Written from the point of view of a murdered child, this disturbing story is now the basis for a new movie release. It has always been common for the movie industry to transform popular books into powerful dramatizations. Perhaps, the producers believe in best-selling books as a hook to bring fans into the theatre. Although the visual appeal of a movie and the special effects that may add to the story impact the viewer, the descriptive detail, the emotions and interactions of the characters and some of the literary devices that set the tone or theme may be difficult to incorporate. Many books have been successfully transposed into movies which are an equally appealing experience, although for different reasons.
The difficulty I have as a reader is in reading a book after having seen the movie. I find that this gives me a bias rather than allowing me to make my own observations and conclusions. I enjoy visualizing the characters and situations in my own way rather than how the producer sees them. Once having seen the movie, it is extremely difficult to picture the characters any other way. Additionally, the suspense in following an intriguing plot and in predicting the outcome is lost having seen a movie first. For these reasons, it is more enjoyable for me to read the book first, then see the movie. I am able to compare and discuss the two experiences afterwards in a way that would be impossible in a reverse situation.
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