Top 10 books - Page 2

NatCh · 03-01-2007, 01:09 PM

I don't like the massive omissions, myself, but when you cram 600+ pages, spanning 10 months' worth of happenings, into a 2 hour time frame, leaving stuff out is pretty much inevitable.

I felt like the first one did the best job, but it also was the shortest book, so that would follow.

I'm not saying it's good that it's that way, just that it's sadly unavoidable.

ThomWill · 03-01-2007, 01:28 PM

So, whilst we are hijacking the World Book Day thread, which was the worst book to movie translation (James Bond excluded because so many of the movies had NOTHING to do the the book):

Dune (the two hour Kyle McLachlan debacle) or The animated LOTR)? or others?

yvanleterrible · 03-01-2007, 01:31 PM

Please @JackBNimble! Point out the errors you spotted. I'm very curious as to what I missed.
The only one I found was more of an unnatural character flaw. It happend when young Malfoy paralysed Harry in a train compartment. Being a Deatheater, he should have naturally killed him right then and there. That would have ended the story series would'nt it?

NatCh · 03-01-2007, 01:37 PM

Oh, boy, yvanleterrible, that's quite a can of worms you're opening up!

I think we're meant to believe that Malfoy, while certainly a jerk, as well as a petty thug in training, isn't really a wanton murderer. He certainly is smart enough not to cross that line without a strong reason, and he did have a mission from Voldemort to think of ....

Snassek · 03-01-2007, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThomWill

So, whilst we are hijacking the World Book Day thread, which was the worst book to movie translation (James Bond excluded because so many of the movies had NOTHING to do the the book):

Dune (the two hour Kyle McLachlan debacle) or The animated LOTR)? or others?

The one that really stood out for me was Tom Clancy's "The Sum of all Fears." I think I was shaking my head throughout the whole movie.

NatCh · 03-01-2007, 02:13 PM

That was a pretty gross departure, Snassek, but the all time worst would have to be Battlefield Earth -- I bought my first (used) copy in the middle 80's and it had a blurb on the cover announcing that it was "soon to be a major motion picture." I waited about twenty years for that movie to come out. I wanted to like it very badly. So badly that it took 'til 45 minutes into it before I could admit to myself just how bad it was.

All it shared with the book (which I actually quite liked) was the title, a few character names and a handful of plot points. Otherwise totally different.

I don't know what they were thinking.

Extremely disappointing.

Stingo · 03-01-2007, 02:13 PM

An interesting list if for no other reason than the omissions. No Nabokov or Tolstoy or Ishiguro or Heinlein or Lewis or Clarke. Ishiguro, Lewis and Clarke I would have certainly expected on an English list.

Anyhow I made five of the 10. #2, 4, 6, 9, 10. I guess this exposes my 19th century English lit Achilles heel.

1. "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen.
2. "Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien.
3. "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte.
4. Harry Potter books, by J.K. Rowling.
5. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.
6. The Bible.
7. "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte.
8. "Nineteen Eighty Four" by George Orwell.
9. "His Dark Materials" by Philip Pullman.
10. "Great Expectation" by Charles Dickens.

NatCh · 03-01-2007, 02:19 PM

2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 10 for me. Though I only read Jane Eyre a couple of months ago -- the high-school track I was on didn't read it (I think we read Madame Bovary instead).

In fact, I had a hard time deciding to read J.E. because I'd gotten to enjoy the stunned reactions when folks found out that I hadn't read it. But, it's my wife's most favoritest book of all time, and she did let me talk her into reading Ender's Game, so ....

yvanleterrible · 03-01-2007, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stingo

An interesting list if for no other reason than the omissions. No Nabokov or Tolstoy or Ishiguro or Heinlein or Lewis or Clarke. Ishiguro, Lewis and Clarke I would have certainly expected on an English list.

Of course being the BBC they had to preach for England!

That said, I have not seen many translations that could pass as masterworks. I've seen more become junk. Okay I exagerated .

The story does not always make the book. A lot of times the writing does, that's where a translation buckles a bit.

Azayzel · 03-01-2007, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThomWill

So, whilst we are hijacking the World Book Day thread, which was the worst book to movie translation (James Bond excluded because so many of the movies had NOTHING to do the the book):

Dune (the two hour Kyle McLachlan debacle) or The animated LOTR)? or others?

Wow, this is a can 'o worms too! There are quite a few books-to-movies that I think were slaughtered in the process, to name a few recent ones (I try to forget the bad things in life, perhaps my conscious blocks them for me

):

1. Battlefield: Earth - I read most of the series; the movie totally sucked and had little to do with the series.

2. Eragon - I loved the books so far and the movie cut out so much of the book as it wasn't representable. I had such high hopes, but they were cut short pretty quickly.

3. DaVinci Code - Again, picked wrong actor to portray main character and left out a lot of info.

Hope they don't butcher the Pulman series when it comes out; His Dark Materials - Amber Spyglass

HarryT · 03-02-2007, 04:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

That said, I have not seen many translations that could pass as masterworks. I've seen more become junk. Okay I exagerated .

The story does not always make the book. A lot of times the writing does, that's where a translation buckles a bit.

Hi Yvan,

It may interest you to know that if I had to name my all-time favourite book, it would probably be Alexandre Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo", which I've only ever read in English translation - my French is not good enough to read the original. Translation or not, to my mind it's a masterpiece. My favourite authors are, without any doubt, Dumas and Dickens - I never tire of reading either.

astra · 03-02-2007, 07:02 AM

I have read only The Lord of the Rings(the best fantasy book IMHO)

The Count of Monte Cristo is superb. I read it in Russian twice and I am going to read it again, but this time in English. One of the best books I have read.

yvanleterrible · 03-02-2007, 09:42 AM

'Angels and Demons' or 'Digital Fortress' are much better litterary works than The Code. The 'Code' was mostly favored for the Taboo it brought. Then again, book choices are just as personal as favorite movies. I did like The Code as a book, and they did a credible rendition of it in the movie for such a difficult task, but the main subject was no news to me like to the majority of the 'Code's afficionados.

If you like the way Dan Brown researches to exhibit pearls of knowledge you'll like his other works. If you have religious moral obligations, don't give up on him, 'Digital Fortress' and 'Deception Point' are excellent thrillers, worthy of a movie.

Snassek · 03-02-2007, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

That was a pretty gross departure, Snassek, but the all time worst would have to be Battlefield Earth -- I bought my first (used) copy in the middle 80's and it had a blurb on the cover announcing that it was "soon to be a major motion picture." I waited about twenty years for that movie to come out. I wanted to like it very badly. So badly that it took 'til 45 minutes into it before I could admit to myself just how bad it was.

All it shared with the book (which I actually quite liked) was the title, a few character names and a handful of plot points. Otherwise totally different.

I don't know what they were thinking.

Extremely disappointing.

I have never read the book and after the reviews came in for the movie, I had no desire to see it.

NatCh · 03-02-2007, 11:35 AM

Completely understandable, Snassek. I wish I'd had no desire to see it -- now I have to live with this subliminal Scientology programming they snuck in my head via the movie.

Seriously, though, the book is worth a look if you like SciFi. It's amazing how that book doesn't feel dated like a lot of SciFi seems to once it gets older. Of course, it still might do that in another 20 years or so.

Hubbard was a pretty good story-teller when he wasn't being preachy or just plain nasty-gross.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
What are your top 5 books most wanted as ebooks?	AnemicOak	Reading Recommendations	101	01-21-2019 07:49 AM
Mobile Read - Top 100 Books	Bilbo1967	Reading Recommendations	52	08-05-2011 05:17 AM
CEO of a top 10 book publisher writes about e-books	Bob Russell	News	4	05-20-2009 09:04 AM
USAToday's top selling books of 2004	TadW	Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links)	0	12-22-2004 05:07 AM

03-01-2007, 01:09 PM	#16
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	I don't like the massive omissions, myself, but when you cram 600+ pages, spanning 10 months' worth of happenings, into a 2 hour time frame, leaving stuff out is pretty much inevitable. I felt like the first one did the best job, but it also was the shortest book, so that would follow. I'm not saying it's good that it's that way, just that it's sadly unavoidable.

03-01-2007, 01:28 PM	#17
ThomWill Enthusiast Posts: 31 Karma: 68 Join Date: Nov 2006 Device: PRS-500 (Sony Reader)	So, whilst we are hijacking the World Book Day thread, which was the worst book to movie translation (James Bond excluded because so many of the movies had NOTHING to do the the book): Dune (the two hour Kyle McLachlan debacle) or The animated LOTR)? or others?

03-01-2007, 01:31 PM	#18
yvanleterrible Reborn Paper User Posts: 8,616 Karma: 15446734 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Que Nada Device: iPhone8, iPad Air	Please @JackBNimble! Point out the errors you spotted. I'm very curious as to what I missed. The only one I found was more of an unnatural character flaw. It happend when young Malfoy paralysed Harry in a train compartment. Being a Deatheater, he should have naturally killed him right then and there. That would have ended the story series would'nt it?

03-01-2007, 01:37 PM	#19
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Oh, boy, yvanleterrible, that's quite a can of worms you're opening up! I think we're meant to believe that Malfoy, while certainly a jerk, as well as a petty thug in training, isn't really a wanton murderer. He certainly is smart enough not to cross that line without a strong reason, and he did have a mission from Voldemort to think of ....

03-01-2007, 02:13 PM	#21
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	That was a pretty gross departure, Snassek, but the all time worst would have to be Battlefield Earth -- I bought my first (used) copy in the middle 80's and it had a blurb on the cover announcing that it was "soon to be a major motion picture." I waited about twenty years for that movie to come out. I wanted to like it very badly. So badly that it took 'til 45 minutes into it before I could admit to myself just how bad it was. All it shared with the book (which I actually quite liked) was the title, a few character names and a handful of plot points. Otherwise totally different. I don't know what they were thinking. Extremely disappointing.

03-01-2007, 02:13 PM	#22
Stingo Fanatic Posts: 574 Karma: 1334691 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Miami Device: KH2O, KPW2, KDXG, KPW1, K3, S505	An interesting list if for no other reason than the omissions. No Nabokov or Tolstoy or Ishiguro or Heinlein or Lewis or Clarke. Ishiguro, Lewis and Clarke I would have certainly expected on an English list. Anyhow I made five of the 10. #2, 4, 6, 9, 10. I guess this exposes my 19th century English lit Achilles heel. 1. "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. 2. "Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien. 3. "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte. 4. Harry Potter books, by J.K. Rowling. 5. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. 6. The Bible. 7. "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte. 8. "Nineteen Eighty Four" by George Orwell. 9. "His Dark Materials" by Philip Pullman. 10. "Great Expectation" by Charles Dickens.

03-01-2007, 02:19 PM	#23
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 10 for me. Though I only read Jane Eyre a couple of months ago -- the high-school track I was on didn't read it (I think we read Madame Bovary instead). In fact, I had a hard time deciding to read J.E. because I'd gotten to enjoy the stunned reactions when folks found out that I hadn't read it. But, it's my wife's most favoritest book of all time, and she did let me talk her into reading Ender's Game, so ....

03-02-2007, 07:02 AM	#27
astra The Introvert Posts: 8,307 Karma: 1000077497 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: United Kingdom Device: Sony Reader PRS-650 & 505 & 500	I have read only The Lord of the Rings(the best fantasy book IMHO) The Count of Monte Cristo is superb. I read it in Russian twice and I am going to read it again, but this time in English. One of the best books I have read.

03-02-2007, 09:42 AM	#28
yvanleterrible Reborn Paper User Posts: 8,616 Karma: 15446734 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Que Nada Device: iPhone8, iPad Air	'Angels and Demons' or 'Digital Fortress' are much better litterary works than The Code. The 'Code' was mostly favored for the Taboo it brought. Then again, book choices are just as personal as favorite movies. I did like The Code as a book, and they did a credible rendition of it in the movie for such a difficult task, but the main subject was no news to me like to the majority of the 'Code's afficionados. If you like the way Dan Brown researches to exhibit pearls of knowledge you'll like his other works. If you have religious moral obligations, don't give up on him, 'Digital Fortress' and 'Deception Point' are excellent thrillers, worthy of a movie.

03-02-2007, 11:35 AM	#30
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Completely understandable, Snassek. I wish I'd had no desire to see it -- now I have to live with this subliminal Scientology programming they snuck in my head via the movie. Seriously, though, the book is worth a look if you like SciFi. It's amazing how that book doesn't feel dated like a lot of SciFi seems to once it gets older. Of course, it still might do that in another 20 years or so. Hubbard was a pretty good story-teller when he wasn't being preachy or just plain nasty-gross.

Advert

Advert