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Liked the Movie? Try the Book! 10 Surprising Movies Based on Books

Our favorite: Top 10 lists! Here’s a great one from our friends at StudyMode, sharing 10 books you should definitely read if you loved the movie version. ☺
 

Nothing beats warm buttered popcorn, an ice-cold soda and a great movie playing on the big screen – especially in the middle of summer! We get it, movies rule. But the megaplex isn’t the only place to immerse yourself in a thrilling story.

Whether you’re looking for a heart-pounding car chase, a tearful embrace or even a zombie apocalypse – you can find it all in books. In fact, most people argue that the book version of a story is almost always better than the movie version because books aren’t confined by budgets and running time.

We here at StudyMode have put together a list of movies you might not know were based on books. If you loved the movie, give the book a try. You might fall in love all over again!

The Notebook: Long before Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling had one of the most iconic movie kisses ever, Nicholas Sparks’ novel was a New York Times best-seller.

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Catch Me if You Can: It took more than two decades for Frank Abagnale’s autobiography, about his life as a con artist, to become a movie.

Casino Royale: Published more than half a century before Daniel Craig debuted as 007, Casino Royale is the first of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels.

World War Z: Brad Pitt’s production company secured the rights to Max Brooks’ novel in 2007. It took another six years for the movie to be released in theaters.

Wolf of Wall Street: If you liked watching Leo live it up as Jordan Belfort, read the story in Belfort’s own words. He published his memoirs in 2007.

Drive: Ryan Gosling makes the list again. This time for his high-octane hit, Drive. Relive all the drama and excitement with James Sallis’ novel.

The Lion King: The 1994 Disney classic is widely believed to be based in part on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. While Rosencrantz and Guildenstern never sing Hakuna Matata, Shakespeare does offer five acts packed with murder, mystery and mayhem. Plus – it’s a play! You can totally read the whole thing in one day!

Sweeney Todd: No, Johnny Depp didn’t invent Sweeney Todd. The character dates back to 1846. The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’s first known appearance is in the penny dreadful, “The String of Pearls: A Romance.”

Money Ball: If you loved watching Brad Pitt’s Billy Beane leverage sabermetrics to create a winning team, read more about the true story in Michael Lewis’ 2003 book.

Mean Girls: Though it might never mention the word “fetch,” Rosalind Wiseman’s non-fiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes was the inspiration for Mean Girls. Wiseman’s work describes how damaging high school cliques can be to young women.
 

StudyMode provides a network of practical online learning tools and apps to help students succeed. Our flagship site, StudyMode.com, is a library of research documents, book notes and AP notes. Other sites in the network include Cram.com, where students can create, study and share flashcards. StudyMode’s global network features more than 15 tools and reaches 90 million visitors per month.

 

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