Living in Los Angeles, I’m pretty much surrounded by billboards. About half of these advertise television shows or movies. These billboards are usually lost on me because I neither own a TV nor go to the movies.
And then, there was the trifecta of Fall 2013.
You see, film adaptations of three books I very much enjoyed–the second part of The Hobbit, Ender’s Game (technically, I like the second volume of the trilogy more), and Catching Fire–have all made it to the big screen at the same time. And the short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is due on-screen shortly in its Hollywood incarnation, as well. I’m a wee bit tempted to go to the movies, for a change.
Instead, I’ve settled for re-reading The Hobbit with my children. I’m getting a lot of pleasure out of their giggles at Bilbo’s antics and their sharp intakes of breath at moments of suspense. And yesterday, I caught the cashier at the store reading Ender’s Game during a quiet spell. And so, even if I’m not watching the movies in question, I’m happy they’ve been released on the big screen, because they’ve brought new readers to these stories in their original paperback or hardback form.
Has seeing a film–or even its advertisement–ever driven you to read the book upon which it’s based?
