11 Novel Turned Movies/ TV Shows That Every Book Lover Should Read

Not all shows or movies are made at a production writer’s tenure. Some are the result of some real amazing, eye-popping, jaw-dropping literature.

Check out the following novels that found a whole new audience by moving to the big screens.

1. Dexter

What’s there not to like about the main character? A loveable brother, a caring Father, a lab geek, and a serial killer who rids society of criminals. The Showtime hit series was developed from Jeff Lindsay’s novels titled ‘Darkly Dreaming Dexter’ with “Michael C Hall” playing the protagonist. Albeit the same, the show began deviating slightly from the books after the second season.

2. Shutter Island

Another movie starring “Leonardo DiCaprio” that could have earned him an Oscar with the legendary director “Martin Scorses”e behind the camera. It was developed from Dennis Lehane’s novel of the same name and shares the same story about a detective who learns surprising truths about his crimes while investigating a murder.

3. I Am Legend

The original novel explored the life of the world’s last man battling against a deadly zombie outbreak by finding a cure. The adapted movie had “Will Smith” in the lead and remains one of his highest grossing movies. Certain differences exist between the endings of the novel and the movie which did anger some fans.

4. American Psycho

Here’s a word of advice. Do not watch the movie or read its novel in a public setting. Bret Easton Ellis’s terrifying yet succinct story of a wall street yuppie going on a murderous rampage had “Christian Bale” in the lead role and still appalls audiences today. The novel is nothing less and is a must read for those who love horror.

5. Jack Reacher

A gripping thriller novel series penned by Lee Child that follows the exploits of a wanderer war veteran who solves crimes and invites trouble wherever he goes. The series took its first transition to the reel world with the release of Jack Reacher starring “Tom Cruise.” A sequel is in development that is based on future novels.

6. The Hunger Games

The one movie series that cemented “Jennifer Lawrence’s” name in Hollywood revolving around a dystopian future where people use combat and force hand in hand to secure survival. It’s adapted from the hugely popular novel series of the same name by Suzanne Collins. A popular rumor exists that she named the main characters like Katniss and Peeta so that fans would refer to them together as ‘Pee-niss,’ owing to her stance against the censorship of profanity in novels.

7. The Silence Of the Lambs

Written by Thomas Harris, the spine chilling story that gave the literary world Hannibal Lecter was turned into a movie with “Anthony Hopkins” playing his role. “Jodie Foster” played the lead as an FBI agent in a hunt for a psychotic transvestite killer named ‘Buffalo Bill’ who skins women. Lecter’s story was further adapted as a TV series in recent years, following his cannibalistic tirades. The novel is equally terrifying and is sure to impress voracious readers.

8. The Godfather

The classic mafia trilogy still ranks high in lists for greatest movies by movie fanatics and critics alike. The first movie was inspired by Mario Puzo’s novel of the same name with future works taking reference from The Sicilian. A must read for the curious minded folk who want to know how the ‘Cosa Notra’ established its place in Hollywood.

9. Up In The Air

For the lonely free soul who wants to live life without the burden of marriage and just focus on his/her career, ‘Up In The Air’ offers the best of both worlds. As the adapted movie states- “The story of one man ready to make a connection,” “George Clooney” plays the lead role of a smooth, suave and reclusive corporate leader with an obsession for collecting air miles. Things get awry when he loses his job and begins breaking his rules of singularity one by one.

10. The Shining

A Stanley Kubrick classic that horrifies viewers to this day led by “Jack Nicholson” who plays the role of a novelist addled by writer’s block. Chaos and murder soon follow the estate where he was tasked to caretake as his family struggles for survival in an icy cold winter. Stephen King has several horror novels to his name, but The Shining remains an absolute classic.

11. The Great Gatsby

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krExGeJ0xdI

A film that perfectly depicted the events of a coming of age mansion dwellers starring “Leonardo DiCaprio,” “Tobey Maguire,” and an ensemble cast. The novel similarly focuses on the lavish lifestyles of a mysterious figure named Gatsby at the height of the ‘Roaring Twenties’ in Mid-Western America. This is a beautiful novel that’s sure to take readers on a history tour of love, deception, apathy, and greed all wrapped up in one of Americas most unforgettable generations.

 

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