20 Books That Should Have Never Made It to the Big Screen

Whenever some people read books, they begin to wonder what it would be like if that book were to be made into a movie. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much. On the MSN.com page Yardbarker, writer Jacquez Printup has put together a list of 20 books that they believe should have never made it onto the big screen

Personally, it all comes down to opinion. Some people like the film adaptation of their favorite books. Some people don't. It's all up to you. I personally like the film versions of The Da Vinci Code, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief and The Lovely Bones

1. The Great Gatsby (2013)

-Based on the classic 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the film ended up not meeting the hopes of many. Production went flat, with characters deemed "unlikeable", the plot barely there and too many flashy elements of that particular time period

2. Eragon (2006)

-Many fans of the story were happy to hear their favorite book was making it onto the big screen. They were let down when the film was released. Several characters, such as The Twins and Orik, were left out, ruining the plot, the script was boring and the graphics were so-so

3. A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

-Many who read the Madeleine L'Engle story were happy to hear of a film adaptation of their favorite book. To this day, it's still a bitter pill to swallow for many fans because they feel Disney ruined the film version. The characters didn't seem to have much of a backstory, overall a poor job done

4. Me Before You (2016)

-When the 2012 book by Jojo Moyes came out, not long afterwards came the movie. The book tells the story of how a man became disabled after an accident and falls in love with the woman assigned to look after him. Many fans quickly came to hate the movie, because of its message portraying those with disabilities don't have a life worth living without a partner

5. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

-Many fans of the J.R.R. Tolkien series, The Lord of the Rings, were more than happy when they heard about this new installation into the Middle Earth series. After watching the film, many readers came to hate it. They felt that Peter Jackson, who directed not only The Lord of the Rings series, but this film as well, rushed important moments, stretched material and added characters

6. The Book Thief (2013)

-The book tells of the grueling and harsh world of WWII. While the movie seems to have softened it up. Many felt the movie was a letdown, not really keeping in tune with the story

7. The Girl on the Train (2016)

-Based on the 2015 novel of the same name by Paula Hawkins, the film starred Emily Blunt, Justin Theroux and Rebecca Ferguson. While some viewers enjoyed the film, others not so much. Those who opposed the film felt the film had bad pacing

8. Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

-Based on the popular children's series by Rick Riordan, many felt that the movie had not done the books justice. For example, in the book, the characters are only children, around the age of 12 while in the film they are teenagers. There were plot changes as well, leading many to dislike the film

9. The Shack (2017)

-Despite the film tackling the subjects of deep faith and forgiveness, the film seems to have made a few errors. Despite the script having good messages, the film seems to lack something special that made the book great initially

10. Artemis Fowl (2020)

-Disney tried hard to make the film version of the Eoin Colfer book good. But the film flopped. The characters were annoying and the plot was all over the place. It made the film hard to watch. It would have been the next big fantasy film had it not been for these issues

11. The Cat in the Hat (2003)

-This is a much beloved book for children by Dr. Seuss. The film, however, didn't fare so well

12. Ender's Game (2013)

-The production was messy, with an overall lack of emotion. The film simply didn't do the book justice

13. Kill Your Friends (2015)

-Based on the 2008 novel of the same name, the film and book couldn't be more different. The movie doesn't make much of an impact on viewers because of the over the top violence and seemingly shallow characters

14. Eat Pray Love (2010)

-Ryan Murphy was in charge of bring the much loved book to the big screen. Some love the film, others hate it. It's all down to personal preference

15. The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

-The storylines seemed rushed, there was a lack of emotional depth. Overall, the story felt empty, hollow

16. Paper Towns (2015)

-The novel was successful. The film, however, seemed unable to capture the same feelings as the book. The characters seemed underdeveloped, as if whoever was in charge didn't do a good enough job and tried to rush through production. There was hardly any feelings of self-discovery or emotional depth in the film

17. I Am Number Four (2011)

-Based on the wildly popular sci-fi novel, the film fails to hold the same excitement as the novel. The characters don't seem to be the same in the film as they were in the novel and the action in the film seems cliched, like they were trying too hard to be action stars

18. The Da Vinci Code (2006)

-Some believe it turned out bad. Others really like it. It's all down to personal preference

19. The Dark Tower (2017)

-Despite the fact that Matthew McConnaughey and Idris Elba are in the film, this movie is said to be a near perfect example of what results from rushing a production instead of taking time to make things right

20. The Lovely Bones (2009)

-The book centers on the spirit of a young girl raped and murdered by a pedophile in her neighborhood. From the sky, she tries to point her grieving family in the direction of the man responsible, and, as time goes on, her death seems to rip the family apart. The film adaptation tried to bring the story of tragedy to the big screen. But some felt the movie was confusing, switching back and forth between tragedy, fantasy and revenge, leaving the story messy and almost empty