Why Books are Better Than Films

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We all know at least one person who would much rather watch the movie or television series, than read the book. They think, “Why should I spend so many hours, days, weeks or months reading something that I can find out all about within just a few hours of mindless viewing?” It’s understandable that many people prefer to watch films. Films engage you with incredible acting, mind blowing special effects and some seriously cool accompanying music. But people who don’t read are missing out on self absorption, the power of imagination and quite often, unfortunately, quite a lot of the actual story line.

I have never watched a movie that was better than the book. I honestly don’t believe they exist. Books enable you to let your imagination determine the setting according to the way you perceive a particular event, so that the image could not be more perfect for the individual than any movie will ever be able to accomplish. While a movie can only set one scene, a book can set multiple scenes due entirely to imagination. A person’s individual background, past experiences, culture and even gender influence the scene. A movie only has one.

Books enable the reader to absorb themselves into the story rather just being a bystander watching the story take place in front of them on a screen. They are able to feel what the character is feeling, see what the character is seeing and think what the character is thinking. Movies are limited in that you can only feel empathy or sympathy for a character. You can see what happens to them and see how they react and your response is tailored by sound effects, emotional music and well timed tears.

Books are better than movies because they can go into excruciating detail about a particular event or emotion that a character is experiencing. In a movie, a scene with a child sitting on the corner of a sandpit in deep thought can only be that. In a book, the scene can be explained further by the use of metaphors and similes, and other poetic techniques. Even better, a book can explain to you what the character is actually thinking, word for word. Scenes are more memorable because of the excessive use of descriptive and emotive word use that enables your imagination to cook up a scene that is truly unforgettable.

You can talk to anyone about a movie they have seen and the same book they have read, and they will tell you that it was different, that they missed certain scenes or certain gruesome details. Using a couple of current examples, anyone who has read the Game of Thrones books by George R. R. Martin, will tell you that certain events that occur happen differently in the series. They’ll probably tell you that they feel differently about particular characters because of certain scenes that occur in the books that cannot be obtainable on film, such as images of the characters imagination. Or using a similar example, The Walking Dead television series is also extremely different to the graphic novels by Robert Kirkman. Certain major events happen in a different order and characters join the group at different times, among other changes.

Most importantly, books are better than movies because they make you more intelligent and healthy. Viewing movies requires little to no brain function. It’s entertaining and relaxing, but, honestly, it’s a brain-dead activity. You just sit there laid out on the couch, no doubt, eating junk food. When you read books, your brain is active, you learn new words and your vocabulary expands.Reading is, overall, better for your health, your intelligence, and it makes the story far more enjoyable.

 

 

Featured image via AZ Quotes

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