Topic: Shogun / Novelizations

[DJ Doena]

The time I spend reading books is getting ever shorter (which is mostly due to my extensive TV consumption). But now I've finally managed to read three books again:



This one I read because (surprise!) of the TV series of the same name with Richard Chamberlain in the main role.

The novel takes place at the dawn of the 17th Century in Japan. Captain-Pilot John Blackthorne has landed/stranded with his ship, the Erasmus, there and now has to find a place within the Japanese Samurai society. And the few Europeans don't make it any easier for he is a Protestant Englishman and they are Catholic Spaniards and Portuguese...

What surprised me the most was the fact that the series stayed very close to the book - most of the time these two drift apart. Still the book was way more detailed and can provide a view that a movie/series can only to a certain extend: To give a view directly into the heads of the characters and thus a better understanding what their motivation and drive is.

The book is relatively large with its 1226 pages (in German) but since I managed to read 350 pages on Saturday before last I can assure you that it's very readable - even though you might need a list of the different characters, otherwise you might find yourself in the position of asking yourself "Who was Kiributso-san again?".


To get a deeper understanding of the characters is also the reason why I read novelizations from time to time. Most often they are just a summarization of what you've already seen on the screen.
But they also contain scenes which weren't shot after all or which were cut in the editing room. And by being a book they can use a narrative style that wouldn't work on the screen.

That's the reason I bought these four books: Total cost: 1.81€ (plus 12€ shipping) - I love Amazon Marketplace when it comes to English books.

(0.68€) (1.11€) (0.01€) (0.01€)

I've already read Smallville: Arrival which is based on the pilot episode and is way more detailed in the time between Clark's landing and the start of the now-timeline. As it happens to have only 147 pages you can read it nearly as fast as you can watch the pilot...

Then I've read Batman Begins which is unfortunately very script-based. Granted the time between him leaving Gotham and the destruction of the Monastery is more detailed and they managed to explain Ra's al Ghul's motivation better, but as soon as the book covers movie scenes it's only a narration of what happened on the screen.

For the bathtub it's still OK.


A really good novelization is Babylon 5: In the Beginning, written by Peter David - who also wrote many Star Trek novels (which is the reason I have hope for the Spider-Man novelization written by him). And that's the book I'm currently reading:

[Najemikon]

I'm surprised to hear you have any time for movie novelizations. I read a few years ago and they were awful. You say they add things, but what they add is worthless and meanwhile they can't write to save their lives (which is why they're copying someone else's work). Actually, Empire did a funny article on them a while ago and they all seemed like bitter hacks! I wouldn't waste time setting those books on fire.

The single exception I found was Alan Dean Foster who did the Alien series. He was a good writer who had already published his own work and he did a good job. But for the most part why would you want to read something that was designed to be visual?

Of course I'm not including series novelizations or 'extended universe' in this. They can add something worthwhile.

[goodguy]

This one I read because (surprise!) of the TV series of the same name with Richard Chamberlain in the main role.

Strangely (or not) my first thought was of the Shogun Assassin series; I don't think I've ever heard of the one you refer to.

Otherwise I'm with Jon. I do read fanfiction sometimes, but pure novelizations? Of mainstream movies?? Or the Smallvileville pilot of all things???

EDITh:
That was a typo. Honestly.

[DJ Doena]

Just to be clear, in case of Shogun the book was there first. And this is the series with Chamberlain: IMDb, Amazon

I'm surprised to hear you have any time for movie novelizations. I read a few years ago and they were awful. You say they add things, but what they add is worthless and meanwhile they can't write to save their lives (which is why they're copying someone else's work). Actually, Empire did a funny article on them a while ago and they all seemed like bitter hacks! I wouldn't waste time setting those books on fire.

I can't disagree here, most of them are hacks. That's why I buy them only at bin price. I'm always hoping to find a pearl...

[Achim]

Just to be clear, in case of Shogun the book was there first. And this is the series with Chamberlain: IMDb, Amazon

This was a big deal on TV when it aired. I remember watching it with my parents, have no recollection of it itself though. Another, even bigger success with Chamberlain was that Thornbirds thing.

[Critter]

Wow I didn't even know there were novelisations for Batman Begins or The Dark Knight. I had this idea thatit's book first and then the film follows, but I suppose they do some the other way around as well.

[Najemikon]

Wow I didn't even know there were novelisations for Batman Begins or The Dark Knight. I had this idea thatit's book first and then the film follows, but I suppose they do some the other way around as well.

You will find that there is almost always a novelization for every major film (and a few minors too). It's normally part of the production process that when the script is just about locked in, they farm it out to authors to turn into a book while the film is still being made. It's a fascinating thing, because they have absolutely nothing to do with the screenwriters, are not privy to the latest script changes and add their own things too.

Here's a random selection at Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=official+movie+novelization&x=0&y=0

Note "Cabin In The Woods". That's Joss Whedon's movie, as yet uncomplete, but the bloody books got a release date!

I also noticed Alan Dean Foster has done Terminator Salvation. I bet that's not bad, in keeping with his Alien series as I said before. Oddly, there is also a prequel by Timothy Zahn. Who the hell commissioned that? But actually, at least it's a story you don't know and the author is well regarded for the Star Wars novels he did.

Just to be clear, in case of Shogun the book was there first. And this is the series with Chamberlain: IMDb, Amazon

That's a proper book as well, of some renown. I bet you'd get more satisfaction looking up more books that were turned into film and TV, rather than the other way around.

[Critter]

Well now I'm just interested to give one a go. Hmm, I wonder if any have been made from Tarantino films 

[Kathy]

I try to always read the book first. Although I often enjoy the movie, I usually think the book is better. The Shining is a perfect example - I loved the movie but the book is even better.

[Achim]

Well now I'm just interested to give one a go. Hmm, I wonder if any have been made from Tarantino films 

They usually release the screenplay, so a novelization additionally to that would be moot...?

[snowcat]

I try to always read the book first. Although I often enjoy the movie, I usually think the book is better. The Shining is a perfect example - I loved the movie but the book is even better.

This can also work in reverse... I think the book "My sisters keeper" has a terrible ending, but the film is perfect."

[DJ Doena]

Finally came around to finish it. Peter David did a really good job with it, he made a real novel out of it. He transformed the emotions the actors portray onto the paper and I enjoyed reading it. I also enjoyed how he managed to bring the inner motiviations of characters like the Green Goblin or J. Jonah Jameson forward. In the movie JJJ is simply the comic relief, in the book he is actually more.

Which is why I bought the second one, too (written by the same author).