Books or Movies?

Honestly, this is a hard question to answer and it’s been discussed many times by many people. Personally, I like both. I was not an avid reader as a kid. In fact, I didn’t read books for fun when I was younger, only books I had to read for school. Why I was like that, I have no idea. I suspect laziness is the answer. I don’t think I realized how good reading is when I was younger and I feel as though I actually missed out. But hey, I never live my life with regret, which is my motto, so it’s okay.

I remember when I started to read for pleasure. It was when I was 20. I know, late bloomer right? My girlfriend and I were living together at the time and she had a book about The Doors rock band. I picked it up one day and read it over the next week or so. What’s funny is I didn’t even like their music. That was until I read the book. The story was so cool and interesting that I had to listen to their music more carefully and then began to enjoy it more.

There are good points to both books and movies. Let’s discuss them here. Firstly, I’ll begin with movies as I have probably watched more of them than have read books. Movies for me are an escape. I know books can be too but I find the visuals and sounds of movies fantastic and even sometimes beautiful. The big screen and big sound of a movie theatre can be exciting and so entertaining. To be honest, I rarely go to the theatre due to the cost involved but it’s fun sometimes. I think I’ve only been to the movies 3 times in Japan and that’s over a 12-year period. I mostly watch movies at home on my computer and that’s fine by me. What’s the best thing about watching movies at home? I can wear whatever I want and eat whatever I want and relax completely. I love it. The last movie I watched was The Joker. Not exactly a happy movie but it was entertaining. I recommend you watch it if you have the chance, but not if you’re in a bad mood though as it certainly won’t cheer you up. I do miss going to the cinema so I should go again soon.

Now, as far as reading goes, this is a whole different sensation. I think with books, you have to use your imagination and I feel like I can sometimes get lost in a book more than in a movie. I prefer reading in bed, either when I wake up or before going to bed. It’s also possible to fit in much more information in much more detail in a book that a movie just can’t capture. If you’ve ever seen a movie adaptation of a book, you’ll know what I mean. The book is always better, at least in my opinion. The movie is never as good, which is a shame. I will still continue to enjoy both however.

Peter

Vocabulary

avid (adj.) - having or showing a keen interest in or enthusiasm for something
motto (n) - a short sentence or phrase chosen to represent the beliefs or ideals of an individual, family, or institution
capture (v) - record accurately in words or pictures
adaptation (n) - a change or adjustment to improve something, or to represent it in a different way
shame (n) - a regrettable or unfortunate situation or action