Movies Based on Books

If you are like many 21st century homes in America you probably have a Netflix account.  Did you ever notice the section Movies Based on Books?  Why is it that movies that are created from the pages of a book tend to be better?  I think it is because when you are writing a book, you can’t rely on special effects to keep your audience captivated.  The plot, scenes and every character need to stand on their own.  You can see the skill of the writer who can paint a picture with words that can’t be matched on the screen!  I actually feel lazy when I see a good movie that was based on a book I have not read.  Almost without exception, people will tell you the movie was “good” but it didn’t do justice to the book.  I liked the movie The Hobbit based on the book by J.R. Tolkien, but I remember sitting down with the hard cover book late at night as a kid.  Gollum was scarier in the book!  Go read some classic books “my precious!”