There are many iconic books out there and although many of them have become movies or series, anyone can tell you that this does not mean that reading them is not worth it, in fact, you have to do it if you are a fan of cinema and good stories, especially if we take into account that the adaptations are not always completely faithful to what is told on the pages and often leave out some details that make everything more interesting.
The Shining, for example, has a lot of different things in the book, it even further explains why Jack Torrance had to take his family to spend the whole winter looking after a hotel in the middle of nowhere, and what it is that happens with Danny that allows him to communicate with people who are thousands of miles away. Kubrick’s movie is one of the great horror classics in history, but the book is much better, and that is clear from the first chapter.
And The Shining is not the only case, all kinds of legendary movies started as words on paper (and no, we don’t mean a script), and reading the “source material” always reveals more details and makes you fall in love even more with the characters.
In this article, we will discuss some of the best books that inspired movies.
1. A Clockwork Orange
Anthony Burgess’s novel inspired one of the most controversial films in cinema. It was published in 1962 (causing a revolution) and is a black comedy and dystopian satire in which a teenage protagonist named Alex tells his own story of violent adventures. The booklets us know more about what goes through Alex’s mind during his “recovery”, what motivates him to act, and how he perceives the world around him.
A Clockwork Orange is considered one of the best novels of the 20th century, as well as one of the most influential dystopian books.
2. The Silence of the Lambs
Thomas Harris is the author and creator of the Hannibal Lecter character, who is inspired by a real Mexican doctor. The Silence of the Lambs is on the list of the best mysteries of all time and tells the story of a rookie detective who is sent to meet with a psychiatrist locked up in a prison for people with mental disorders, in order to try to convince him to help the FBI find a serial killer of women. The film is legendary, but the book goes deeper into the stories of each character and even tells some details of the famous villain that did not make it to the cinema.
3. Misery
Stephen King is one of the great masters of horror and he has many books that are worth reading, such as The Green Mile, Carrie or The Talisman (which will be adapted by Steven Spielberg), but Misery is interesting because there are no supernatural elements, the horror is realistic and possible.
The novel tells the story of a writer who, returning to the city from his vacation home, has an accident and is rescued by a woman who claims to be his number 1 fan, but soon reveals that she is angry with the author and decides to force him to change the ending of his last book, through torture, abuse, and drugs that keep him numb.
4. To Kill a Mockingbird
Written by Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic of classics (just like the movie) and is a must-read for any movie fan. The novel was published in 1960 and won a Pulitzer Prize for a story that is loosely based on the family, neighbors, and society that Lee observed during her lifetime.
The novel touches on the themes, delicate themes like racial conflict, featuring an unexpected hero who became a moral benchmark. The story is narrated by Atticus Finch, a lawyer who must defend a man accused of a crime he did not commit, while he tries to prevent his children from having the same prejudices as the rest of society.
5. Fight Club
Chuck Palahniuk is another author whose best books have been turned into movies, and Fight Club is legendary. The novel is full of rage, frustration, and criticism of traditional concepts of masculinity told through the story of two characters who decide to form an underground fight club with which they also try to change the world (although not in the best way).
Those who saw the film already know the ending, but reading the novel is a totally different experience, and that makes it worth your time.
6. Exorcist
The iconic horror movie is based on a book that is based on a true case. Written by William Friedkin, The Exorcist is a brutal book that tells the story of a girl’s satanic possession, and her mother’s and a priest’s attempts to free her soul. The film managed to repeat that same impact visually, but the book tells a longer, more complex, and terrifying story.
7. One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest
Jack Nicholson took home an Oscar for best actor for this 1975 Milos Forman film, which was adapted from Ken Kesey’s famous novel. This is one of those cases where the movie and the book are very different. The novel focuses on the character of Chief and the character of McMurphy (played by Nicholson), who in the original story is a violent criminal and not the rebellious prankster we see in the film.
The two stories are perfect and it is worth knowing both to discover all the secrets of the characters and the different perspectives that are told.
8. Love and Honor in Las Vegas
Directed by Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, and Joe Pesci the movie tells the story of Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein, a mob boss who gives control of one of his casinos to Nicky Santoro. The movie is set in the 70s and it showed the violent behind-the-scenes world of Las Vegas at the time it started. While it was safe for players, blood was being shed in the background. Fortunately, those violent times are long gone and you can play casino games online like slots, jackpots, or even live casinos without having to travel or leaving your home. You can go on a website such as Casumo and play more than 700 games from your mobile phone and pay comfortably with your credit card or PayPal, and without any problems like happens in these types of movies.
The movie is based on the book by Nicholas Pileggi and it goes into more detail with the story.
Conclusion
With vacation season right around the corner, you have to be ready. Either if you go to a big city or if you just escape to an island, a book is always a good pick. This article will provide you with some good reading materials if you are already a fan of the movie.
