We had a fun discussion this week about books that had been made into movies. Some really great books have been made into movies. Some films were as good or better than the book, while others just didn't work for some of us. Some movies stay true to the book, while others leave out characters or change endings. Here's a list of the books we discussed.
Forrest Gump : a novel
Winston Groom
FICTION Groom Winston
Fiction
Six foot six, 242 pounds, and possessed of a scant IQ of 70, Forrest Gump is the lovable, surprisingly savvy hero of this classic comic tale. His early life may seem inauspicious, but when the University of Alabama’s football team drafts Forrest and makes him a star, it sets him on an unbelievable path that will transform him from Vietnam hero to world-class Ping-Pong player, from wrestler to entrepreneur. With a voice all his own, Forrest is telling all in a madcap romp through three decades of American history.
All creatures great and small.
James Herriot
636.089 /Herriot
Memoir
British veterinary surgeon James Alfred Wight, better known by his pen name James Herriot, wrote a semi-biographical 8 book series set in the 1930s-1950s about his life as a veterinarian in the Yorkshire Dales, the animals he treated and their owners. He set the books in the fictional town of Darrowby, based on a combination of towns of Thirsk, Richmond, Leyburn and Middleham. The first book was published in the UK in 1970. When the series was published in the US they were collected into three omnibus volumes: All Creatures Great and Small ('72), All Things Bright and Beautiful ('74), and All Things Wise and Wonderful ('77).
The basis of the 1975 feature film starring Simon Ward and Anthony Hopkins, the 1978 BBC television series starring Christopher Timothy and Robert Hardy, and the 2020 television series by PBS/channel 5 (UK) starring Nicholas Ralph and Samuel West.
- Beth
Nobody's fool
Richard Russo
FICTION Russo, Richard
Fiction
This slyly funny, moving novel about a blue-collar town in upstate New York—and in the life of Sully, of one of its unluckiest citizens, who has been doing the wrong thing triumphantly for fifty years—is a classic American story.
Adapted into the 1994 feature film Nobody's Fool starring Paul Newman, Bruce Willis and Jessica Tandy.
- Beth
The Thorn Birds
Colleen McCullough
FICTION McCullough, Colleen
Fiction
A magnificent saga of dreams, struggles, dark passions, and forbidden love in the Australian outback. The Thorn Birds is a chronicle of three generations of Clearys—an indomitable clan of ranchers carving lives from a beautiful, hard land while contending with the bitterness, frailty, and secrets that penetrate their family. It is a poignant love story, a powerful epic of struggle and sacrifice, a celebration of individuality and spirit. Most of all, it is the story of the Clearys' only daughter, Meggie, and the haunted priest, Father Ralph de Bricassart—and the intense joining of two hearts and souls over a lifetime, a relationship that dangerously oversteps sacred boundaries of ethics and dogma.
Adapted into the 1983 television miniseries The Thorn Birds starring Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward.
- Beth
The godfather
Mario Puzo
FICTION Puzo, Mario
Fiction
Originally published in 1969 the novel details the story of a fictional Mafia family in New York City (and Long Beach, New York), headed by Vito Corleone. The Corleone family fights a mob war with the Five Families of the New York Mafia in the years after World War II. The novel covers the years 1945 to 1955 and provides the back story of Vito Corleone from early childhood to adulthood.
Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo turned the book into the screenplay that eventually became Coppola's 1972 classic film starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino.
- Beth
The collected stories of Philip K. Dick. Vol. 1 : the King of the Elves [1947-1952]
Philip K Dick
SCIENCE FICTION Dick, Philip K.
Science Fiction
This generous collection contains 22 stories and novellas by Dick, one of the seminal figures of 20th century science fiction. They provide an ideal introduction to one of the most singular imaginations of the modern era. Contains: Stability -- Menace react -- Roog -- The little movement -- Beyond lies the wub -- The gun -- The skull -- The defenders -- Mr. Spaceship -- Piper in the woods -- The infinites -- The preserving machine -- Expendable -- The variable man -- The indefatigable frog -- The crystal crypt -- The short happy life of the brown Oxford -- The builder -- Meddler -- Paycheck -- The great C -- Out in the garden -- The king of the elves -- Colony -- Prize ship -- Nanny.
The novella Paycheck became the 2003 John Woo film Paycheck starring Ben Affleck, Aaron Eckhart and Uma Thurman.
- Beth
We can remember it for you wholesale : and other classic stories
Philip K Dick
SCIENCE FICTION Dick, Philip K.
Science Fiction
"This collection draws from the writer's earliest short and medium-length fiction (including several previously unpublished stories) during the years 1952-1955..." Contains: The cookie lady -- Beyond the door -- Prominent author -- We can remember it for you wholesale -- Jon's world -- The cosmic poachers -- Progeny -- Some kinds of life -- Martians come in clouds -- The commuter -- The world she wanted -- A surface raid -- Project : Earth -- The trouble with bubbles -- Breakfast at twilight -- A present for Pat -- The hood maker -- Of withered apples -- Human is -- Adjustment team -- The impossible planet -- Imposter -- James P. Crow -- Planet for transients -- Small town -- Souvenir -- Survey team.
The novella "We can remember if for you wholesale" became the 1990 Paul Verhoeven film Total Recall starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone and Michael Ironside.
- Beth
Blade runner : (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep)
Philip K Dick
SCIENCE FICTION Dick, Philip K.
Science Fiction
First published in 1968, the novel is set in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco, where Earth's life has been greatly damaged by a nuclear global war, leaving most animal species endangered or extinct. The main plot follows Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter who is tasked with "retiring" (i.e. killing) six escaped Nexus-6 model androids, while a secondary plot follows John Isidore, a man of sub-par IQ who aids the fugitive androids. Originally set in In 1992, which was changed in latter editions to 2021.
Became the 1982 Ridley Scott film Blade Runner starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer and Sean Young.
- Beth
A room with a view
E. M. (Edward Morgan) Forster
FICTION Forster, E. M.
Fiction
A Room with a View is a 1908 novel by English writer E. M. Forster, about a young woman in the restrained culture of Edwardian era England. Set in Italy and England, the story is both a romance and a humorous critique of English society at the beginning of the 20th century.
Became the 1985 film of the same title, directed by James Ivory and starring Maggie Smith and Helena Bonham Carter.
- Beth
The lightning thief
Rick Riordan
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Riordan, Rick
Young Adult
Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse -- Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon, a mystery unfolds and together with his friends -- one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena -- Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.
The basis for the 2010 film Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief directed by Chris Columbus starring Logan Lerman.
- Beth
A walk to remember
Nicholas Sparks
FICTION Sparks, Nicholas
Fiction
This novel tells the love story of Landon Carter and Jamie Sullivan. Set in 1958 in North Carolina, Landon and Jamie both attend Beaufort High but are worlds apart. Jamie is the minister’s daughter, studies hard, and is shy. Landon, on the other hand, is mixed in with the ‘wrong crowd,’ and does not mind living on the edge despite the trouble he might land in. As these two fall unexpectedly in love, they are just as unexpectedly torn apart as tragedy strikes.
Adam Shankman directed the 2002 film starring Mandy Moore and Shane West.
- Beth
The notebook
Nicholas Sparks
FICTION Sparks, Nicholas
Fiction
The Notebook is a 1996 novel by Nicholas Sparks. The story centers on the relationship between Noah Calhoun and Allie Nelson. Spanning over five decades, their love endures an uncertain beginning, the onset and conclusion of World War II, the death of one child, and Allie’s eventual diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Became the 2004 Nick Cassavetes film of the same title, starring Gena Rowlands, Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, and James Garner.
- Beth
The cider house rules
John Irving
FICTION Irving, John
Fiction
Set in the pre– and post–World War II era, The Cider House Rules is about a young man, Homer Wells, growing up under the guidance of Dr. Wilbur Larch, an obstetrician and abortionist. The story relates his early life at Larch's orphanage in Maine and follows Homer as he eventually leaves the nest and comes of age in the world.
Lasse Hallström directed the 1999 film version starring Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron, and Michael Caine.
- Beth
The girl with the dragon tattoo
Stieg Larsson
FICTION Larsson, Stieg
Fiction
The disappearance forty years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young scion of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden, gnaws at her octogenarian uncle, Henrik Vanger. He is determined to know the truth about what he believes was her murder. He hires crusading journalist Mikael Blomkvist, recently at the wrong end of a libel case, to get to the bottom of Harriet's disappearance. Lisbeth Salander, a twenty-four-year-old, pierced, tattooed genius hacker, possessed of the hard-earned wisdom of someone twice her age--and a terrifying capacity for ruthlessness--assists Blomkvist with the investigation. This unlikely team discovers a vein of nearly unfathomable iniquity running through the Vanger family, an astonishing corruption at the highest echelon of Swedish industrialism--and a surprising connection between themselves.--From publisher description.
David Fincher directed the 2011 film version that starred Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, and Christopher Plummer.
- Beth
At home in Mitford
Jan Karon
FICTION Karon, Jan
Fiction
The first book in the Mitford Years series by Jan Karon. It’s easy to feel at home in Mitford. In these high, green hills, the air is pure, the village is charming, and the people are generally lovable. Yet, Father Tim, the bachelor rector, wants something more. Enter a dog the size of a sofa who moves in and won’t go away. Add an attractive neighbor who begins wearing a path through the hedge. Now stir in a lovable but unloved boy, a mystifying jewel theft, and a secret that’s sixty years old. Suddenly, Father Tim gets more than he bargained for. And readers get a rich comedy in which mysteries and miracles abound.
Became the 2017 Hallmark Television film of the same title, starring Andie MacDowell, Cameron Mathison, and Ken Tremblett.
- Beth
The hunt for Red October
Tom Clancy
FICTION Clancy, Tom
Fiction
The Soviets' new ballistic-missile submarine is attempting to defect to the United States, but the Soviet Atlantic fleet has been ordered to find and destroy her at all costs. Can Red October reach the U.S. safely? Gripping military thriller about the chase after a top-secret Russian missilesubmarine.
John McTiernan directed the 1990 film version which starred Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, and Scott Glenn .
- Beth
One for the money
Janet Evanovich
MYSTERY Evanovich, Janet
The book #1 in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, introduces us to recenly out of work department store lingerie buyer Stephanie Plum. What do you do when your car's been repossessed, and most of your furniture and small appliances have been sold off to pay last month's rent and now the rent is due again. And you live in New Jersey. What do you do? If you're Stephanie Plum, you become a bounty hunter working for your cousin. But not just a nickel-and-dime bounty hunter; you go after the big money.
Became the 2012 film directed by Julie Anne Robinson and starring Katherine Heigl.
- Beth
Perfume : the story of a murderer
Patrick Süskind
FICTION Suskind, Patrick
Fiction
An acclaimed bestseller and international sensation, Patrick Suskind's classic novel provokes a terrifying examination of what happens when one man's indulgence in his greatest passion—his sense of smell—leads to murder.
Tom Tykwer directed the 2006 film version by the same title, starring Ben Whishaw, Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman.
- Beth
Stardust
Neil Gaiman
SCIENCE FICTION Gaiman, Neil
Science Fiction
Life moves at a leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall—named after the imposing stone barrier which separates the town from a grassy meadow. Here, young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the beautiful Victoria Forester and for the coveted prize of her hand, Tristran vows to retrieve a fallen star and deliver it to his beloved. It is an oath that sends him over the ancient wall and into a world that is dangerous and strange beyond imagining...
Matthew Vaughn directed the 2007 film version which starred Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Sienna Miller.
- Beth
Red bones
Ann Cleeves
MYSTERY Cleeves, Ann
Mystery
In the aftermath of a young archaeologist's discovery of human remains that may be modern, Jimmy Perez is called in to investigate a case that is further complicated by the subsequent murder of an elderly woman.
Red Bones is the third book in Ann Cleeves Shetland Island series, which was turned into the ITV Studios/BBC One "Shetland" television series starring Douglas Henshall, Alison O'Donnell and Steven Robertson.
- Beth
Atonement : a novel
Ian McEwan
FICTION McEwan, Ian
Fiction
In 1935 England, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses an event involving her sister Cecilia and her childhood friend Robbie Turner, and she becomes the victim of her own imagination, which leads her on a lifelong search for truth and absolution.
Joe Wright directed the 2007 film version of Attonement, starring Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, and Brenda Blethyn.
- Beth
Good morning, midnight : a novel
Lily Brooks-Dalton
FICTION Brooks-Dalton Lily
Fiction
"In a world transformed by an unknown disaster, two outsiders must grapple with love, regret, and survival. Augustine, a brilliant and aging astronomer, refuses to evacuate his remote research post when news of a catastrophe arrives. He and a mysterious child, left behind in the evacuation, are trapped alone in the Arctic Circle, with no one responding to their radio calls. Meanwhile, Mission Specialist Sullivan is on a long return flight from Jupiter. When she and her fellow astronauts discover that Mission Control has fallen silent, and that they must find their way home without help, she wonders if she will ever return to the daughter and the life she left behind. As their stories gradually intertwine, Augustine and Sully each confront uncertain futures and question the regrets and sacrifices that have defined their lives -- until the profound and unexpected conclusion, when a powerful answer is offered." -- Page [4] of cover.
George Clooney directed and starred in the 2020 film version.
- Beth
One shot
Lee Child
MYSTERY Child, Lee
Mystery
Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me. And sure enough, from the world he lives in—no phone, no address, no commitments–ex–military investigator Jack Reacher is coming.
The 9th Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child becomes the 2012 film "Jack Reacher" starring Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike and Richard Jenkins.
- Beth
Robert Zemeckis directed the 1994 film version that starred Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise.
- Beth