Kudos to my friend Stephanie over at The Anxiety of Authorship for finding this great article! The folks over at A.V. Club picked, what they believed to be, very unsuccessful book adaptations. Some standouts on this list?
- Ulysses by James Joyce – I’m not sure why anyone would even WANT to adapt this piece of literature. It’s complexity and distinct inner monologues are way too difficult to translate onto screen.
- Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien – Die-hard fans of Middle Earth argue that the imaginative story and setting cannot be replicated (even with Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema’s extensive budget)
- He’s Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo – While I did enjoy this movie, it is labeled as a “self-help” book without much of a storyline. Doesn’t quite make sense as a mook.
Check out the full list here!
mookology. 
Putting Lord of the Rings here is a little harsh. Of course your not going to capture all of the brilliance of the trilogy, but they did a damn good job trying. I understand where the die hards come from and how they were disappointed with the translation. I get that, I really do. But to say its one of the three worst… that’s just being bitter.
In my defense, I did not put this list together :) And if you read exactly what I wrote, I distinctly point out that “die-hard fans” are the majority of viewers who find this adaptation unsuccessful. The 3 mooks I’ve mentioned here were just standout arguments from the list, I never specified whether I agreed or not. No hard feelings :) Happy reading!
16. Harry Potter
I agree, but mostly only for Half Blood Prince.. that was awful and such a disappointment!
I have to correct you here, actually. The list has the cartoon version of LOTR under the most unsuccessful, and the live action under most successful.
I don’t see the “most successful” part, but I do see my mistake there with the cartoon version. I’ve read a lot of anti-Peter Jackson LOTR articles and have had the discussion with many, so my brain must be hardwired for that argument :) Oopsie.
Oh, the most successful was a link at the bottom of the page.
I’m a huge LOTR nerd (I have a poem from it tattooed on me) and I must say I think Peter Jackson did an incredible job adapting given the 1100-odd pages he had to work with. Hahaha
I separate my books from my movies. Makes life much more enjoyable. I loved 2/3 of the movies listed, but I have not seen the first one you listed. Nothing compares to the characters you imagine within, but seeing things in reality is much more satisfying.
Just wanted to point out that these movies are not my personal opinion, just examples taken from a larger article that is linked in the blog posting. I agree – watching books come to life is one of the most amazing and gratifying things about the process which is why I like to experience both.. the book AND the movie :)
I know, I saw your above comment. I was just stating my opinion for all the people who go out of their way to angrily bash Mooks. :)