Has anyone read The Secret Life of Bees. I just saw the movie trailer and it looks good.

I think that it is always best to read the book before you watch the movie. 

I didn't know that there was a movie coming out for that book..I guess I better get to reading it then!  Thanks for the heads up!

Read the book. I read it years ago when it came out and loved it! I don't usually go to the movies but I am really excited to see this one!

I remember this book being really popular several years ago. That being said I would read the book first. I think it's usually  more enjoyable seeing the movie after you know how the story is "supposed" to go. That adds a whole new dynamic to the way you watch the movie and adds another discussion topic for after! 

I thought the book was pretty mediocre.  The movie looks more entertaining.

I loved the book and would recommend reading it even if you don't see the movie.

If I read a book and really like it, I refuse to see the movie!!  My imagination has created the scenes, how the characters look, etc., etc., while I am reading the book and the film version always gets it all wrong!!!!!  Case in point, Gone with the Wind has always been one of my favorite books and I hated the movie when I finally saw it!  I know, I know...that is very narrow-minded of me!

Read the book!

In general, I have always found a book to be much better than any movie.  The movie has to cut out parts of the book.  I love books because you can picture in your own mind what the character looks like, etc. 

I loved the book Secret Life of Bees.  I am not sure that the movie can do it justice.

I will say that there has been only 1 movie that I have seen that follows the book pretty closely and that I was not dissappointed with.  That is Mystic River. 

If you are going to do both I would watch the movie first. In my experience the books are usually better than the movie and if you read the book first then the movie does not seem to be as good. Given the opportunity I watch the movie first then I read the book.

If possible,listen to the audio version-it is incredible!!!

I loved it.  I didn't know a movie was coming out either.  Read the book first.  That is always best.

I can hear the back screen door slamming again.

Read the book!  I read it a couple years ago and I plan on reading it again, before I see the film.

Always read the book.  Who cares if the movie is any good.  Most aren't and then it can spoil the book.  Seven years in Tibet is one if the few movies that is as good, in its own way, as the book.  Interview with a Vampire was a tremendous book and, really, the movie SUCKED.  Even Brad Pit  couldn't save it!!!!!!!

Pamela

PS Just wanted to add that even the book Dances with Wolves was a better book, but only slightly.  The book explained the Indian's way of life and what they were thinking better but was very true to the movie and vise versa.

I've found that if I see the movie before I read the book I'm less disappointed with the movie.   Every time I see a movie after I have read the book, I'm disappointed. The exception is classics like Jane Ayre and any book by Jane Austen, it's easier for me to understand the writing after I've seen the movie.

I enjoyed The Secret Life of Bees. It was a very comfortable read and I got to really enjoy getting to know the characters. I like to read books first and then see the movie. Most of the time, the movie doesn't hold up. For some, I have to consider them as entirely separate entities. For example, I really liked reading the Harry Potter books. I liked the movies, too, but they left out A LOT! As a stand-alone, the movies were good and if I hadn't read the book, I might even say excellent.  But if I tried too hard to compare them with the books, they wouldn't stand up at all. Sometimes the movie isn't even all that great. The Nanny Diaries was a very enjoyable, biting, incisive book, but the movie was just OK. Didn't pack nearly the punch that the book did.

I totally agree with Marla R. (skeetergirl).  I refused to watch the movie "Cold Mountain" because the book is one of my all time favorites.   The movie never does the book justice.   Prince of Tides is another example -- terrible movie -- wonderful book.

  One exception is Lonesome Dove -- that was done well and the two main characters were perfect for the parts.

I did enjoy the Secret Life ...  and I didn't know they were making a movie about it.  It is always interesting to see who is playing the main characters.

Diane

If you can, you should alway read the book first.  The books alway have way more story than a movie does.  I have told many people this now.  Please read the book version first on any one that comes out on movies.  I suggest the BOOK- Hideaway by Dean Koontz.  This was made into a movie but the book is way better.  I am not saying that the movie was bad, it just wasn't nearly as good as the book.  Hope this helps!  Michelle

I prefer reading the book first, but then unfortunately the movie usually doesn't live up to my expectations.

Considering the book and the movie as two seperate entities helps to a certain degree, but I'm usually a bit jaded after watching a director's interpretation of my book.  However, that still doesn't stop me from always wanting to read the book first. LOL ;)

I just requested The Secret Life of Bees.  I'm looking forward to reading it before the media starts discussing the movie.

One movie that is absolutely true to the book is To Kill a Mockingbird, but it should be noted that this was largely accomplished due to Harper Lee's presence on set.

That one Stephen King book where something lived in the sewer was true to the book.  It was exactly the way I pictured it while reading.  Name of book escapes me though.

Just wanted to say that The Secret Life of Bees **MOVIE** is verrrrry good and lives up to the book.  The characters are absolutely perfectly chosen, esp. Queen Latifah as August!   I recommend to any that want to see this movie to read the book first and then GO!  I "dragged" my boyfriend there, and even he enjoyed it!

It is the Stephen King book you are thinking of Beth.

The only book that I read after watching the movie and was very glad I watched the movie first was "No Country for Old Men".  The style of the author's writing was weird to me and I actually liked and got way more out of the movie than the book.  If I hadn't seen the movie first I would have had a hard time understanding and picturing in my head.

And I agree that Mystic River was really true to the book unlike most movies compared to the book.

I used to always read the book before watching the movie, until I realized that I would sit through the entire movie comparing it to the book, usually unfavorably.  As with Tsatske's comment about how she would read a movie-based book first before seeing the movie because otherwise the book was awful, I now try to watch the movie first and enjoy it before reading the book afterwards.  I've found in these cases that I can relax and enjoy the movie and then reading the book, which is always packed with more information than the movie could hold, is like rediscovering old friends.

I would read the book and then watch the movie. :)