Book Review: But Have You Read the Book?

“Which version is better, the book or the movie?” is a favorite discussion among film fans.

Those who enjoy this question can contemplate the topic at length when reading BUT HAVE YOU READ THE BOOK? 52 LITERARY GEMS THAT INSPIRED OUR FAVORITE FILMS by Kristen Lopez.

It’s the latest book from TCM and Running Press, which over the last few years has built an impressive reputation publishing well-written, visually enticing film books.

Lopez, who previously blogged at Journeys in Classic Film, has in recent years been writing for Indiewire and currently The Wrap.

The pleasure of reading BUT HAVE YOU READ THE BOOK? begins with its design, by Katie Benezra; it’s a compact hardcover the size of a large paperback. Weighing roughly a pound, it's easy to hold or carry around in a bag to pick up during free moments. It also has a very nice cover illustration, hinting at some of the films and books to be discussed inside.

I was initially surprised that a book from TCM contains zero movie stills, but it’s beautifully illustrated with drawings in blue, black, and white by Jyotirmayee Patra, and I ultimately appreciated the design choices made. The colors used in the illustrations complement those used for the chapter titles and text. My favorite illustration, seen here, was for WUTHERING HEIGHTS.

As indicated by the subtitle, Lopez discusses 52 movies and books, which are listed chronologically by each film's release date in the table of contents. It was an impressive undertaking, given the author’s time investment in reading and analyzing that many novels, along with viewing the corresponding films.

In each case Lopez succinctly compares novel to film, with four to five pages devoted to each title. She analyzes similarities and differences as well as the relative strengths of each version. Bits of trivia and information on additional film versions are presented in brief sidebars.

I admit I occasionally got lost in whether the film or book was being discussed; part of my confusion arose because when a book is discussed, the characters are mentioned with the film actors’ names in parentheses, giving me a handful of "Wait, what?" moments where I had to regain my bearings. However, this is an understandable challenge in writing such comparisons, and for the most part I felt the author did well maintaining clarity.

Some of the classic film era titles discussed in the book include favorites such as REBECCA (1940), MILDRED PIERCE (1945), and GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953).

As a classic film fan I was disappointed that only nine of the book’s 52 films predated 1960, as there are so many wonderful options to discuss from those decades. It seemed a little odd that a book from TCM wouldn’t have a more balanced approach, rather than weighting over 80% of the book toward the last six decades; there are nearly as many titles (eight) from the 1960s alone as there are from the multiple decades preceding it.

Some novels which were filmed multiple times, such as LITTLE WOMEN and THE GREAT GATSBY, are discussed in comparison to the most recent filming, rather than a classic-era version. Perhaps TCM and the author hoped to appeal to a greater number of younger readers with the focus on more recent decades? Regardless, this is a topic which could easily invite a second volume...or even a third, and I would enjoy reading such a sequel.

Despite my surprise at the relatively small number of films discussed from the first few decades of movies, it’s important to review what is and not necessarily what one expected; viewed from that standpoint Lopez does a fine job. Indeed, I rarely read novels these days, prioritizing nonfiction, but she succeeded in interesting me in checking out books such as THE GODFATHER by Mario Puzo and CRAZY RICH ASIANS by Kevin Kwan; I enjoyed each film, and her discussions of the variations from the books were quite interesting. She managed to pack considerable information into a fairly small space.

Given my enjoyment of nonfiction, I might even check out THE ACCIDENTAL BILLIONAIRES by Ben Mezrich, which was the basis for THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010).

BUT HAVE YOU READ THE BOOK? can be read straight through, as I did, or serve as a companion for an individual’s personal exploration comparing the books and movies discussed one by one. Either way, it’s a brisk, enjoyable read.

The book is 240 pages including bibliography.

Thanks to TCM and Running Press for providing a review copy of this book.

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