I LOVE Alfonso Cuarón’s sci-fi action movie Children of Men. I’ve watched maybe six times and every time, the ending always almost brings me to tears. So when I learned it was adapted from P.D. James’ book of the same name, it was a no-brainer deciding what my next book would be.
After finishing the book, it wasn’t difficult to reach to the conclusion that I enjoyed the movie better.
While James’ book gives a more in-depth look at how human infertility and humanity’s slow death march towards extinction affects the sexual dynamic between men and women and almost demented ways humans try to cope with a world without children or a race of dead men walking, I feel the book dedicates WAY too much time describing the failing of human civilization and the Regrets and guilt of Theo Faron. It’s not even until after 2/3 through the book where it feels like the plot and story are properly paced and stuff of consequence actually begin to happen.
The film’s adaptation by, comparison, feels consistent in its pacing and the world building and woe-is-mes of Theo feel more compact a take up less of the audience’s time.
What books do you feel were worse than its film adaptation and why?
TV series, but, The Magicians. The books are very up their own ass, tbh. They feel like they were written to prove a point that starts with “well, actually.” The show, despite the writing being absolute garbage in some spots (don’t try to figure out the timeline of season 1, the answer is the writers forgot to think about it), makes the same point without slapping your hand for starting to have fun.
The book (couldn’t read past the first one) really feels like it were written by someone who despises fantasy and thinks anybody who enjoys fantasy is an idiot. And like he doesn’t even care for his own plot, because the pacing’s awful.
I absolutely adored The Magicians (show).
It was just dumb fun most of the time, but had some genuinely touching/evocative moments.
The >!funeral for Quentin, and him letting go and departing for the afterlife!< was absurdly gut wrenching for a fucking SciFi channel show.
I’ve enjoyed the show but held off on reading the books because I’ve heard similar feedback on them before.