Movies vs. Book

[Geoff Bannister]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboyminn at ...> wrote:

bboyminn:
> Personally, I could have never read Lord of the Rings if I hadn't 
> seen the movie first. But the movie having established a frame of
> reference for the books, allowed me to slog through the long
> winded parts of the books easy enough because I knew that better
> thing were coming soon. 
> 
> If you are not a big reader, then certainly allowing the movies
> to establish the frame of reference, should make it that much 
> easier and more enjoyable to read the books.

Geoff:
In this context it's interesting that I approached HP and LOTR from 
diametrically opposed directions.

I first read LOTR round about 1955, a year or so after "The Return 
of the King" was published. I then read it, on average about once a 
year until the early 1970s when a growing family took up more time 
and other material such as "The Silmarillion" appeared. After the 
disastrous Bakshi cartoon film in the 1970s - of which I admit I 
only saw snippets - I set my face against seeing any other film 
version.

My eldest son persuaded me to view FOTR in 2001 and I decided 
that a decent version could be produced. There are places where 
I do feel the story line has been adjusted too much but Peter Jackson 
did a good job in explaining some of the changes he made 
sufficiently well to keep me on board and I watch my DVDs perhaps 
every two years or so.

With Harry, I was stupid enough to allow myself to be pressured by 
some members of my church into the "Harry Potter is bad" camp 
without investigating for myself. At the end of 2002, I went to see 
COS just after release in the cinema at Barry in South Wales while 
we were on holiday with a friend and was impressed enough to 
watch PS on Sky Box Office the same week. From this I went on rapidly 
to read books 1-4 (the only ones then in print) and I was hooked. I 
like the films but, as has been said, there is a lot missing and the plot 
lines have been altered in places so that, for the non-readers, 
questions appear which are not answered.

So  I am of the opinion that I can live with both versions and enjoy them 
and that it is possible to come from either direction and appreciate 
both forms in which the story is presented.