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Friday 20 April 2012, 11:36
I got involved in a recent Twitter exchange about The Great Gatsby and movie versions of favourite novels. This got me wondering which are the greatest novels never to be filmed - and why?
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Outspoken, opinionated and never lost for words, Mark is the UK's leading film critic.
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Comment number 1.
LizzieS20th April 2012 - 12:09
The Life of Pi by Yan Martel - you couldn't film it without giving away the ending -
Also I know that you didn't ask for impending adaptations of favourite novels - but I'm really uneasy about the upcoming film of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas -
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Comment number 2.
Chris Surridge20th April 2012 - 12:11
The Catcher in the Rye. No question. Impossible to film as the interest is entirely in Holden Caulfield's narration of his life.
Although there is a 'movie' called The Catcher in the Rye made in 2008 by Nigel Tomm (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1206286/). It consists of 75 minutes and 6 seconds of pure blue screen. I'm not counting that.
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Comment number 3.
thedarkdreamweaver120th April 2012 - 12:12
'Junkie' semi-autobiographical novel by William S. Burroughs.Like most things with Burroughs its abstract in many respects,but of all his works the most filmable.
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Comment number 4.
Frank Foley20th April 2012 - 12:18
Hello Dr Mark,
I know your going to say its already been made, but in my mind John Steinbeck's 'East of Eden' has never truly been made into a film.
The story is long and at times complex and perhaps this is why we ended up with Elia Kazan's 1955 version starring James Dean.
It only contains a small reworked section of the whole book.
If it was made properly the result would be epic.
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Comment number 5.
gavmaclean20th April 2012 - 12:18
Neuromancer by William Gibson is a good shout. Not filmed because the Matrix got there and ripped it first I'd imagine! Otherwise, Catcher in the Rye is prob gonna be the winner here!
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Comments 5 of 342