With the release of the new Maze Runner movie, The Scorch Trials, analyze the relationship between the plot of a book and its movie adaption. Do writers use movie adaptions to change their past mistakes? For example, James Dashner, the author of the Maze Runner Trilogy. Some fans said the Maze Runner movie erased some aspects of the novel that didn't make sense or weren't well received. Do you agree or disagree with this theory? How does the continuance of book adaptations into movies effect this idea? Will we see more authors adapting their novels of errors on the big screen?
This could be great to explore a multitude of movie adaptations. I definitely think movies aim to fix some flaws in books by eliminating or changing them. I find the Game of Thrones show did a good job of it, not in needing to change some characters, but that the books themselves would have been easier to understand and more compelling had certain main characters taken on the roles of more minor ones (there were a lot of minor characters who were not needed). For example, having Shae by Sansa's handmaid added a lot more complexity than her being Lolys', intensifying the "love triangle" with Tyrion. And just look at the last Twilight movie, the book's ending was too boring so they added in a huge fight scene that never happened in a vision for the movies. – Slaidey9 years ago
I agree with the comment above. It is always hard to tell how readers will read a story. Authors may have one interpretation in mind that they are trying to get the reader to make, but really have no idea how an individual reader is going to feel about their piece. Therefore, if a writer is lucky enough to have their work transformed into film, then I believe they do in fact make changes after they have a chance to reflect and reconsider. However, the adaptations that are made when a written piece is turned into a visual piece may just have to do with the simple fact that they are very different mediums. For example, it is nearly impossible to turn a 500-page novel into a two hour movie without cutting some corners and removing some details that aren't "essential" to the story. – RickDiculous9 years ago
I think this is a great point, especially about the Maze Runner movie, The Scorch Trials. I was actually confused about how much had changed during the movie from the books, and had to re-read the book after. Sometimes it seems like ideas in books are better portrayed in words than they would be through scenes in a movie. For example, some scenes in books span several pages, but when converted to film, could take half an hour or more to effectively portray. I wouldn't always agree with film adaptations being used to fix an author's mistakes, but rather to improve where they have received feedback that they did not have before the book was published. – mcolleary9 years ago
Who here can tell me the similarities of Wordsworth's Romanticism and Lao Tzu's Daoism. Reveal the similarities between the two and how they relate to environmentalism today.
This has gotten me very intrigued. I've become more and more interested in drawing connections between Romantic and Victorian literature and Eastern philosophy, and this topic would be an ideal place to start. I could also envision this topic applying to Coleridge. There could certainly be lessons drawn about environmentalism, but I would also perhaps be more interested in focusing on nature as a pathway to mindfulness and meditation, poetry as a form of meditation, etc. For environmentalism, it would make more sense to look at works like "Walden." So perhaps I could look at Wordsworth or Coleridge and Daoism, with an emphasis more on how Eastern philosophical thought has had and can continue to have great impact on Western thought, art, and society. I hopefully will be back soon to snatch this topic. Thank you for the inspiration! – Rachel Watson9 years ago
The literary renditions inspired by the character of Sherlock Holmes require an alphabetical Wikipedia list just to cover them all. The numerous movie versions about Holmes, right from the first film interpretations in the 1930's, have secured the imagination of new generations of watchers who have become devout Holmes’ fans over the years. What is it about this creation by Arthur Conan Doyle that has produced such an intense and prolonged fascination with the character of Sherlock Holmes? How does such a character become larger than his original beginnings and what keeps his popularity growing?
While looking into the fascination with Sherlock Holmes, you could also consider mentioning the character of Watson and his different renditions. The side kick has also taken on some interesting popularity among people as well. You could explore this. – amandajarrell9 years ago
I believe one reason Sherlock Holmes has reached such a wide audience is its pertinence to so many topics. Literary it is well written, Doyle develops his characters well and the sentence structure varies nicely. The theme is interesting to readers who are simply looking for a book to get lost in. The novels have also been turned into movies which increases the fan base widely. – bethanycoates9 years ago
The Sherlock Holmes series lends itself to modern adaptations. The themes—crime, curiosity, justice—are equally as relevant and captivating today as they were when the books were first penned. I stumbled upon a recent adaptation, the series Elementary (from 2014 I believe) that I found interesting because it casts women in traditionally male roles, such as Watson and Moriarty (particularly interesting is Lucy Liu as Watson). It's interesting to see how this changes the dynamic between characters, but also how it doesn't change the attitude of the series all that that much. Maybe that says something about how relevant Doyle's books are to everyone, not just white men who can directly relate to the main characters. If the same basic premise can be executed by a wide variety of people, there's probably some universal elements that make it appealing to everyone. – Ali Van Houten9 years ago
I think a lot of it has to do with the universal appeal of logic. Sherlock Holmes was written at a time when Gothic fiction, and the related obsessions with mysticism and the unknown, were very prominent. Arthur Conan Doyle himself had an obsession with the mystical, and a completely illogical belief that magicians like Harry Houdini were real. It could be interesting to incorporate elements of his biography into this piece, and discuss how Holmes was logical and even-tempered in a way that Doyle and, for that matter, most readers, will never be -- hence his appeal. – agombar9 years ago
An interesting viewpoint of this would be the implications of the different Holmes incarnations over time; for example, just in recent years, we have the adventure hero Sherlock Holmes portrayed by Robert Downey, Jr., and the "austistic genius" archetype detective played by Benedict Cumberbatch. What do the many interpretations of Conan Doyle's story say about the times they were made? What keeps these reinterpretations fresh? – lilbengt9 years ago
"Sherlock Holmes's War of the Worlds," an early cross-over before the dawn of endless movie reboots, highlights a great reason why the character is revered since his logic can save planets. Superman is too unattainable, but Holmes is only a mental breakthrough or moment of enlightenment away. – Michael J. Berntsen9 years ago
A concept that is and continues to be used in various works of art, literature, and in our lives. But can it be related to the theory of Existentialism? For example in "The Stranger" by Albert Camus the main character is impassioned and has this sense of being nothing and nothing and nothing in this world. So could we say that infinite is "nothing" because it is such a vast number of time that time is ruled out because it is beyond us. So an accumulation of infinite would turn to be nothing since it is impossible to measure it's feat? What is infinite and can it be compared or connected to Existentialism?
In the wake of postmodernism, especially in America, from Don DeLilo to David Foster Wallace to Mark Z. Danielewski, the traditional novel appears to be dying. The question is, has it died? If not, why not, and what makes the novel the novel and what keeps it alive?
I would not have said that the novel was even close to dead. I haven't seen any sort of sign that novels are on their way out, but that's my perspective. I'm curious: What makes you say that the novel is dead? What do you even mean by dead? – OddballGentleman9 years ago
I agree with OddballGentleman. If you were to write this topic, I'd suggest maybe talking about the reasons why you think novels are dying/dead. Does it have to do with other forms of entertainment (ex: film, tv)? What have you read/seen that makes you ask this question? – kcutler9 years ago
I definitely don't think the novel is, or ever will be, dead. What is probably on the way out is the printed word which could be just as sad. – Catherine Conte9 years ago
'Bad guy' protagonists and 'good guy' antagonists. What fantasy heroes do you think of as anti-heroes or morally grey? What fantasy villains do you think were sympathetic or in the right? Explore the moral spectrum of different characters in fantasy and share the ones you thought were unique to the genre.
Firstly, no one "dwells into" things, they "dwell on" thoughts or "dwell in" caves. Secondly, I'm not 100% on what topic you're trying to delve into here. An exploration of the introduction of a moral spectrum in the fantasy genre?
– Austin9 years ago
I altered it to 'dwell' because of I received this:
Revision
Rather than saying 'I am particularly interested', you can reword the sentence as 'Dwell into the graying area of morality...' – YsabelGo 17 hours ago
I will return it to what it was originally and clarify the topic motive. – ChrisKeene9 years ago
In youth culture in the United States, reading has become a pastime of just that, the past. With Netflix, Hulu, and other online sources, people are now finding new ways to spend their time. But what about the book? This topic would list benefits of reading: From improving your writing skills to adding to your vocabulary.
I would also examine less immediately practical benefits or downfalls or reading vs. watching T.V., specifically as to which best forms one as a whole person – Luthien9 years ago
This can be well explored from contrasted views, like to talk about the invention by using the new technology of the TV which helps a lot to widen our views, to see more various parts of the world and save paper. However, as a traditional way of gaining knowledge, we can never give up the habit of reading. – MengjieWu9 years ago
Maybe you should include something like how people's taste or interest in shows affect whether they read or not. – dvr11389 years ago
Great idea. Maybe a list of books can also be added that would interest people. A lot of what's on tv has been created by the ideas of books and so the books that the ideas came from can be introduced. This way people are also enjoying what they read. – DSantoyo9 years ago
It doesn't seem like you will be exploring this particular side effect and maybe I am unique in this respect, but I find that when I realize a show I like is based off of a book, I go and get the book. You know? I heard The Walking Dead was based off of a comic book series, so you best believe I went and bought the comic book series. And what was great about that was the fact that things are different in the TV Walking Dead vs the Comic Book Walking Dead. So while you are still following these characters that you love and seeing both mediums stay true to the themes they have adopted, you are still getting different journeys that remain perfectly interesting and intense. What I am trying to say is that there is also this part of your topic where TV adapting a book might be leading to increased sales of that book because now millions of people know that this awesome book exists. – AishaSaleh9 years ago
Audiobooks are always an option? – Lazarinth9 years ago
I, personally, would prefer to read, for arbitrary reasons. However, many people see reading as a cognitively active activity, while watching television is seen as a cognitively passive activity. This isn't true; by learning cinematography and the art of film language, you can train yourself to actively watch television in order to see how directors subconsciously manipulate camera shots, lighting, and scripting to sway the audience to think certain ways. One time I watched Gone Girl and admired the use of warm, welcoming lighting that contrasted with the grim subject matter in an ironic finish. Don't worry,man, not all people who watch instead of read aren't dumb. – AlyssaMariano9 years ago
Analyze the extreme violence in Cormac McCarthy's 1985 epic "Blood Meridian". Specifically, how does that violence inform a regenerative motif among the characters, the landscape, the reader? How could violent/destructive actions as a whole inform our understanding of the cyclical nature of destruction/creation?
"Death is the mother of beauty" – Wallace Stevens
It might also be helpful to look at how the main character, though often barely present in the narrative, lives vicariously through the violence of the men he follows. – wmbrooks9 years ago
