A stack of books versus a film reel, popcorn, 3-d glasses, and two movie tickets

Debate photos courtesy of families; Shutterstock.com (all other images)

What’s Better: The Book or the Movie?

January 18, 2021

What do Wonder, The Lightning Thief, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid have in common? They are popular books that were turned into movies. But which version is better? It depends on whom you ask. In a survey done by The Washington Post, books were the big winners. People ranked the book higher than its film version 74 percent of the time.

Some book lovers argue that movies leave out too many of the details and that it’s more fun to imagine what characters and places look like. Many say it’s disappointing when the screen version is not what they pictured in their minds.

But others point out that special effects and good music can make the movie version of a story even more exciting. And some people like that a movie tells the story in about two hours—much less time than it usually takes to read a book.

Here’s what two of our readers think.

Every book I’ve read has been better than the movie version because it has more detail. Words can describe a scene better than just seeing it on the screen. In the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry, Hermione, and Ron play chess. The descriptions let me imagine the huge chess set, the danger, and the strategies. I felt like I was playing with them! That scene in the movie wasn’t the same.

Plus, reading a great book can help us sharpen our reading skills and become better writers.

Movies are better because they help you visualize the story, and great acting and effects can bring it to life. In the movie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, you see a giant, blood-chilling snake on-screen. This helps you realize just how relieved Harry feels when Fawkes the phoenix saves him.

Also, movies are meant to be seen with other people, while you usually read books alone. What’s better than laughing with your family and friends during a funny film?