5 books that made it to the big screen

Books give us the opportunity to unleash our imagination and imagine everything from the main characters, to places and events. We are guided "only" by the descriptions of writers, the rest happens in our heads. Film (or television) creators also draw inspiration from the world of books, and increasingly often the script for films and series is written based on a more or less popular novel ( see also this article about series ). Of course, a book and a film adaptation provide different experiences, but why not watch your favorite book on the screen? We have selected five books that have been made into films and their popularity has perhaps increased even more because of this.

Dangerous acquaintances (Choderlos de Laclos, Les Liaisons Dangereuses)

The novel Dangerous Liaisons by French writer Choderlos de Laclos, subtitled Letters Collected in One Society and Published for the Instruction of Several Others, was first published in 1782. As the subtitle suggests, the book is a correspondence between the main characters – the Vicomte de Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuil, and several others. The plot is set in the 18th century. The Vicomte de Valmont, a notorious womanizer, out of boredom plays a dangerous game full of seduction, calculation, callousness, and revenge with the Marquise de Merteuil, who is just as debauched as her boyfriend, but is perceived by society as an honest and virtuous lady. The 175 letters, full of analysis of love feelings, everyday liberal experiences, and cynicism, have been adapted into several films and television series. Let's mention at least the three-Oscar-winning film Dangerous Liaisons from 1988, starring John Malkovich, Glenn Close, Michelle Pfeiffer and Uma Thurman. A year later, a film adaptation of the book by Czech director Miloš Forman was released under the title Valmont, starring Colin Firth, and in 1980, a television film Dangerous Liaisons was even made in Slovakia, starring Juraj Kukur, Emília Vašáryová, Jana Nagyová, Soňa Valentová, Zuzana Kronerová and others.

Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl)

The sophisticated psychological thriller by American author Gillian Flynn, Lost Girl, was published in 2012 and quickly became a bestseller. The story begins like a detective story – when Nick returns home on the day of his fifth wedding anniversary, he finds only an open door, an iron on, a cluttered living room and pieces of glass, his wife Amy has disappeared and Nick becomes a suspect. New facts gradually come to the surface, which at first make the plot more and more confusing and force the reader to think about what is true and what is a lie. From the middle, the plot gradually crystallizes and the reader changes his relationship to the main characters at the same pace as the plot moves thanks to new information discovered. At the end, however, you ask yourself whether there is actually a real perpetrator, and who is the victim in this story. The author has unfolded a chilling story full of manipulation, lies, half-truths, but also a bit of perverted love, which is not only about finding the culprit, but especially about a broken marriage.

The Great Gatsby (Francis Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby)

The Great Gatsby is considered the best novel by Francis Scott Fitzgerald. It was first published in 1925 and faithfully depicts the 1920s, the period of prohibition and the so-called Jazz Age in the USA. The story takes place in New York, Long Island, which is divided into two parts - in the east lived wealthy aristocratic families (Daisy with her husband Tom Buchanan) and in the west lived nouveau riche (Jay Gatsby) and adventurers (Nick Carraway). The story of the mysterious Gatsby is told by his neighbor Nick, Daisy's cousin, who one day receives an invitation to one of the huge parties that Gatsby organizes. The lavish parties with hundreds of guests, many of whom do not even know what their host looks like, are organized for one reason. Gatsby hopes that one day the resident of the house across the bay - Daisy - his old love - will also attend the party. The story of hope, great love, but especially loneliness ends tragically. The relatively thin novella is full of details that depict various symbolisms. Perhaps the most significant symbol is the green light (the color of money) next to Daisy's house, which embodies the hope that Gatsby will meet Daisy again. The well-known story has been adapted into several films and television series. The first is a silent film from 1926, which the author of the novel, FS Fitzgerald, allegedly saw, but was not enthusiastic about. Today, the film is lost, only a one-minute trailer has survived. After this version, four more were made, of which the most famous one is certainly the one from 2013 with Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role.

The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook)

American writer Nicholas Sparks is one of the most popular contemporary authors. All of his novels (he has written 21 of them) have become New York Times bestsellers and have been translated into more than 50 languages. He wrote his first published novel, The Notebook, in six months and was published in 1996. He draws inspiration and experiences from his own life into his novels, and The Notebook was no different. He was inspired to write this story by his wife's grandparents, who had lived together for more than 60 years. According to his own words, he tried to convey in the book especially the way his grandfather's eyes lit up when he looked at his wife, the way he held her hand, poured her tea, and cared for her. The story of endless love takes place in two time periods – the present and the past. Noah is a retired man in a nursing home and every day he patiently reads Allie, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, a love story from his diary. Allie sometimes remembers for a brief moment that the main character in the diary is herself and Noah is her destined love. And while the book takes place more in the present and is proof of Noah's long-lasting devotion to Allie, the film shows more of the past, how their relationship began.

Forrest Gump (Winston Groom)

Forrest Gump, a story about a naive man with a big heart, by American author Winston Groom was first published in 1986. The main character Forrest experiences many extraordinary situations in his life, both comical and tragic. With the label of an idiot and an IQ just below 70, he began his schooling in a special school, thanks to his excellent sports results he got to university, fought in Vietnam, became a businessman, and earned millions, met several American presidents, was launched into space and subsequently crashed on an island outside of civilization... During his life, he heard a lot of mockery addressed to him, but he interprets his experiences with ease and insight. The story in the book is told, or rather. written by the talkative Forrest himself, which is why the text is very specific - full of mistakes, typos and bad word order. The bench on which Forrest sits while telling the story is now in the Savannah History Museum in Georgia. The film spawned the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, which now has 42 locations in the United States, Mexico, China, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom. The film won 6 Oscars (Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Actor in a Leading Role, Visual Effects, Editing) and 44 other awards and 75 nominations.