This isn't always possible. For example: how many people have seeing movies about Hercules, Apollo, Trojans...vs. how many people have actually read Homer or Virgil? If you decide you wanted to read Odyssey, Iliad, Aeneid, you'd better have a lot of time on your hands, as well as understand old European poetry-however: there are many people (some even without a elementary school education) who've seeing "Troy," as well as the million other movies based on these famous books. . . .

If you go back a few centuries, no one could have possibly guessed that movies would take over the entertainment industry like they have, but the fact remains; even third world countries are fixated on movies and television. Old movies that are rarely if ever seeing in the USA, are now being seeing in other countries, and enthusiastically received; offering entertainment to people in disparate situations. Some people in these countries are lucky to get a third-grade education if any education at all; so the probability of them reading even something as simple as Stephen King or Jackie Collins is rare! . . .

Of course romance novels, science fiction, action, are usually easy to put on the screen. They possess things which people enjoy seeing on either film or television; which is the reason Aaron Spelling, Stephen King, Jackie Collins, etc...became so successful on the screen, but there are writers who are impossible to put on screen.

I saw a movie version of Kafka's "The Castle," and it just didn't work. In cases like these, you have no choice but to read the book or else. Same problems have occurred with Fitzgerald; there have been many attempts to screen "The Great Gatsby," and it has never really worked. In cases like these, again you need to read the book. Hollywood is no dummy when it comes to things of this nature. They know Fitzgerald is one of the great American novelists of the 20th century, so they've done many versions of "Gatsby," as well as variations on the story such as the movie: "G," a hip-hop version of "Gatsby." The point being, sometimes you're better off not reading the book than reading it, especially if the movie is well made, etc. . .this makes watching the movie much more entertaining/fun. And the book wouldn't of interested you anyways; case in point "The Aeneid," you see Juno's angry causing ships to crash ashore, etc. The special effects in something like this is really fun and exciting to watch, however: if you start reading Virgil, unless you're a scholar, you might find it boring and difficult to understand.

The point of movies/television is for people to find something that is cheap, and entertaining at the same time. It's actually cheaper to watch a movie than to purchase the book at times. If you have cable, etc. . .Buying a book is more expensive than just waiting for the movie to release on cable, which is something many people do. . . .

Learn more about this author, John Sarkis.
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