5 Binge-worthy literary Movie adaptations that you must watch

Hi Julia! I hope you are doing well? 

I am so happy to see your blog after such a long time! It has been quite some time since you came up with a new blog and I guess you were on a break or something? Nevermind. I hope things are going fine now.

Well, it was just yesterday that I read your blog on books for people in their twenties. I feel something like this is very helpful for people like me who just started reading books! Yes, I am one of those who want to read books but cannot somehow complete them. It could be because I am more into movies than books! And there have been times when I watch the movie first and then move into the book. Now, I know this might offend many people out there, but that’s just how I am. 

So, could you please help me out with some recommendations that are adaptations of classics?

Love, Jessica 🙂

Hey Jessica!

Thank you for asking me this. I would love to come up with some suggestions for you.

You must have come across this very often, “The book is better!”

When it comes to literary adaptations for movies and web series, people often say this, and it is definitely true in some cases. But we cannot completely overlook the fact that some of these adaptations are as good as the books, and at times, even better. Yes! We think that some of these adaptations give us a more complete and fulfilling experience. 

Also, if you have been noticing, for the last eight to nine years, there is this trend of converting more and more classics into web series and movies that are available on platforms like Netflix, youTube. Every time a beloved classic becomes famous, there are high chances of getting fabulous onscreen adaptations. Here I have a round-up of 5 such incredible pieces that prove this!

Shawshank Redemption

There are many (good) reasons as to Shawshank Redemption making it to the top of this list! From outstanding performances to phenomenal directions, this movie has given us the best experience of all time. 

Written and directed by Frank Darabont, this masterpiece is an adaptation of Stephen King’s Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. The story revolves around a banker, Andy Dufresne, who lived 19 years in Shawshank State Prison for a crime he did not commit. It becomes one of the few movies that may transcend the novel by giving it a whole new life.

Green Gables Fables

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A well-known American Canadian drama web series, Green Gables Fables, is an adaptation of Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The series came out in the year 2014 and continued its third season till 2016. The entire web series has three seasons with a total of 151 episodes.

Featuring Mandy Harmon, Tanner Gillman, and Ravyn Hohneke, this is basically a retelling of the novel with a modern touch. The episodes are more like vlogs that are available on Youtube.

Normal People

The 2020 romantic TV series, Normal People, is an adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel with the same name. Directed by Lenny Abrahamson and Hettie Macdonald, this series has marked itself as Emmy nominated. The plot follows the love story of Connell and Marianne – from a small place in the town of Ireland. This modern-day love story tells us how a person can unexpectedly change the life of another person. Though from different backgrounds, they make it through their school and college life while still exploring different versions of themselves.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

“I know these will all be stories someday. And our pictures will become old photographs. We’ll all become somebody’s mom or dad. But right now, these moments are not stories. This is happening.”

This award-winning movie features a star-studded cast, including Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Ezra Miller. One of the best coming-of-age movies directed and written by Stephen Chbosky, it is an adaptation of a novel by the same writer, under the same name. The plot revolves around Charlie, a freshman in high school, and how he navigates the years after the suicide of his friend, Michael. At the surface level, the novel seems to be a typical high school love story. But it has a much stronger and deeper message within that covers the themes of mental health, sexual assault, sexuality, etc.

Nomadland

More like a visual poem than a film, Nomadland is one such piece of art that strikes a balance between a documentary and film. The movie is an adaptation of non-fiction by Jessica Bruder, Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century.

The story follows the life of a woman who is in the sixty-something of her life. After the death of her husband and losing everything in the Great Recession, she leaves her home and travels around the American West to live like a modern-day nomad. 

I hope this helps! Let me know in the comments below which one you loved the most. Thank you for engaging here, Jessica.

Lots of Love,

Julia.