- Death in Venice – I read the short story, but oh, that wonderful movie!
- Gone with the wind – again, unforgettable movie.
- The Godfather – I read the book decades of years ago. I couldn’t read it now but the movie is still terrific.
- The Forsyte Saga: I have this (in three volumes) three times over the years, but I have to admit that the very first series, with Eric Porter as Soames, was tremendous.
- Brideshead Revisited – who could forget that wonderful series, so rich and deep and colourful, every character perfect.
- A Room with a View. I have read all of E M Forster’s books, and I have seen the movies but this one in particular is an absolute joy and delight.
- Misery. I find it almost impossible to read Stephen King – he’s too much for me – but Misery was a great movie – I’ve never trusted Cathy Bates since!
- The Shining – again a great movie. Who could ever forget Jack Nicholson?
- The Shawshank Redemption. I think I’ve seen it three times, I’ve only read the short story once.
- Brokeback Mountain. When I first read this book, I thought it was the loving-est love story I had ever read and I made everyone I knew read it too. I worried about a movie coming out but it was great, the two guys were marvelous and it looked lovely too.
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Great list. I quite agree – all of the films listed are as good as or better than their book counterparts, especially The Shining and The Godfather – The Shining is an odd one because the film changed quite a bit the story in the book. I think the book Gone with the Wind is as great as the film. Margaret Mitchell did a great job and it is only the merit to her that the story proved to be so cinematic and memorable.
I think I will include in this list also One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (the book did not impress me at all) and Forrest Gump.
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Hello Diana. I have not read the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – or Forrest Gump. It always amazed me how many movies are adapted from books!
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Certainly much more than we think at first! It is amazing – truly original screenplays are few and far between, indeed.
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