You don't need to read the book to enjoy these 20 iconic screen adaptations

Millions and millions of people have read every book in the Harry Potter series, but possibly even more have seen the movies. While the books certainly contain far more details, the movies were done well enough to keep anyone's attention. 

The Lord of the Rings series — both book and film — is incredibly long. It takes a long time to get through. But it takes less time to watch the movies, and you’ll still enjoy the Oscar-winning films even if you haven’t read a page of the books. 

The Notebook is a novel that’ll bring you to tears. It’s one of Nicholas Sparks’ best works. But there’s still plenty to enjoy about the film — Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, for example — even if you skipped the novel.  

You’ll have a lot of fun reading Crazy Rich Asians and its sequels, but you’ll also have a lot of fun watching the movie. It’s bright and colorful with great costumes and sets. The screen adaptation is just as enjoyable as the novel. 

Like in most screen adaptations, there are some details that differ in The Hunger Games book versus its movie, but the changes don’t take away from the film. Jennifer Lawrence was spectacular in every film in the series, and you’ll definitely grasp the themes of the story, thanks to her performance. 

Some might tell you that you’re better off skipping the Twilight series entirely and just watching the movie. Some might tell you the exact opposite. No matter what you choose to do, know that you don’t need to read the books to enjoy the films. 

Both the 1994 and the 2019 Little Women screen adaptations are fantastic. You can’t go wrong either way, even if you’ve never read the book. That’s not to say that the book isn’t better than its movies; it is. But the movies are also very, very good. 

Pride & Prejudice is another example of a book that can never be outdone by its screen adaptations. However, the 2005 film is spectacular, and the love story between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet is beautiful no matter what medium it’s told through. 

Matilda is such a good movie that you might not have even realized that it was a book first. But that is the magic of Roald Dahl’s writing — delightfully whimsical stories that are easy to love in any format. 

Misery is about as different a story as Matilda as you can find. But what it has in common is that you don’t need to read the book to enjoy the movie. And that’s on Kathy Bates being so good at playing a psychopath. 

Holes is an outstanding book — arguably one of the best children’s novels ever written. It’s proof that great books make for great movies, because the screen adaptation of Holes is one of the best there is, and even people who hate reading will enjoy it. 

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is so fun to see come to life, but not having read the book won’t make it any less entertaining on screen. It’s still eye-catching. 

You’ll enjoy watching The Perks of Being a Wallflower, whether you’ve read the book or not. In fact, you might enjoy watching the movie more than reading the book, especially if you’re not fond of epistolary books. 

The Great Gatsby is one of the great American novels. It’s the great American novel to many. But there is something so spectacular about seeing the grandeur that is Jay Gatsby’s life on screen. You don’t have to be a Fitzgerald fan to enjoy either adaptation. 

The Princess Bride is so iconic as a film that many people don’t even realize that it was a book first. Don’t feel obligated to read the book if you’re already a fan of the film. 

Speaking of iconic movies, Breakfast at Tiffany’s was a screen adaptation of the Truman Capote novel of the same name. There are some differences between the book and the movie, but they don’t make the movie any less memorable. 

Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt made for such good leads in The Devil Wears Prada that the book could’ve been terrible, and the movie still would’ve been good. The book wasn’t terrible — it was great — but you don’t need to read it to enjoy the film. 

The Wizard of Oz is one of the best movies of all time. At this point, more people have probably seen the film than have read the book. If you want to get into Ozian lore, read the book. If you’re okay not knowing it, you can just watch the movie. 

Any film that wins Oscars is worth seeing, even if you haven’t read the book. Honestly, any movie that features Tom Hanks is worth seeing, even if you haven’t read the book. 

The Silence of the Lambs might scare you more as a book than as a film. Save yourself the scares and just watch the movie. You don’t need to be terrified twice.