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What are the best American novels adapted into movies?

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Anonymous

Before there were movies, books were among the primary sources of entertainment for people. It also helped in exercising the reader's imagination as he/she immerses more in the story. That's why many still prefer reading traditional hardbound and paperback books up until now. But with the birth of cinema, the interest in books has gradually decreased as people become allured to the moving pictures on the big screen. Yet, filmmaking is an ever-changing industry. And one of the changes that it embraced was adopting novels and books into a screenplay. In a way, this changed the outlook of book lovers, as well as avid moviegoers. There have been a lot of movies based on books that it's becoming hard to identify which is the best.

Luckily, we have gathered a list of books made into movies. Then, we ranked it based on the quality and accuracy of the film to the book. Yes, because not every book to movie adaptations are accurate. Topping this list is Forrest Gump, the book written by Winston Groom and first published in 1986. Who would ever forget the 1995 adaptation of the story? Tom Hanks did a good job of portraying the titular character. Because of that, Forrest Gump bagged the Best Picture while Tom Hanks went home as the Best Actor in the 67th Academy Awards. The film also won the Academy Award for Best Writing Adapted Screenplay Eric Roth. And ultimately, the Academy Award for Best Director went to Robert Zemeckis. This is just one of the many that were on this list. If you want to know more books and novels made into movies, go ahead and check it out below. What do you think of our list? Feel free to share your thoughts with us through the comment section.

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  1. 1Forrest Gump

    58

    Forrest Gump is a New York Times Bestseller novel by Winston Groom published in 2002 by Washington Square Press. This book is adapted into an Academy Award-winning film of the same title.

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  1. 2The Shining

    53

    The Shining is written by Stephen King is about a young boy with psychic powers struggling to hold his own against the forces of evil which are driving his father insane in an isolated hotel. 

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  3. 3To Kill a Mockingbird

    52
    To Kill a Mockingbird is Harper Lee's Pulitzer prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep south and the heroism of one man in the face of blind and violent hatred. This was first published in 1960.
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  1. 4Memoirs of a Geisha

    45

    Memoirs of a Geisha is Arthur Gold's best-selling novel, which tells the story of Nitta Sayuri as she overcomes loss at a young age and learns the art of becoming a geisha. It is a story of loss and pain, hope, and love.

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  2. 5Fight Club

    43

    Fight Club is Chuck Palahniuk's story of a man who leaves his lackluster job and his boss Tyler, who holds a secret fight club in the basement of bars where two men fight as long as they have to.

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  3. 6The Godfather

    40
    The Godfather by Mario Puzo is a searing portrayal of the 1940s criminal underworld. It is also the intimate story of the Corleone family at the core of the American Mafia. This compelling tale of blackmail, murder and family values is a true classic.
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  4. 7Divergent

    38

    Divergent is the first dystopian novel in the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth which is set in a post-apocalyptic society divided into five factions where Beatrice Prior has to choose only one to devote her life to.

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  5. 8Fahrenheit 451

    36

    Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel wherein a totalitarian regime has ordered the burning of books in order to suppress the spread of subversive ideas. It preaches about the power and role of knowledge to see beyond the surface.

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  6. 9Gone with the Wind

    33
    Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell is a bestselling novel of all time and won the Pulitzer Prize. Widely considered The Great American Novel, it explores the depth of human passion with an intensity as bold as its setting.
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  7. 10The Outsiders

    33
    The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is about how Ponyboy Curtis saw life as one of the greasers, one of the people who does not belong in a regular society. This book has won a number of awards for its contribution to the young adult genre.
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  8. 11The Grapes of Wrath

    30

    The Grapes of Wrath is a Pulitzer Prize-winning book by John Steinbeck. It tells the story of the Joad family as they travel west to California in search of greener pastures during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression.

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  9. 12Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

    25

    Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg has a folksy, fresh, endearing and affecting story. Written by one of the fairest and funniest ladies in America, it tells a contrasting, yet enthralling tale of humor and drama.

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  10. 13The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

    23
    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic American novel by Mark Twain. Published in 1884, it tells the story of a naughty boy settled in the Mississippi Valley. Full of humor it's also considered a deep and complex work.
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  11. 14Table 21

    20
    Zoë Green, the television star of the moment has disappeared: the last time she had been seen was leaving the Evangeline's, the best restaurant in Tribeca and owned by her friend Roman Sabarese. Stanley Fitzgerald, an NYPD officer takes over the investigation, a mysterious kidnapping that can change the face of Italian mafia for ever. 





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  12. 15The Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon)

    17

    The Da Vinci Code is a novel about Robert Langdon's journey in finding the Louvre. He will face many challenges that includes decoding cryptic messages that involves Leonardo Da Vinci's paintings. 

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  13. 16Charlotte's Web

    17
    Charlotte's Web by E.B. White is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come.
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  14. 17The Twilight Saga (White Collection)

    15

    This set of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga contains all four books - Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn - and The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. This series is about Bella, the vampire Edward, and the couple's star-crossed love story.  

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  15. 18The Maze Runner Boxed Set

    11

    The Maze Runner is James Dashner's young adult dystopian novel about a group of teens inside a walled settlement surrounded by a wide and dangerous maze. It has been adapted into a film series. 

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  16. 19A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet)

    8
    A Wrinkle in Time, the first in Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quartet series, is centered on how Meg Murry and her family met an unearthly stranger during a stormy night and was introduced to the tesseract, which is the book's term for a wrinkle in time.
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  17. 20Cujo

    5

    Cujo is horror fiction novel written by Stephen King which centers on 200-lb Saint Bernard named Cujo that turned into a horrifying vortex after he chases a rabbit into a bolt hole. 

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  18. 21Carrie

    4

    Carrie is a horror novel by Stephen King that tells the story of Carrie White, a girl that's constantly bullied by her schoolmates. When she finally has a chance to be normal, an unforeseen cruel act will end in horrible disaster.

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17 comments

  • #1
    A
    Anonymous
    May 1, 2018
    "I have to say something re: the movie vs the book** wow..they really cut the movie in half to accommodate the story! In HS ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ next to ‘Mice & Men’ were required reading. I’m surprised I wasn’t crying on a daily basis! I haven’t read the novel since 1978, but always watched the movie..besides a couple of characters that didn’t match the book theres the subject but no comparison...so if anyone has to do any required reading and ‘Grapes of Wrath’ is one..don’t watch the movie first One more thing Dylan Baker is now my favorite narrator! (I listened as well, thank God?) What a performance..he sounded like ‘Henry Fonda to the tee! Excellent narration!"
    Refering to:
    11
    The Grapes of Wrath
  • #2
    A
    Anonymous
    April 23, 2018
    "I had forgotten how sad the ending was but how uplifting. Charlotte is a spider who befriends Wilbur the pig. Fern loves Wilbur whom she and Charlotte protect from being sent to the slaughterhouse. Templeton the rat helps and is the comic relief. I loved this book but I needed a box of Kleenex. It is so well written. The author pulled me into his world. I was so caught up in the story. The characters are wonderful. The humor is subtle but there. I could picture Templeton at the carnival. It is a great book."
    Refering to:
    16
    Charlotte's Web
  • #3
    A
    Anonymous
    April 17, 2018
    "The Twilight Saga White Collection is a collection of the four books by Stephenie Meyer. It is available from Amazon for $43.46. The series covers the romance between Bella and Edward and all their adventures. If you are a fan of the genre then this is a must have. It has been a great seller on Amazon and has outstanding reviews. It fits the topic extremely well."
    Refering to:
    17
    The Twilight Saga (White Collection)
  • #4
    A
    Anonymous
    May 7, 2018
    "Cujo is one of Stephen King's greatest works. Is highly known and extremely popular among Anyone who reads Stephen King. This book has also been turned into a movie and is regarded as one of Stephen King's most frightening films.It is not necessarily on a best of list for movie adaptations, but it certainly is one of Stephen King's best movie adaptation books."
    Refering to:
    20
    Cujo
  • #5
    A
    Anonymous
    May 1, 2018
    "The first book was amazing, as we all (should) know. This is pretty great, but so... different. Which isn't a bad thing. Clever (see what I did there? No? Oh, just read it, already...) and brilliant. The book made my heart happier than the graphic novel does, but that's whatever. This is something special and I dig it."
    Refering to:
    5
    Fight Club
  • #6
    A
    Anonymous
    April 20, 2018
    ""To Kill A Mockingbird" fits this category to a "T". This is without a doubt one of the best American novels adapted into a movie. Not only is the book a terrific read, but the movie did the book full justice, and was a great film all by itself, even without the prior popularity of the book."
    Refering to:
    3
    To Kill a Mockingbird
  • #7
    A
    Anonymous
    April 21, 2018
    "This novel is really interested and has been adapted into a movie. Their are a few differences as usual. I would highly recommend reading the novel first before watching the movie. I found both interesting and fun to read or watch though. I have recommended these to my friends and family."
    Refering to:
    4
    Memoirs of a Geisha
  • #8
    A
    Anonymous
    April 24, 2018
    "Fried Green Tomatoes is an American classic. Fannie Flagg is hilarious and her characters are chock full of southern charm. I recommend reading the book before seeing the movie just because the book is always better, but the movie is still pretty good for a movie based on a book."
    Refering to:
    12
    Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
  • #9
    A
    Anonymous
    April 30, 2018
    "Great book I think everyone should read at least once in their life. It's super suspenseful and full of twists. Dan Brown has a way of keeping me on the edge of my seat, this novel is one of my all time favorites. The setting and tone are remarkable and one I can't easily forget."
    Refering to:
    15
    The Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon)
  • #10
    A
    Anonymous
    May 1, 2018
    "If you've ever watched the Outsiders movie and enjoyed it then I would say reading the original Outsiders book is an absolute must. The movie adaptation is good in its own right, however, the novel has more detail and character development to make it a must read."
    Refering to:
    10
    The Outsiders
  • #11
    A
    Anonymous
    April 19, 2018
    "Table 21 is one of the best American movie adaptations from a novel. While the big screen brought this book to life, the story still stands on its own. It's a great mystery book for those into them, it kind of reminds me of one of the better episodes of CSI."
    Refering to:
    14
    Table 21
  • #12
    A
    Anonymous
    April 23, 2018
    "When I saw a movie was coming out based on this book I decided to read the book before the movie came out. This story sent me down an emotional rollacoaster. This definitely had an effect on my thinking and spirituality. What an amazing story."
    Refering to:
    19
    A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet)
  • #13
    A
    Anonymous
    April 18, 2018
    "If you haven't read the shining , you need to. If you haven't seen the movie, you need to. One of the best movies by stephen king for sure and has held up to the test of time."
    Refering to:
    2
    The Shining
  • #14
    A
    Anonymous
    April 20, 2018
    "This is one of the best novels turned into a movie Which is about teenager's stuck inside of a wall maze and it's dangerous Great film series very interesting to watch."
    Refering to:
    18
    The Maze Runner Boxed Set
  • #15
    A
    Anonymous
    May 3, 2018
    "You have probably heard of Forrest Gump by now and if you have not, you have been living under a rock. Read this wonderful book and relive the adventures of Forrest Gump."
    Refering to:
    1
    Forrest Gump
  • #16
    A
    Anonymous
    May 11, 2018
    "Carrie is one of the best American novels adapted into movies. The book tells a lot more about the main character than what the movie touched on. It's a must-read."
    Refering to:
    21
    Carrie
  • #17
    A
    Anonymous
    April 18, 2018
    "The book is a classic, but honestly the movie adaptation is not near as good as the book, but what book to movies are."
    Refering to:
    13
    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
This list is about What are the best American novels adapted into movies
RankAnswersTypeVotesPrice
1Forrest GumpBooks 58 Paid
2The ShiningBooks 53 Paid
3To Kill a MockingbirdBooks 52 Paid
4Memoirs of a GeishaBooks 45 Paid
5Fight ClubBooks 43 Paid
6The GodfatherBooks 40 Paid
7DivergentBooks 38 Paid
8Fahrenheit 451Books 36 Paid
9Gone with the Wind Books 33 Paid
10The OutsidersBooks 33 Paid
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