21 Great Books with Just-As-Great Movie Versions

From the first page, you are plunged with little explanation into the violence (and the vernacular) of the "droogs" in Burgess' futuristic dystopia, and its up to you to sort it all out. Figuring out the language is half the fun, while the other half comes from the vivid, surreal imagery (probably why it lent itself so well to the movie adaptation). Shocking and thought-provoking from beginning to end.

Ah... love! Sometimes a girl needs to curl up with a good book- one with passion, friendship, hope, adventure, and of course, two lovers who are separated by a great distance. Don’t watch the movie, read the book instead!

If you liked the movie, you'll love this book. It's like having the characters bigger than life, expanding into Puzo's creation of character, and explanations of what's really going on in this tale set in the brutal world of organized crime. The secret of the Godfather? It's a story of a family, a desperate family from desperate times, who claw their way to the American Dream, only to find the past is not easily escaped. Leave the gun, take the canoli.

A great book and without saying a single word about the plot, I'll recommend it for anyone who wants to understand the meaning of the word 'dignity'.

I read the book first, then found out it was going to be made into a movie. I was anxious about it — could a movie possibly be as good as the book? Could it capture the intricate emotions of the characters on film? Would it be true to the book or would I walk out of the theater disappointed, with a slight distaste in my mouth? So when it came to the theater, I had mixed feelings about going to see it. Finally I gave in: I wanted to know the answer to my questions. I felt as though there was a push/pull about seeing it on film but I wanted to see if they succeeded in painting the book on film. And, guess what? It followed the book almost exactly. So much so that the film seemed to fit right over the words I'd read: powerful, filled with tension, capturing the emotions of *each* character perfectly. I relived the story as if it was the first time I heard the words, felt the emotions, dreaded knowing what I knew. It was great! Read the book first, letting the story etch itself in your memory. After, see the movie and relive it as if you had never read the book! A double whammy!!

The first time I read this book, I wasn't completely convinced of its genius. But upon a second reading (it's part of my teaching curriculum) I've seen just how fantastic a story teller Kesey actually is. McMurphy's madness and sanity are best detailed through the voice of Chief Bromden and sadly, the movie never takes advantage of this detail.

Slow like the land of Africa in the mid-day heat. You sit in the shade of Isak Dinesen's work and later you're glad you did. Just about the time I'd think "move on" I'd find myself one again enthralled with the life, the land, and the lady. For weeks afterward I could smell the heat, hear the natives, and taste the fruit of this mysterious place. That's great writing.

This is a classic that has and will last through time. Any woman with a romantic soul has searched for her Mr. Darcy! Once you read it, it stays with you and there is nothing you can do but read the rest of Austen's books...

Although the Ang Lee film was possibly the richest and most faithful adaptation of an Austen novel — and an excellent film — the book still has so much more to offer. Inevitably, a film is short and focuses on the romances in the plot line. The novel is much much broader than this — Jane Austen dissects the social strictures of her time with a keen and amused eye; characters are far more developed; the story unfolds at a more measured and richer pace. Most of all, you hear Jane Austen's writing voice. Witty, incisive, intelligent, wry. An astonishing observer of people, motivations, emotions and consequences. From her we learn that circumstances might have changed in 200 years, but people haven't.

Mind-melding with characters isn't unusual for most readers, but Silence of the Lambs takes the experience to an entirely different level. You will seamlessly enter the mind of one of the most famous psychopathic characters in literature and vascillate between sympathizing with a killer and joining the BAU in the chase.

I still adore the Wizard of Oz and have read it many times. It is very different from the movie in some crucial ways. It is a little old-fashioned in writing, but who can resist a little girl against the world, who learns to find herself? Lovely bits of imagination from the Cowardly Lion, brave Toto, and the flying monkeys.

This is a bonus 22nd book. It wasn't mentioned at all but it's one of my favorite novels of all time, and it's a rare case where watching the movie makes the excellent book even better, and vice-versa.

I first read this in a seminar on good judgment, after having enjoyed the movie years before. Ishiguro writes masterfully in the first person as a man who can best be described as a butler down to his very soul. His justifications and self-delusions about his own — and others' — failings are brilliantly observed. For those who see the movie, Anthony Hopkins is heart-breakingly perfect in the role.

A classic with which you can’t go wrong. Atticus Finch, steady, firm, compassionate and single father of two provides the moral grounding for the book. His defense of Tom Robinson inspires us all to want to stand up and do the right thing.