Discussion Posts: Wanting to read a book after seeing the trailer?

Posted on by Ashleigh

discussion - read book after trailer.PNG

This week’s discussion idea popped into my head because of recent events. I did have another idea planned, but that can wait.

I actually have a lot to say about this one (but when don’t I?) so I hope you guys find it interesting and form your own opinions too!

So here we go!

Where the idea came from

This has actually happened to me recently. I saw the film trailer for Me Before You, and immediately knew I’d watch the film. And then I remembered that it’s a book originally. Now, before seeing this trailer I had absolutely no intention of reading this book. I don’t read contemporaries often (though I’m trying to read more of them now) but I have a sudden NEED for this book. I love the look of the trailer, so now I want to read the book before seeing the movie. And I can guarantee that Me Before You will be in my February Haul at the end of the month, because I’m buying it with my next order – which is soon.

~~~

So why did the trailer make a difference?

Well…I guess it just brought the book to my attention really, whereas before I wouldn’t have thought to pick it up.

Every time a new book-to-movie adaptation is released, I see people going out to buy the book so they can read it before watching it. So maybe it really is just that the story was brought to a reader’s attention? Or maybe the trailer took a different spin on the synopsis of the book – while a synopsis might not have interested the reader, the trailer might show them something different from the story.

~~~

But isn’t it bad to want to read a book…because of the movie trailer?

In my opinion, no. Not at all.

Sure, you had no interest before. But if the trailer was interesting enough for you to want to go out and read the book…that’s got to mean something, right? It’s almost like you can’t wait for the movie, you just need the story as soon as possible.

Don’t get me wrong, at the moment I have that small sense of guilt niggling in my head saying I should have given the book a chance before the movie trailer, since I saw it so often and just dismissed it as something I wouldn’t like. But that’s not a bad thing. If anything, it’ll make me try a wider range of books in the future…which is actually in the process of happening! 

And with the movie coming out and readers flocking to grab a copy of the book before it’s released, that’s only helping the author!

 

So what do you think?

Is it bad to want to read a book only after seeing the movie trailer?

Should they have tried acknowledging the book earlier, not just because it’s a movie?

Or is this a perfectly normal and acceptable thing to happen?

Should the producers be thanked for bringing the book to a reader’s attention?

Also – has this ever happened to you? Which book?

Let me know in the comments!

sign

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Come and visit me!

heart

My Instagram (Bookstagram)

My Twitter

My Goodreads

My Bloglovin’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

18 thoughts on “Discussion Posts: Wanting to read a book after seeing the trailer?”

  1. I think it’s perfectly normal (and acceptable) to want to read a book basically only because of seeing a movie or tv trailer. For example, right now I’m reading John le Carré’s The Night Manager and I can safely say I would NEVER have picked it up of my own volition but the casting of some of my favourite actors in an upcoming TV miniseries of it (and the recently released trailer) made me want to try out the book before seeing the miniseries. In this case the producers have also decided to modernise the book slightly so I won’t know EVERYTHING that’s going to happen in the series after reading the book – and that’s another dilemma to contend with, I think, when you read the book before seeing the film of it. The dilemma of knowing what’s coming, and there’s a question of does that end up spoiling the film? However I know in my case at least, if I see the film first then try to read the book, I tend not to get around to it because I already know what happens – odd but true. 😛

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I think with the spoilers thing, people are more likely to read the book first, because they won’t feel like they’re wasting their time watching the film when they already know what’s happened, since it’s only a couple of hours. But if you watch the film first, then it’s actually quite a long time to read a book when you already know what happens. If that makes sense? I didn’t know how to word that right haha!

      Like

      Reply

      1. I absolutely know what you mean, yes. I suppose when you’re reading something where you already know what happens it takes what feels like FOREVER to get to what you know is a foregone conclusion, assuming the adaptation was quite faithful? I know what you mean but I find myself unable to word it correctly too! But it’s definitely true, I have such a lack of motivation to read a book AFTER I know what the ending is, even if there’s the promise of beautiful writing or characterisation.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  2. I think it’s great that people take an interest in the book after watching the trailer. I don’t see why it would be a bad thing or why it would make their reading experience and opinions of the book any less “legit” (I can’t think of a better word) just because they were influenced by the trailer more than the synopsis. Besides! Books have trailers too! Because trailers make everything more exciting!
    I don’t know if we should thank movie producers since people might dislike the book if it’s too different from the movie or if the movie is so bad people won’t want to bother with the book. But it is true that one of the consequences of book to movie adaptations is an increase in book sales, which means more readers! yay!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. My thoughts exactly haha! If a movie trailer means more people read books, that’s always a bonus. And just because they hear of the book from it’s movie…well, it’s not an issue at all! Like you said, it doesn’t make their opinions any less legit 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  3. I completely agree! And just like you, I saw the Me Before You movie trailer and thought it was super cute so I knew I had to read the book before watching the movie lol

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  5. I feel like some books become movies years after the books originally come out so when I see the trailer it’s almost like I find out about the book for the first time. Old books get hyped up again and this leads to movie hype too. I feel like trailers can also remind me about books already on my TBR pile. A recent example would be The 5th Wave. I’ve wanted to read that forever and it took knowing the movie would be coming out to encourage me to read it (I obviously had to read the book first).
    Thanks for the interesting discussion, this is something I’ve never really thought about before : )

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Oh that’s an interesting point! It’s happened to me before too where the movie being released encourages me to read the book finally. I hadn’t thought of that 🙂 And thanks!

      Like

      Reply

  6. I think quite a lot of people are now reading this book because of the trailer, in my case I bought it a day after watching it. Like you I don’t read much contemporary quite as often as I’ll read dystopia or fantasy, and if a trailer, film or tv series will make you want to read the book that it is based on that’s fantastic. Most of my favorite series I read because of the films. It will happen at least once to a reader. Great post!😊

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. Pingback: February Wrap Up | A frolic through fiction

  8. Anything encouraging someone to read it good in my books (pun intended). I can see why some people become frustrated with those who claim to be book nerds but only read books based on the movies they see – finding novels outside of Hollywood’s attention can be more than rewarding, so finding books from their movies can be a great gateway for others to discover reading like the rest of us.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment