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25 book adaptations that surprisingly lived up to the books they’re based on

By Amanda Mullen

From left to right: Natalie Dormer (“Cressida,” left) and Jennifer Lawrence (“Katniss Everdeen,” right) star in Lionsgate Home Entertainment’s THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2.. Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate
From left to right: Natalie Dormer (“Cressida,” left) and Jennifer Lawrence (“Katniss Everdeen,” right) star in Lionsgate Home Entertainment’s THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2.. Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate /
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Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park is another film adaptation that’s regarded as a classic, so much so that people often forget that the story was a book first. Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park and its sequels introduce the same concept as the films: Humans have discovered a way to turn DNA into clones of the dinosaurs that once walked the Earth. But as Jeff Goldblum’s character points out in the movies, “just because you can do something doesn’t necessarily mean you should.”

As can be expected from messing with life itself, things go awry in both the book and film versions. But while the overarching theme of the stories remains the same, the movie version does take quite a few liberties when it comes to making changes. Thankfully, most of them are minor and don’t detract from the final product.

Though a few character names and personality traits were tweaked for the film, the cast is no less compelling. It’s difficult not to root for Grant and Ellie, even if the former is initially a bit prickly when introduced. And Goldblum’s Ian Malcolm adds plenty of comic relief to the story, while Richard Attenborough’s John Hammond adds complexity, demonstrating significant growth from the time the park opens to the movie’s end.

There’s also the fact of bringing the dinosaurs to life. The movie does this successfully, even given the limits of technology at the time the first film was created. And over the years, the sequels have only improved the appearance of the dinosaurs. It’s one thing to read about such awesome creatures, but it’s another experience entirely to see them in action. And that’s exactly what the Jurassic Park films allow fans to do.

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