Great article again, Simon. Film has long been given a hard time when it comes to literary adaptations, all too often unfairly.

I’m with you on the Lord of the Rings, by the way – in fact I always found the books a bit of a slog whereas the films tell the story with a dramatic beauty of its own.

I actually think the Harry Potter films work brilliantly on their own merits as well, and are cleverly crafted to reflect the age of the protagonists (true also of the books). My biggest gripe however is the final showdown in Deathly Hallows, where the change from novel to film is really disappointing.

Spot on with Spielberg too – a genius at telling stories on film from its source material. And Jaws is a masterpiece.

Great read and you do have a way of creating articles that prompt thought and conversation that’s for sure.