Difference Between Books And Movies

Books and movies have been debated for years on which one is a better medium. There are multiple facts to support that books are better than movies. In fact, Paul Heavenridge states that “Neuroscientists at Emory University discovered that reading fiction can improve brain function on a variety of levels… They found that becoming engrossed in a novel enhances connectivity in the brain” (“Why Read? Reason” 3). Heavenridge is saying that reading books improves the brain in more ways than one. Books have more positives than negatives in comparison with films. They can also make the reader think about many different scenarios, conflicts, and resolutions. This stimulates the brain more than staring blankly at a screen for hours during a movie. This …show more content…
In novels, most plot twists are completely undetected. The reader keeps reading until they stumble upon a surprise nobody knew about. They are not hinted at. There is no foreshadowing. The reader is completely astonished. They never saw it coming. Plot twists in movies and books are debated by Cassandra Jade, an author of multiple science fiction novels, “You aren’t being constantly forewarned [in books] of any actual tension by a spike in the music so you can genuinely be surprise by the next plot twist” (“10 Reasons Why” 1). Jade is insinuating that there are too many hints when an audience is watching a movie. There are no subtle hints in movies. Everything is too calculated and obvious in a movie setting. Reading books are more enjoyable than watching movies because of the revealing of the plot twist. Plot twists in movies are hinted at more than enough times for the audience to figure it out in plenty of time for the actual twist to happen. The excitement is gone. Once it is figured out, there is no more suspense or anticipation. No more nail biting scenes or nerve racking conflicts. All of these are gone because the movie gives the audience more information than what was needed. Authors do the opposite. Authors do not owe their readers anything. They do not have to give extra hints or clues as to how the couple will get together or how the main character will die. They know that an effective plot twist will be …show more content…
The two different types of characterization are: indirect and direct. A movie puts direct characterization into images instead of adjectives. A novel uses indirect characterization through writing descriptions, thoughts, emotions, and speech. This is directly stated in a recent article, “Instead of watching the character, you imagine the character in your head as you read descriptions of the actions and dialog” (“Indirect Characterization: Definition” 1). While the movie directly gives the audience the description of the characters directly, the author is forced to put this into words. Books are better at indirect characterization than movies are. Books use this tool to connect to the reader and make them feel as if they are inside the story. Indirect characterization lets readers get attached to characters and make them relatable. Indirect characterization is, “the process by which the writer shows the character’s personality through speech, actions and appearance” (“Indirect Characterization: Definition” 2). This process does not use adjectives to describe the character’s personality or demeanor. This is often left to the reader to figure out. It is up to them to take the words in front of them however way they want to. They can infer the author’s meaning and create their own perspective on the character. This is why books are more effective with characterization than