Books Vs Movies

May 16th, 2005

When it comes to either watching movies or reading books the latter is, by far, the better option. In countless situations books have been made into movies but in each instance the book prevails. There are many reasons for this but the strongest factor is imagination.

For example, in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' by Ken Kesey the setting takes place on a ward in a hospital. In the movie the picture is clear. Just a hospital with mental patients strolling around; doctors, nurses and aides going about their duties. Not a very important factor. In the book, however, this plays an extremely significant role. The book lets the reader feel what it's like to be inside the body and mind of a mental patient. The author does this by describing intense hallucinations the narrator, Bromden, experiences. One of these hallucinations is what he calls the combine. Bromden sees the ward as part of this huge syndicate that works on people and turns them into selfless automatons. The movie has none of this. Not a single hallucination.

This isn't the fault of the directors, producers, or anyone, for that matter. It's simply the lack of technology available. Some might argue that the movie is outdated and with the advances in the entertainment business perhaps a movie more similar to the book could be created now or in the future. But the point to be made is, imagination is without borders. Technology can only take us so far. Only so much can be done with digital effects and studios. But the human mind is infinite. Anything can be done with imagination.

Some might be skeptical but rest assured, it's the truth. Take the sun, for example. It can be seen everyday glowing brightly but let's say the sun is purple. In your mind you've just created a brand new image. A purple star is, by all means, impossible but there it is bright as day letting off it's bright purple glow in your mind. The imagination is a powerful tool that anyone can use to create stories or imagine stories already written. The fact remains imagination is the most used form of entertainment known to man whether it's children sitting in their cardboard box pretending to battle space aliens or just the average Joe day dreaming about his date later that night.

Not only do books allow the imagination to soar but they also produce