Binge-Worthy Adaptations: 21 of the Best Books to Film/TV to Add to Your Watch Queue
Credit: New Line Cinema
For many of us who read, we see magical worlds and characters come to life vividly in our minds. But for others who don’t see pictures in their minds when reading (I’m still shell-shocked by this revelation), adaptations to the small or big screen can be the first time a reader sees their favorite stories visualized. A great book-to-film or TV adaptation is super tricky to pull off. It requires striking a delicate balance between staying true to the source material and making necessary changes to create a compelling visual story. Rarely is everyone happy. However, the ones I’ve collected below are some of my personal favorites, and in my mind, truly capture the essence of each book. There are obviously so many incredible adaptations out there, but I’ve only included ones where I’ve read both the book, and watched the film/TV show for now. How many of these have you read/watched?
Stardust / Stardust by Neil Gaiman
A cult classic, and a rare instance in which I actually *gasp* love the movie more than the book. I mean…how can you beat Robert Dinero as a femme air pirate?! And even our beloved Ben Barnes and Henry Cavill make a small appearance. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the book, but in this instance, I’d recommend the movie first.
Pride and Prejudice (1995) / Pride and Prejudice (2005) / Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I know there’s always a debate about which adaptation is better, and I have to be honest, I love them both. The ‘95 version is most true to the book, and Colin Firth is the best Mr. Darcy, but I love the cinematography in the ‘05 version, and of course, we all know that hand scene is everything! If you haven’t read the book, I’d also highly recommend it. Austen is full of humor and she’s one of my favorite classic writers.
The Count of Monte Cristo / The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Another of my favorite classic writers, Alexandre Dumas has created some of the best stories in literature. For me, both the Richard Chamberlain version, and the more recent version with Jim Caviezel are both excellent, but the latter has a better ending…
Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings / The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Please for the love of all, watch the extended versions! They’re the only way to watch this magnificent adaptation of one of my favorite books of all time. They stay so true to the feeling of the books, and some of the changes are even welcome, like bringing Aragorn and Arwen’s story from the Appendices into the main storyline.
The Hunger Games / The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
We’re all in our Hunger Games renaissance these days. I’ve seen so many people rereading and rewatching the series lately all over Booktok and Bookstagram. And I recently binged the entire trilogy and movies again. Wow, do they hold up throughout the years. This is one of the most faithful and excellent adaptations to the books, and the changes they did make, made complete sense. I can’t wait to watch The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes adaptation coming out later this year.
Mansfield Park / Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
The film with Jonny Lee Miller and Frances O’Connor is such an incredible adaptation. Mansfield Park is one of my three favorite Jane Austen novels, and I truly did think this adaptation was fantastic. I mean, it’s Jonny Lee Miller!
Sense and Sensibility / Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
My third favorite Jane Austen novel, and Emma Thompson absolutely killed this adaptation. It’s one I watched over and over again growing up, and if you want to see Hugh Grant before he was a curmudgeon, or Alan Rickman before his Snape days, this is the film to watch.
Arrival / Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
First, if you have not read this collection of short stories by Ted Chiang, stop what you’re doing and go read it! It’s excellent. The 2016 film, Arrival with Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner is an adaptation of the title story from this collection, and it was done so well!
The Martian / The Martian by Andy Weir
Both the book and film are a nerd’s delight. The references to LOTR, the dark humor, and pacing of both the film and book are incredible. I’ve always been a Matt Damon fan, but this was a bit of a departure from his usual action films, and he completely embodied the character for me.
Never Let Me Go (2010) / Never Let me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
If you want to sob, and your heart to be broken by a horrific twist, this is the adaptation to watch, and the book to read. I don’t want to give any spoilers if this story is new to you, but it follows three friends throughout their lives and the future world they live in. Prepare to cry.
Schindler’s List (1993) / Schindler’s List or Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally
If historical stories are your jam, this true story of Oskar Schindler who is credited for saving the lives of 1200 Jews during the Holocaust is a must watch. Something truly unique about this film is that it was shot almost entirely in black and white. Check trigger warnings on this one especially. It’s a difficult topic and is quite graphic, but is a part of history we should never forget.
The Devil Wears Prada / The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
It’s candidly been so many years since I’ve read the book, but I remember not loving ALL the changes, esp. to Andie’s boyfriend. But you can’t deny this is an incredible adaptation. Virtually anything with Meryl Streep is going to be stellar, and Emily Blunt was one of my favorite characters.
Clear and Present Danger / Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy
I grew up reading espionage books and watching Harrison Ford films with my Dad, and this one in particular has a lot of nostalgia for me. I used to watch this movie pretty often, along with all the Jack Ryan movies, and rewatched it recently. Let’s just say, it was hilarious to see how far technology has progressed, but it’s still one of my favorite Clancy adaptations.
The Godfather / The Godfather Mario Puzo
Both classics. Need I say more? “Leave the gun, take the cannolis.”
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (1979) / The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005) / The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
My childhood self will always love the 1979 animated version. I’m pretty sure I have this version completely memorized because I watched it so much. It’s, objectively, such bad animation, but the music is amazing, and I love it so much. I remember being so nervous when Disney announced they were making a live action version. But they knocked it out of the park. I love the 2005 version as well, and it stays so true to the book. 2005 was a great year for adaptations.
Shadow and Bone / Shadow and Bone, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
I’m loving this adaptation, and just recently finished season two. You can read my thoughts here. Overall, if you’ve never read the books, I think you’ll thoroughly enjoy this series on Netflix. If you have read the books, you might be annoyed at all the changes and pacing–there were definitely some things giving me whiplash, but overall, it’s a fantastic cast, and they do such a great job bringing the Grishaverse to life.
The Man in the High Castle / The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
Another rare instance where I didn’t love the book, but loved the changes to the storyline in the TV Show. Shocking, I know. I got the book at one of my favorite bookshops in Paris, Shakespeare & Co., and it’s almost nothing like the show. I personally liked the characters a lot more on the screen. Perhaps because it’s a short book, and with the show, they were able to explore some more depth to the characters. If you’re not familiar with this story, it takes place in a timeline where Germany and Japan won WWII, and what living in the U.S. looks like under those military regimes.
The Musketeer (2001) / The Three Musketeers (2011) / The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Is this my favorite Duma book? It just might be. I LOVE it and collect editions. Is the 2001 version my favorite adaptation of it? Possibly. A young Justin Chambers as D’Artagnan, Tim Roth always makes an excellent villain, and Mena Suvari as Francesca?! Plus, the most epic sword battles?! It’s a version I’ll watch again and again. BUT, I also loved the 2011 movie with Orlando Bloom as the Duke of Buckingham, Matthew Macfadyen (aka Mr. Darcy) as Athos, Luke Evans as Aramis, and Mads Mikkelsen as Rochefort…I mean…if you want a version with eye candy, this is the one.
Game of Thrones / A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
We’re just going to pretend the last season didn’t happen, but there’s a reason this show adapted from Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series had the entire world in a chokehold for almost a decade. I’m still impatiently waiting for Martin to finish the final two books–hopefully with a better ending.
Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban / Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
I couldn’t make this list without including at least one of the Harry Potter films. I personally am not a huge fan of the first couple because the special effects were pretty lacking, but they just got better and better, and since The Prisoner of Azkaban is probably my favorite book in the series, it seemed fitting to include it.
One I’m hoping to add to this list is The Power, which premieres March 31st on Prime, and is an adaptation of a fantastic book by Naomi Alderman. I’ll be binge-watching the first three episodes immediately.
Do you have a favorite adaptation not on the list? Drop it in the comments. Reminder: I only included some of my favorites where I’ve read both the book and watched the adaptations.
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