Lots of books are made into films...some successful, some not. Is it better to read the book first? There's no right answer, but Kirkus Reviews.com published a list of films that were successful adaptations of books and all became Academy Award winners.
Here's a partial list of Oscar winning or nominated films that are definitely worth reading, even if you've already seen the film.
TEAM OF RIVALS: THE POLITICAL GENIUS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
"Illuminating and well-written, as are all of Goodwin's presidential studies; a welcome addition to Lincolniana."
Well-practiced historian Goodwin, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in history for No Ordinary Time (1994), examines Abraham Lincoln as a practical politician, focusing on his conversion of rivals to allies.
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN by Cormac McCarthy
"Magnificent writing, nonetheless, makes the best case yet for putting McCarthy on a pedestal just below the one occupied by William Faulkner. "
Almost as frustrating as it is commanding, McCarthy's ninth (and first since the completion of his Border Trilogy: Cities of the Plain, 1998, etc.) is a formidable display of stunningly written scenes..
ABOUT SCHMIDT by Louis Begley
"A sly, sharp portrait of an amoral but appealing figure, and of the declining world of privilege that has shaped him."
An elegant, precise, droll novel about a lawyer's startling transformation, by the author of Wartime Lies (1991) and The Man Who Was Late (1993).
THE GODFATHER by Mario Puzo
"A Mafia Whiteoaks, bound for popularity, once you get past the author's barely concealed admiration for the "ethics" and postulates of primitive power plays."
Ten years in the workaday progress of a New York Mafia sort of family dynasty tale with all the attendant flurries of great houses at war. An all time favorite with many sequels and adaptations.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
"A lovely, painful book. Walkers finest work yet"
Walker scores strongly with this great novel..with some thanks to Oprah. Not only a film, but successfully translated to theater and television.
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Link to www.kirkusreviews.com... a great source for book news.
And be sure to check out the 2013 Academy Awards for Best Film and the Nominees, some based on books that may be far superior to the movie....
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