The Encyclopedia Of Novels Into Film

For as long as there have been movies, filmmakers have labored to translate novelists' words into flickering images. From silent epics such as Birth of a Nation to contemporary blockbusters like Jurassic Park, directors have looked to literature for their inspiration. Now, The Encyclopedia of Novels into Film provides the first comprehensive look between the pages and behind the scenes of this long-standing cinematic tradition. More than 300 entries and 100 black-and-white movie stills and illustrations survey film adaptations of novels from Alice in Wonderland to Zorba the Greek with insightful commentary and in meticulous detail. Each entry provides a profile of the source novel, summarizing the plot, major characters, important themes, and the literary significance of the work. A second profile encapsulates the various filmed adaptations, examining how the movie preserved or changed the elements of the book, why the changes occurred, how the director's or studio's vision differed from the author's, and how successful the movie was on its own merits. A special appendix, The Novelist in Hollywood, offers a compelling exploration of the role of the writer in the movie industry as seen through the experiences of literary giants such as William Faulkner and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Written by two acclaimed film scholars and authors, The Encyclopedia of Novels into Film is the only comprehensive reference to examine the process and pitfalls of adaptation, providing readers with insights about how and why books are transformed for the silver screen. Over 300 entries cover both American and foreign films, from classic works to contemporary hits.