Jot down a list of your top five films of all time, and the chances are that more than one will have begun life as a novel.
'You've read the book, now see the film!' How many times have you read these words on a film poster while passing your local cinema?
Perhaps you have enjoyed some of the all-time great British films over the years? Many of these will have been drawn from books. The Third Man and Brighton Rock were hugely popular films of the late 1940s, and were rewritten for the screen by Graham Greene from his novels of the same name.
Maybe you've sat down at Christmas to watch Oliver Twist, or other films inspired by the brilliant books of Charles Dickens? Or you may have taken grandchildren to see Alice in Wonderland, adapted from Lewis Carroll's world famous book.
Differences
One fascinating thing about any 'film of the book' is that the movie and the novel are always great in very different ways.
With books, writers can cover far more detail than filmmakers who often have only 90 minutes to tell the same story on screen. You'll see that some book characters don't even appear in the film, which is why reading the book after seeing the film can spring so many surprises.
Actors' biographies
Reading biographies of favourite actors is one way to add even more colour to the films you love best. As well as behind-the-scenes views of the movie world, such books bring to life the famous stars and filmmakers of the day.
Next steps
Why not visit your local library to browse their selection of biographies? You could also ask about local film societies near you, meeting others to enjoy favourite flicks on the silver screen. Your library may even have a home delivery service that includes DVD loans of great films as well as books.
