By Jake Sexton
Every so often, some self-important expert will announce that “print is dead,” as if the time of the book has come and sadly gone –– like dinosaurs, or disco. The reality is that more people are reading than ever, the so-called “Millennial” generation reads more books than its elders, and the Internet has allowed for readers and authors to access and distribute an explosion of new content.
Even beyond that, the multibillion dollar Hollywood entertainment industry, in all its forms, has largely become dependent upon books. Films and TV shows cost so much to produce that many studios don’t want to reach for their checkbook unless they’ve got a surefire hit on their hands. Basing a movie on a successful book series makes them feel much more secure in their celluloid investments.
Just name a film genre and we can find shining examples (no pun intended, Stephen King fans) of popular and acclaimed films that found their start as pages of a book. Academy Award-winning classics like “Goodfellas” (the autobiography “Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family” by Nicholas Pileggi), “The Godfather” trilogy (by Mario Puzo), “Forrest Gump” (by Winston Groom), and “Schindler’s List” (historical fiction by Thomas Kineally) were once best-selling books. Comedies like “The Princess Bride” (William Goldman), “The Devil Wears Prada” (Lauren Weisberger), “Dr. Strangelove” (“Red Alert” by Peter Bryant) and “Bridget Jones’ Diary” (Helen Fielding) were clever novels that were noticed by Hollywood. Science fiction classics like “Blade Runner” (Phillip K. Dick’s short story, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”), “Starship Troopers” (Robert Heinlein), “Ender’s Game” (Orson Scott Card), and the “Jurassic Park” series (Michael Crichton) also found their start in the world of novels.
Some of the most popular modern films were adapted from books. Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl” attracted Academy Award-winning talent and made a few hundred million worldwide. “American Sniper” was originally an autobiography by ex-Navy Seal Chris Kyle. “Fifty Shades of Grey” was less popular at the box office, but was based on the amazingly successful erotic novel series by E.L. James. John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars” was a weepy epiphany to a generation of teens, and became a cinematic money-maker at the box office. I won’t even get started on the cavalcade of superhero-themed movies, each based on a popular comic book series.
Finally, TV owes many thanks to the world of books. Acclaimed classics like “Roots” and “M.A.S.H.” were based on powerful works by Alex Haley and Richard Hooker. Modern soaps like “Gossip Girl” (Cecily von Ziegesar), “True Blood” (Charlaine Harris’s “Sookie Stackhouse” series), and “Vampire Diaries” (L.J. Smith) got their start as book series with passionate followings. And some of today’s most acclaimed TV series (“Game of Thrones,” “Dexter,” “Orange is the New Black,” “Friday Night Lights”) were based on novels and biographies (George R.R. Martin, Jeff Lindsay, Piper Kerman, and H.G. Bissinger, respectively).
So rest assured, books won’t die as long as we readers are willing to share our favorite stories with the silver screen.
The La Mesa Library will be celebrating this book/movie connection with our third annual Star Wars Reads Day on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 1 to 3p.m. Families can visit and check out “Star Wars”-themed books and movies, make “Star Wars” crafts (like light sabers), eat snacks and participate in a “Star Wars” costume contest for prizes. We hope to see you there.
––Jake Sexton is librarian at the La Mesa branch of the San Diego County Library. Call the library at 619-469-2151, visit in person at 8074 Allison Ave. or get information online at sdcl.org.
