Miranda's September Musings
Big Question, darlings. How many of your favourite romance novels have you seen on screen...and which do you prefer? The book? Or the movie/miniseries?
Do you know what? When I started to think about it, I was hard pressed to remember if any of my favourites have hit the big screen. Maybe onto DVD, though, or buried at 3am on the Movie Channel.
The biggie that instantly comes to mind is Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, a timeless classic. Oh, I do love reading it. And rereading it. Jane Austen's prose is still fabulous after 200+ years. But, wow, seeing Colin Firth - ahem, Mr Darcy - on the screen was totally worth the 327 minutes (5 hours 45 minutes) it takes to watch this miniseries. It's also possibly the time it takes to read the book if you're a fast reader. To answer my own question: I like both, book and miniseries. I think it depends on my mood which one I turn to.
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How about a more modern romance, like Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan? Apparently it's been called the 'new' Pride & Prejudice. Anyone read it? Anyone seen it on the big screen? Which version do you prefer...or is it both? I haven't read the book, although it's hovered on my radar for a while. Anyhoo, I snuck off to see the movie and absolutely loved it. It is truly a Cinderella romance, and the lead actors are gorgeous and incredibly lovable, as are some of their friends. It showcases Singapore at it's very best and OH MY GOSH WAIT TILL YOU SEE THE WEDDING (not theirs)! So OTT it is ridiculous - but I bet you sit there and think, gosh, wow, why didn't I have a teeny tiny bit of that razzle dazzle at my wedding? Cough. Or not. A very fun film, with lovely romance, family and true friendship at its core.
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Moving on. What about the (sometimes controversial) blockbuster Fifty Shades Trilogy by EL James, vividly transported from book to big screen? I have yet to finish watching the trilogy...and I confess I've yet to finish reading it... But I have read and watched the first book, Fifty Shades of Grey, and I preferred the movie. You?
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There's obviously demand for romance on film. A 'Chick Flick' night at the local cinema usually features something romanc-y and feel good. I love those nights! Meanwhile, Passionflix and Hallmark continue to film favourite romance novels that might not hit the big screen but are accessible in your lounge room.
I still remember being blown away when I watched these four Nora Roberts books on film. I totally adored the books, especially my favourite Montana Sky, but the films were fabulous too, they brought the books to life.
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So... Your thoughts? Romance book? Or film? Or - BOTH!?
Love from Miranda xx
Romance movies. Always have, always will.
Love to laugh:
at all the memes Mr Darcy inspires. A lot, I've discovered.
Love to learn:
if anyone subscribes to Passionflix? I'd love to know how it works in Australia. Please?
Hi Miranda. My very first book movie was Ann Mather's Leopard in the Snow. Loved it. Pride & Prejudice, of course. The miniseries with Colin Firth, not the movie with the other guy. EVERY Nora Roberts movie - I loved them so much, I have the DVDs. Unfortunately, I don't watch TV enough to justify having Pay TV so I don't see Hallmark movies. A shame, but I if I could just get them without the extra stuff I would.
ReplyDeleteOhhh, Enisa, I remember the movie Leopard in the Snow! And I've still got the book with the movie photo on the cover. Wow, that was (cough) a little while ago. But I loved it, with all my tender young beating heart. It was sensational at the time. Thinking back, it might be a tad politically incorrect now...?! There used to be a 'Hallmark Movie' channel on pay TV, but the movies are mixed on other channels now, so sometimes I miss them. However, if you follow the link to Passionflix, it appears you can stream them to Australia. I'd love to know if any readers use it, and how they find it. It sounds fabulous.
DeleteI love both books and most movies/mini-series made from books. Pride and Prejudice is, of course, wonderful in both forms. One that I wasn't sure I'd like was Warm Bodies (zombies) - the book and the film were quite different to each other, but I still found both really enjoyable. I know it's not a romance (lol) but The Game of Thrones books and mini-series are both absolutely fantastic, even though there are some major differences. And I also loved both the book and the mini-series, Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (I was a little disappointed to have the setting changed, but I understand that setting it in the US needed to be done for an international market). So I guess I'm a lover of both (unless the film/mini-series does too much to change the story or the characters (Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher???)
ReplyDeleteWelll…. Warm Bodies is sort of a romance... ??? Very interesting though. I didn't read Big Little Lies but I did watch the miniseries, which was fairly intense. And sorry, I can't believe Tom Cruise is Jack Reacher either. I mean, really, he's nowhere near tall enough for starters. Any more romance to film? There's not a lot out there apart from movies that never make the big screen. P&P and *all* of Jane Austen being the exception.
DeleteI adored the P&P mini series which came out not long after I had read the book. I actually don't mind the shorter film either but Colin will always be Darcy to me. North and South is also a good one that was made into a mini series with the gorgeous Richard Armitage. The movie The Book Thief was a lovely representation of the book I thought as well.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm afraid Colin will always be Mr Darcy for me, too, although I don't mind the other P&P films at all. Oh yes, North & South was a fabulous book and a fabulous movie, thankyou Mr Armitage. There are a lot of good books made into movies - but not as many romances, methinks... Shame.
DeleteI'm more of a book person than miniseries person when it comes to romance! Prefer reading romance and watching other series as movies eg. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones. Haven't read any of those books (I hear you all crying 'For Shame!'). Maybe I'll have to check out the P&P miniseries!
ReplyDeleteI'll lend you my DVD set. Warning you will need to set aside two days to watch it. Or over a week if you watch an hour a night.
DeleteGood on you, Cassandra, and I bet Alyssa comes back enthralled with your P&P set. But sometimes I'm a little bit like you, Alyssa, I really love the *reading* of romances. Other books to movies I'm happy to see on screen, but sometimes the romances don't translate as well. Although 'Outlander' is going very well, I have to say.
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