Books -v- Movies – The Great Debate

Hey guys! I was contemplating what my next blog would be and I thought it might be fun if I did an article, which I hope you don't mind.... So here we go... 


I am often torn, more often than most, about what to do with my spare time. At work and at home (i.e. on Facebook) it is quite often I hear the phrase 'I'm bored' or 'I don't know what I am going to do this weekend, I am going to be so bored'. To me, I find that amusing because it is very rare that I am bored. Books-wise, I always like to have a large stack of books on my 'to-read' pile so if I finish one, I can always go to my shelf and pick the next one and get straight to it. Movie-wise, me and my partner, Geoffrey, have quite a decent sized collection of DVDs to watch and there is always the TV and Internet to watch things on. Then there is the act of getting the books and DVDs in the first place – shopping, which I have to say is my favourite pastime of all time. I just find it so exciting to go into town and pop into a shop (let's use the example of a book shop). Walking into the book shop you get that wonderful brewing coffee smell that sucks you in and then there are all the books. All the beautiful books... I'm rambling a bit but what I mean is that I don't have time to be bored. There is always something to do whether it is reading a book or watching a movie or some other call of duty for those who run households! To have to choose between the two, I am not sure whether I could. If someone walked up to me in the street and said 'You have to go and live in a desert island and you are only allowed to choose between books and movies. The item you leave behind you will never see again.' I would have great difficulty deciding.


Here are some advantages and disadvantages to books:

• ADVANTAGE - In most cases, you can savour a book for longer than you can watch a movie.
  
• ADVANTAGE – You can visualise each story in your head and form your own opinions of the characters.
  
• ADVANTAGE – Books are easier to carry around with you.
  
• ADVANTAGE – More often than not, the book version of a story goes into so much more depth than the movie version of the same story.
  
• ADVANTAGE – Books are meant to make you smarter!
  
• DISADVANTAGE – At the moment, where I live most DVDs are cheaper than buying a book unless you prefer blue ray, in which case books are much cheaper! If you were going to go to the cinema with your partner/friend etc, by the time you have paid for the ticket, bought food and drink, you could have bought at least two maybe three books.
  
• DISADVANTAGE – Trees have to be cut down to provide for the paper to print the stories on.
  
• DISADVANTAGE – Depending on the size of the book, they can take up a lot of space.
  

Here are some advantages and disadvantages to movies:

• ADVANTAGE – Most movies allows you to be able to switch off your mind and leave you to just simply enjoy the entertainment. You don't have to use your imagination to picture what is going on with the story.
  
• ADVANTAGE – One of the most popular destination choices when you are going on a date, although admittedly some people only go for the snogging on the back seat (not be, honest gov!)
  
• ADVANTAGE –When you are gathered around the water cooler at work, you are more likely to talk about what movie you watched last rather than what book you last read...
  
• ADVANTAGE – No trees were harmed in the process of making a DVD (I think?)
  
• ADVANTAGE – They don't take up too much storage space.
  
• DISADVANTAGE – In most cases, a movie does not last as long as a book could.
  
• DISADVANTAGE – You are not able to use your imagination to picture what you think the characters look like etc; you have to take what is given to you on the screen.
  
• DISADVANTAGE – It can be more expensive to watch a movie, say going to the cinema as mentioned above, than actually buying a few books.
  

Oh dear, by my calculation so far the advantages and disadvantages are equal and my mind has gone blank... OK, so I am ready for the question again. 'If I have to go and live on a desert island, which would I take'. My answer would have to be books. Books, for me, do have the slight edge over the movies. With a book you can savour it, word for word, and get sucked into your own little bubble for hours on end and chances are that after you have finished the book, give it two or three weeks and, if the book is really good, then you might want to read it again!


So, how about you guys? If you had to live on a desert island and could only pick books or movies, which would you pick and why?


I hope you enjoyed my article....


Best Wishes