BUT FOR WHY?! Here are my reasons why I avoid these book editions and why you should too:
1. Limits the imagination
One of the things I love most about books is imagining my own characters, I never need the visual assistance, nor do I want to immediately associate a book character with a known actor's face. No offense to all the wonderful -and sometimes not so- cast (of any book-turned-movie).
I think one of the things that make books (and reading in general) beautiful is in the unique experience it offers each and every one of its readers. Everybody will create their own visuals in their head based on the actual writing and descriptions, but will also be allowed to mix in some of their own perceptions of the world, drawn from their own life and personal experiences. I believe every reader should reserve the right to do their own casting for the books they read*.
*I don't mind book covers that depict the main character in an artistic sort of way (i.e. Written in Red). But that's a topic for another post.
2. Leave the book alone
I have learned throughout the years of watching movies based on books that, more often than not, they are two completely separate things (comparable, but separate). I'm sure I'm not the only one who has read a book they loved and have it completely shattered by its film adaptation (Harry Potter excluded but for some minor issues). My solution is to compartmentalize. In my head, I keep the book intact and watch the movie with fresh eyes as if I only knew the general details of the story. This way, I can enjoy the retelling without trying to make it be the same. Unless they paste the movie poster on the cover of the book.
This same thing happens with the characters of the book. How many times have you fallen in love with a character only to feel utterly confused and disappointed when you see someone on the screen who just does not measure up to the perfect picture in your head? And then you spend the whole movie thinking: "Wait, wasn't she supposed to be blonde?". This, of course, is so much worse when they go and republish the book with a picture of that actor who doesn't even match the description the book's author so carefully and thoughtfully crafted for you.
This isn't to say that all casting is always bad: sometimes they get it just right with the actors they choose and you feel really happy seeing your character become "real". I'm just saying, using movie posters (or the like) as book covers means I am now forced to forget what I imagined because I have to see what is right in front of me. It is near impossible now to separate the book from its film. So, please, let the book be the book and the movie be the movie.
3. It's a design/marketing cop-out
Yes, yes, I know. If the movie was successful, it is only logical to further advertise its based-on-book by using the same visuals for the cover. But, is it? Maybe it does sell more books, but why is that? Why are you trying to sell me the movie? It's a book, sell me the book, not the DVD. Furthermore, I can see through your marketing strategy, and it feels cheap. As if the “Now a Major Motion Picture” buzzwords weren’t enough.
Designing a good book cover is no easy task and I have serious respect for all of you, fellow designers, who manage to capture the essence of a book with one single perfectly thought out image. Sadly, when I see a movie poster on the cover of a book, I feel like the designer just took the easy way out and I can only hope that they were just trying to keep their job when they agreed to do it.
4. Non-readers don’t read
Why read a book when you can just go and watch all the action on screen? How many people actually read the book AFTER watching the movie? Most of us, book lovers, won't even watch the movie trailer until after we've read the book (or at least we make the effort). People who don’t read aren’t going to start reading because a book was made into a film; maybe 5% will. So what’s the point of having the movie poster be the book cover?
I’ve only done this once. I watched the first movie of “The Hunger Games” before I read the book. This is a decision I regretted. The book was not ruined for me, thankfully, as I really enjoyed getting all of the details of the story from the book that were lacking for me during the film. I read the second and third books before I watched the other movies and things felt much, much better. My point is, because I did that, Katniss Everdeen will forever be Jennifer Lawrence in my head. Don’t get me wrong, I like Jennifer Lawrence, but I can’t help but wonder what my mind would have created had I only gone by Suzanne Collins’s words.
5. Books are collector’s items
I don’t think I need to explain this one too much. It’s pretty simple, if I wanted to collect the DVD, I will buy the DVD. That is all.
Read you next time,
Read you next time,
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