Read, Watch, Review
Written by Jeff Steele
Michael Crichton became my instant favorite author after reading his novel Westworld (1973). In fact, I read that book six times that same year. I would have likely reread it, except the book was loaned out to a friend who never returned it. Hap y reading, my friend. ~Sigh~
Upon learning that a movie based on the same title WestWorld was coming to the cinema, excitedly, I was there on the opening day, having enjoyed the movie very much. Of course, terminologies such as Streaming, DVD, and even VHS weren’t around back then; therefore, my friend couldn’t borrow the movie from me. ~Wink~
This hooked me on the practice of reading the book before viewing the movie but making a point to do both and hopefully being entertained twice. It s a worthwhile exercise that has only been enhanced over time due to the improvements in video and sound quality we’ve developed along the way.
Technology today has made reading/watching from the same device a reality, so I encourage readers to begin participating in this fun practice too. We’ve arrived at the new year 2022 today. I suggest opening your Kindle or personal library and searching for a book, one on which a movie has been based. Once you’ve found one, either read or reread, watch the film, then review both.
Which did you like best? Did seeing the characters brought to life in the movie change your perception of them compared to the image you had created in your minds-eye? There are lots of ways to score them. Once you’ve begun this practice, at least in my experience, reading becomes more profound with clarity and focus on detail. While the theatrical version brings the worlds and characters to a new visual height.
Here are a few more page-to-screen favorites with book and movie locations.
Jurassic Park
Maximum Ride
Twilight
Jeff Steele, Business Writer and Author 