Books vs Movies: The Never-Ending Battle | ISIC Australia

To read a book or to see a movie – this is the almighty dilemma. Although most people agree that books are better than movies we will list the advantages of both so you are free to decide which one you may prefer.

WHY BOOKS?

You can let your imagination lead you throughout the story

Books let you imagine everything you read. You can imagine the scenes, people and places just the way you want to. Books let you be creative, and that’s why they are impressive.

Books improve your vocabulary

When reading a challenging book, you are exposed to new words that you would not otherwise encounter. In that way books are expanding your vocabulary.

Books make you remember the story for longer

Reading a book is a long process. You can enjoy it for weeks if you want. Because of that, the story will stay in your memory much longer than a movie that lasts only 2 hours.

Books have a lot more detail

Besides the main topic of the book, there are a lot other details in it. By reading a book you can get a better impression of the story. There are beautiful descriptions of people’s feeling or descriptions of nature that can leave you breathless without witnessing it live.

WHY MOVIES?

Movies have the socializing factor

You can watch a movie with your friends or family. Even better, you can watch it at home or in the cinema. Either way you do it, you will be doing it in a social environment.

Movies provide image and sound experiences

When reading a book you can spend a lot of time reading about the physical appearance of the character, for example. The movie will show you that character in just a few seconds so you don’t have to think much about the details. The same with the sound and even special effects: a visual or audio effect will stimulate your senses more and have a greater impact.

Soundtrack to enjoy later

Some of the most beautiful songs of all times were made as a soundtrack for a movie. The way music and a cinematic scene work together is indeed incredible, because music can set the mood for a dramatic moment or an epic battle, for example. Re-listening to that song can bring back memories of the movie or the feeling you had whilst watching it.

A movie demands less time

Movies are quicker in telling the story. There is no need for long written descriptions, as you can just watch a 5 second scene to get the impression that could take 2 hours of reading. With tight schedules, people often don’t find enough time to read a book, so 2 hours at the movies solves that problem.

There are definitely pros and cons for both artistic expressions, but it is best if you experience both worlds. Another good experiment is to read a book and then watch the movie adaptation. See how the movie makers changed the plot, portrayed the characters or chose the setting, it’s a great way of seeing the story differently and enjoying it once more.