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What book would you love to see dramatised in a film or serial?

(53 Posts)
bookaddict Mon 11-Dec-17 21:21:41

Hi - got to thinking of all the books I've read which have been made into films etc and how much I enjoyed some or perhaps thought the film let the book down a little? I can think of many books I've enjoyed a great deal which unfortunately haven't been put on screen - I wish some producer would!
I would love to hear from other contributors their recommendations but perhaps I can, after a lot of thought, start the ball rolling with one of mine?
I think "The Belle Fields" and its sequel "Ashes of Roses" by Lora Adams would be my initial choice. It would be a mixture of Downton Abbey, Upstairs Downstairs, Love Story with a bit of Catherine Cookson thrown in for good measure! Plenty of twists and turns and unforeseen events both happy, moving and in some parts sad.
Would enjoy hearing the thoughts of others - have a lovely Christmas and best wishes for the New Year!!

lemongrove Mon 11-Dec-17 21:30:03

That’s a good question bookaddict
I have read lots of good books this last year, but to be a successful film they need a certain something.
There is a very good vampire trilogy ( vampires with a twist!) The first one is called Blood Dragons by Rosemary A Johns, and in reading it, I actually saw it as a film.It has a very British sense of humour about it.
For a more serious kind if book I would say All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr ( not sure of the spelling)
Set in France and Germany during the Second World War.

gillybob Mon 11-Dec-17 21:45:15

Oh my goodness yes lemon I loved "All the light we cannot see" . It was very good (sad though) and can imagine it would make a brilliant film or serial.

Alima Tue 12-Dec-17 08:11:45

I have had All the Light We Cannot See on my shelf for ages, must get round to reading it.
I was really looking forward to Birdsong being adapted by the BBC. A truly remarkable book. In the event I think it was ruined by the dreaded sound quality (or Eddie Redmayne’s diction). Will forever blame that actor for ruining something so wonderful.
Although I do think this is a good question bookaddict, it can be a case of be careful what you wish for.

yggdrasil Tue 12-Dec-17 08:13:58

I wouldn't. If I love a book, I know what I see in it, and I don't want someone else's ideas overwriting it.

Christinefrance Tue 12-Dec-17 08:32:19

Any of the CJ Sansom books about Matthew Shardlake. So much historical detail and interesting sub plots.

hildajenniJ Tue 12-Dec-17 09:35:09

D. K. Broster's Jacobite trilogy. The Flight of the Heron, Gleam in the North and Dark Mile. The BBC serialised The Flight of the Heron years ago, but they didn't do the following books. I would go to the cinema to see those. Richard Madden would make a great Ewan Cameron.

Greyduster Tue 12-Dec-17 09:39:16

Manda Scott’s ‘Boudicca’ series would be an absolute cracker.

Greyduster Tue 12-Dec-17 09:43:04

I read somewhere that they were supposed to be making a tv adaptation of ‘Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand’ but I don’t think it got off the ground, unless it was on some obscure channel and I missed it.

lemongrove Tue 12-Dec-17 10:15:17

Another book that I read this year, which was very ‘visual’ ws called The Mandrake Assignment by Trevor Gibbons,a lot of it set in the middle east, a bit John Le Carre like.
Also the wonderful Roman series by Lindsey Davis, starting at the first book, The Silver Pigs, set partly in Rome and partly in Britain ( it has been done in serial form on radio but they would make good films or a tv series.)

TerriBull Tue 12-Dec-17 10:43:57

Dramatisations don't always live up to the book, the reader will have formed a vision of a character and when the casting doesn't tally with that image it can cause outrage grin My husband wasn't impressed that diminutive Tom Cruise was cast as Jack Reacher who I gather is quite tall. Having said that, some books have a filmic quality about them. My favourite book from a while back was "Star of the Sea" the title referring to a ship that transported impoverished Irish during the Potato Famine to America, very multi layered plot which intertwined some of the first class passengers narratives with those in steerage who were fleeing a life of poverty and starvation. I read at the time that the film rights had been obtained, but often nothing comes of such a deal.

lemongrove Tue 12-Dec-17 10:47:15

Yes TerriBull a book needs a certain amount of action and layers and plot to make a good film, too much ‘thoughts’ and narrative are not conducive to it.
The book you mention sounds a bit like Fire Down Below by William Golding (trilogy) which is excellent.

lemongrove Tue 12-Dec-17 10:48:53

C J Sansom’s book Winter In Madrid would make a wonderful film ( Spanish Civil War) again, a bit Le Carre like.

TerriBull Tue 12-Dec-17 10:58:17

On the theme of the Spanish Civil War, another book I read a while back by a Spanish writer, "Shadow of the Wind" I remember thinking this has a filmic quality about it. Similarly felt the same about "All The Light We Cannot See" surely a film to be made here. There is definitely a lot of material out there but once the reader has enjoyed a book the expectation is high.

TerriBull Tue 12-Dec-17 11:02:26

I agree Lemongrove about character's thoughts not being conveyed and that special quality the reader find in the book can be lost.

Tegan2 Tue 12-Dec-17 13:07:47

I'd love to see an adaptation of the Shadow of the Wind as it's a book I attempted to read several times but couldn't get into so it's unfinished business.

humptydumpty Tue 12-Dec-17 16:25:14

I thought 'Elizabeth is missing' would be great, as either a single film or serial.

Auntieflo Tue 12-Dec-17 21:18:46

I'm with Yggdrasil here, other people's interpretations can be disappointing when you have read and loved a book.

SueDonim Tue 12-Dec-17 21:24:00

Adaptations can be difficult but I suppose many of us have grown up with the classics being made into films so it's not that unusual.

I agree that All The Light would be a terrific book to make into film or tv. Also Small Great Things.

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton is on tv around Christmas time.

Jane10 Tue 12-Dec-17 21:47:50

'Our Best Attention' and 'Assured Attention' would make good soaps but I would say that!

Deedaa Tue 12-Dec-17 22:34:51

I would love to see C.J.Sansom's Shardlake books on TV but apparently the BBC have the rights and have never done anything with them. Rumour has it that they intended Kenneth Brannagh as Shardlake which would have been complete miscasting I think.

I was put on to The Shadow of The Wind by a total stranger on Facebook. I loved it once I got into it but I think it would be quite adifficult project.

grannyactivist Wed 13-Dec-17 01:41:17

Anything at all by Anya Seton.
I have to say that I dreaded The Lord of the Rings being made into a film, but I was completely won over.

sunseeker Wed 13-Dec-17 10:41:07

None I'm afraid. Many years ago I read Watership Down and loved it, then they turned it into a film and made the trip to the new warren seem like an afternoon stroll! I agree with Terribull's husband, casting Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher was a huge mistake (Jack Reacher is described as 6'3" and 230 lbs!) not a description of Tom Cruise!!!

WilmaKnickersfit Wed 13-Dec-17 11:00:03

I completely agree about Tom Cruise and Jack Reacher, in fact his casting spoiled the books for me. I can't read them now because I keep picturing Cruise and I don't like him.

Another vote for both the Shardlake and Falco series. I wish Falco had been done years ago when Anton Lesser was young enough to play Falco because he was great in the audio adaptations.

Fennel Wed 13-Dec-17 11:33:44

Trying to think - they seem to have done all my favourites.
Maybe some of Dostoevsky's novels - The Brothers Kalamazov?
Or Crime and Punishment?
As for those already done, we watched The CiderHouse Rules last night, brilliant. We were both in tears at the end.