Top Ten Tuesday

Oh yeah, we all know what today is... My favourite meme of the week! This week's list is actually my second attempt, since the first one contained books that had already been made into movies- I should probably check those out, huh? In making this list, though, I had some pretty mixed feelings that will probably become evident to you as you read it- it's a sort of painful, 'well, yeah, I would like to see these in movie form, but only if they have the best ever director (i.e. myself) making them. Which sounds a little egocentric, but nonetheless it's how I feel- these movies would have to be exactly like I've seen the book in my head, or they'd end up on my top ten worst book to movie adaptations list (which, I don't think has been done yet, but could be an idea for a future TTT? Just a thought...) But anyway, I'll tell you my list, and you can tell me what you think!

Top Ten Books I'd like to see turned into movies


1. The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster: Just because, I'd really like to see how they pull it off- it's such an intricate, well-crafted, and often surprising set of short stories (that all intertwine) that I can't even begin to imagine it fitting together on the big screen, but I'm sure there's someone who could...

2. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides: This replaced We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates, because apparently someone made that already! I'm not even halfway through Middlesex yet, but already I can see its cinematic potential- the deceptions, the family drama- it's all so awesome and secretive, and definitely suited for a film.

3. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath: I'm pretty sure this could only be made by someone who has experienced depression, and even then, I'm not sure it could be done the way it should be. There's nothing quite like your first reading of The Bell Jar, and I'm not sure if a movie experience could measure up to it.

4. Midnight's Children/The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie: Just because I think it would be a really hilarious impossible task to give someone, and the resulting movies would probably be the biggest messes ever- this is not to say that there is anything wrong with the books, because they are utterly amazing, I just think that they might be unfilmable!

5. Maus by Art Spiegelman: I'm not really sure about this one either, because while I think it would be incredible, a moving picture cartoon would possibly be a) crappy, or b) completely disrespectful. Done well though, I think it could be really really good and classy. But I could be wrong.

6. I'm the King of the Castle by Susan Hill: Seriously, this book is so creepy that it sort of gives me chills of horror. Get two amazing child actors, and you could have a surprise hit on your hands with this tale of random and unfair persecution.

7. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon: I'm not sure this could be done properly either (do you see a pattern here) but I think if it could it would be a really good British film, and one that raises awareness of autism and its effects on everyone surrounded by it, which can only be a good thing. However, since it is narrated by an autistic teenager, I'm not sure how they could properly get across his complete state of mind.

8. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver: I just love everything about this book, the characters, the plot, everything. I think this could potentially be an amazing film, as long as there is the right casting and the right setting.

9. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy: A lush setting that would look amazing on film, and the story is pretty complex and amazing too. I just think it would translate really well to film, especially if my brain is any indication.

10. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood: A book that left me in tears because of the sheer horror of the situation, I think it needs to reach a larger audience, so that they can understand what an extreme, anti-female policy can eventually lead to (hint: it's not so good). This is, however, another book that could potentially be ruined by film, so it would have to be done sensitively and really really well (preferably by me!)

So, yeah. That's my top ten. How about you? Any books that you couldn't bear to see on film because it would just be too awful? Any you think would be a really good idea? Let me know in the comments!