deciding what my next book would be.
After finishing the book, it wasn’t difficult to reach to the conclusion that I enjoyed the movie better.
While James’ book gives a more in-depth look at how human infertility and humanity’s slow death march towards extinction affects the sexual dynamic between men and women and almost demented ways humans try to cope with a world without children or a race of dead men walking, I feel the book dedicates WAY too much time describing the failing of human civilization and the Regrets and guilt of Theo Faron. It’s not even until after 2/3 through the book where it feels like the plot and story are properly paced and stuff of consequence actually begin to happen.
The film’s adaptation by, comparison, feels consistent in its pacing and the world building and woe-is-mes of Theo feel more compact a take up less of the audience’s time.
What books do you feel were worse than its film adaptation and why?
I’m sure NO ONE will remember or relate to this post, but I’ll be honest that the first book that came to mind was the film SOMEWHERE IN TIME, the most tragically romantic movie I have watched to date (though very dated at this point). I loved it so much I read the book by famed horror writer (!!) Richard Matheson. The ending, to me, was far better in the film. I saw this film as a young child and thought, as an adult, I could enjoy watching it again without having my heart ripped out. Nope. I cried buckets, just like I did as a child.