I’d wager that after reading that title, most of you will know exactly where this post is going. Why do I say that? Because like me, you’ve probably experienced it firsthand.
Just mention that you’ve watched the latest movie or television show, and as surely as you breathe, someone will chime in and say, “Well, I think the book was so much better.” Whether their intent is to demonstrate their sophistication, or just to let everyone know that they’re literate is hard to say. To these individuals, our enjoyment of the video production of the book is a less-than-cerebral indulgence born of ignorance, or maybe sloth. But simply reading a book, as we all know, does not make someone an intellectual. Reading is, after all, a skill one acquires in grade school.
When you consider how many changes must be made to a book in order to make it into a movie, it’s safe to assume that someone who has read the book first will find the movie to be a disappointment. On the other hand, if they’ve watched the movie first, they’ll find that what the producers were able to do with actors and cameras and special effects could never have been captured by written words. Each format has limitations and advantages. To say that one is better than the other is not reasonable – it’s an illogical argument. Consider that a poem about a painting is not better than the painting itself any more than the painting is better than the poem. Each stands alone and each possesses qualities that the other cannot. A wise observer would enjoy them both for what they are.
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Copyright © 2013 Mark E. North. All Rights Reserved.
The young nursing assistant entered Charlie Talbot’s room with a smile and asked, “How are you feeling today, Mr. Talbot?” She was carrying a lunch tray and as she sat it on the stand next to his bed continued, “Are you comfortable?”
Copyright © 2013 Mark E. North. All Rights Reserved.
