From SRP author Mark Posey:
I’m about to start reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir before seeing the movie adaptation. I’ve done this many times over the years—read the book first, then watch the film version—and I keep coming back to the same conclusion: Books are usually better. Not always. But usually.
That’s not meant as a shot at movies. I love movies. A great film can do things a book can’t: performance, music, visuals, atmosphere, the shared electricity of seeing something unfold in real time. But books have one enormous advantage—they get inside the story in a way no camera ever fully can.
A novel can take you into a character’s mind. It can slow down and linger. It can give you the tiny thoughts, doubts, regrets, and private moments that make someone feel real. It can build a world one detail at a time and let your imagination do the casting, set design, and special effects.
That’s hard to beat.
And yet… every now and then a movie comes along that improves on the source material, or at least surpasses it in some way. Maybe it tightens the story. Maybe the performances elevate everything. Maybe the book was good, but the movie was something special.
So now I’m curious: Have you ever seen a movie that was better than the book? If so, tell me which one. I’d love to hear your picks.
Meanwhile, Tracy and I have also been watching The Day of the Jackal, and it has been superb. Smart, tense, stylish, and exactly the sort of thriller that reminds you how satisfying precision storytelling can be when it’s done well. We’re enjoying it immensely and already looking forward to Season Two.
Not a bad season around here: one great book about to begin, and one great thriller on the screen.
That’ll do nicely.
–Mark