See It First: Books That Were Better As Movies

It is safe to say that pretty much everyone who reads this post enjoys books and films. As an intelligent species, we find stories to be an essential part of our lives. Although some books and movies hold a universal appeal and are done well both ways (i.e. Harry Potter), they aren't all that way. Some books are better to read first because the movies made from them are either awful or leave out interesting details, but some books just plain suck and it takes a movie to make them into something more entertaining. Here are a few of those books that fell way too short of the movies they were made into. 

The Hobbit
Although the second and third installments to the trilogy have yet to come, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey proves to be the highest grossing December release, and it's no wonder why. The story is captivating, the sights are mesmerizing, and Peter Jackson's ability to bring such a terrible book to life is absolutely astounding. 

Let the journey begin, bitches.

I have no shame in admitting to more than a few drool spots in my copy of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. The story is there, the vision is clear, but it's written in such an amazingly dense, dry and boring way that much of the book's good intentions are lost before Bilbo's journey even begins. The book is innovative, original, and a classic no doubt, but you might be better off seeing the movie first with this one.

Where The Wild Things Are
Do you remember how awesome it was to be a kid?! Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak not only made us realize that it's great to be little, but also the world of imagination is a powerful ability we should never outgrow.

I'm depressed just looking at this...I love this movie!

Although the book was great as a little kid, the movie is aimed at adults.  Almost all of the enormous creatures (wild things) are incredibly depressed throughout the whole film. On top of that, you see the main character, Max, going through some kind of mid-childhood crisis and slowly growing up. As the audience, we remember how great it is to be young, so it makes us sad. While that's happening, we see how shitty it is to grow up and be an adult, and that mixed with the already accruing melancholy ultimately makes you into an incredibly depressed person, much like the wild things in the film. I loved this movie though, it's seriously great, visually amazing and can truly affect you.

You're probably wondering why we should see this first. To answer, it's true that many who read this post will be adults, so for you to read a little child's picture book just wouldn't make sense. You're an adult, grow up!

Mystic River
Denis Lehane was on the right track when he came up with the powerful story and rough appeal that Mystic River provides...his only mistake was writing it like a 12 year-old.

With contributions from Hollywood all-stars like Clint Eastwood, Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon (you know, you're sixth cousin), this movie brings it on all levels. The original book gets main plot points across and sparks the general emotions you should feel, but compared to the performances and sheer weight of emotional impact the movie brings, Dennis Lehane's book naturally reduces to an overly expensive and insignificant binding of kindling.