8 Phenomenal Books Begging For New Adaptations

Literature is precious, and while it is not always great to think of books as a cheap and transportable substitute for films, but there are a number of classics which are almost begging to be converted into big budget blockbusters. The recent adaptation of The Great Gatsby did not do justice to the book, but it showed that there is a market for these adaptations- the imagery of literature may never truly translate, but the underlying themes can be portrayed with vivid and heart wrenching realism. Many of the entries on this list have already been converted into a movie adaptation, yet either poor special effects, cheap production or the inevitable aging of films mean that there is a fertile foundation for new adaptations; dystopian novels set in the not too distant future could be easily adapted now, whereas to create a futuristic look thirty years ago was incredibly hard- The Terminator was an exception to this in producing a terrifying dystopian future. In an age where people are reading less and less it is important to reinvigorate interest in this most important pastime; Sherlock Holmes€™ cinematic rejuvenation has instigated a renewed interest in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle€™s classic stories. Likewise Twelve Years a Slave and The Great Gatsby have been re-released with new covers linked to the films in order to draw people into these marvellous works; Hollywood does not need to be negatively linked to the world of literature, the two can coexist in a positive relationship. Book adaptations are not always spectacular; Philip Pullman€™s Northern Lights was adapted into the awful Golden Compass film in 2007, and while the recent version of Gatsby could not quite capture the magic of the green light at the end of the bay, it remained reasonably true to the book. Even if a film cannot be adapted into a faithful interpretation of the original, it is a good thing if people go and read into the literary backdrop of the film.