So I am reading “Catching Fire,” the second book of “The
Hunger Games” series. I saw the movie, “The
Hunger Games,” with my daughter weeks ago and then more recently read the
book. I always like seeing the movie
first so that having read the book doesn’t destroy the movie experience for
me. The books are always better. Every reader knows this. Too many times I have read the book first
before they made a movie about something and it leaves a sour taste in my mouth
forever about the movie. They did a good
job on the movie of “The Hunger Games.”
As I am reading “Catching Fire” I am seeing the characters
from the movie in my head act out the scenes of the book as I did when I read “The
Hunger Games.” Only now days as a writer
myself I read books slower, more cognizant of what the writer is doing and how
they are doing it. I pay attention to
the change in emotions and how the words the author uses, the acts the
characters portray, and the things they say change the emotions, feel and pace
of the piece.
As I read a particular passage where it describes the
complicated reasoning and thoughts of one of the characters it dawns on me that
you will miss this part in the movie.
How could they portray and communicate all this internal process of the
characters analysis and thinking without straying from the actual elements of
action in the book. That’s when it hit
me!
It is this moment that thing which I have known all along,
that every reader knows and is such a great part of why reading is wonderful
and will always outlive and surpass all other forms of media expression for
entertainment. It’s because with reading
and a good author you get to read about other people’s thoughts, motivations,
and desires behind the scenes of the action.
It is more interactive than any game, movie or television show could
ever be. Because you can experience what
the characters feel and think. Even if
later their actions betray themselves or others, or they willingly sacrifice
their own wants and desires for the benefit others.
It’s this exchange of emotions, hearing the thoughts and
feelings of the characters which can’t be expressed in any other way and then
snapping back without losing any time to the action at hand. It is this special insight into the
characters that breaks the rules of true life and is at the heart of setting
the tone and emotions for a particular piece of writing.
I thought it was funny that it was right there in front of
me. I fully understood what was going on
in the books I read, but I had never actually verbalized it or rolled it
together into a cognitive thought about the process before. Readers know why the books are always better,
because we get a more infinitely clearer perception of what is truly going on
from the books in a way that can’t be mimicked by other forms of media
attempting to transfer stories. Obviously
television and movies are quicker and easier to digest than picking up a book
and actually reading it. Of course you
miss out on tidbits of motivation and thoughts but can still get a fairly
decent over view of the story.
I will take the work and wait of reading something over
having it spoon fed to me anytime. On
that note I can’t wait to see “Dark Knight Rising!”
It’s a joke and yes I really want to see that movie.
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