But Have You Read the Book?

With it's visually stunning cover art, I can see this being a great coffee table book. The content is actually interesting and enjoyable, with each little essay focusing on one film/literary combo. I liked the essays that offered new information and analyzed things a little more, however, most essays didn't seem to do that. I wanted more depth, but I can see that that's not what the author intended for this book, which I totally understand.

Good bathroom reading, with brief chapters comparing movies with the books on which they are based for titles ranging from [b:Frankenstein 18490 Frankenstein Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1665008650l/18490.SY75.jpg 4836639] and [b:The Third Man 48800 The Third Man Graham Greene https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1396732409l/48800.SY75.jpg 791313] in the 1930s to [b:Dune 44767458 Dune (Dune, #1) Frank Herbert https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1555447414l/44767458.SY75.jpg 3634639] and [b:Passing 57640287 Passing Nella Larsen https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1636384216l/57640287.SY75.jpg 2369306] in the 2020s. There's no judgement about which was better (IMO it's almost always the book), just descriptions of plot and character differences, and the resulting impact on the reader/movie watcher. I wish Lopez had delved more deeply into some of the works, such as the choices Greta Gerwig made in 2019's [b:Little Women 1934 Little Women Louisa May Alcott https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562690475l/1934.SY75.jpg 3244642] that emphasized different issues from the numerous previous versions. Overall, though, this was a quick, easy read that left me with lists of books/movies that I want to check out, and others that I will continue to avoid.