“a picture is worth a thousand words”

[cliveh]

You may have heard the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words”. With this in mind, why are fiction books not illustrated with more pictures? Be it maps, diagrams, associated images, etc., or just images to ask questions and enliven the senses of the reader?

 

[MatthewDunn]

I wish they were and I think back to how much richer Tolkien's books are with the associated maps and drawings. Totally agree with you.

 

[Sirius Glass]

While a picture may be worth a thousand words, filling in the mental image with ones imagination is even more colorful.

 

[cliveh]

While a picture may be worth a thousand words, filling in the mental image with ones imagination is even more colorful.

I totally agree with you, but perhaps 10% imagery would help?

 

[frank]

There's comic books.

 

[pdeeh]

You had better pop down to your nearest bookshop and ask them to point out their "graphic novels" section ...

 

[cliveh]

You had better pop down to your nearest bookshop and ask them to point out their "graphic novels" section ...

Is there such a section and can you give examples?

 

[RobC]

While a picture may be worth a thousand words, filling in the mental image with ones imagination is even more colorful.

+1

I've never seen a film of a book that was as good as reading the book.

 

[MattKing]

Short stories often make better movies than novels do. Stephen King comes to mind.

I'd much rather have an exploded parts diagram than a narrative tour through a broken camera.

 

[cliveh]

+1

I've never seen a film of a book that was as good as reading the book.

This is true, but I am suggesting a nuance of imagery, not a comic book.

 

[frank]

I think that creating ones own imagery is more powerful.

 

[John Koehrer]

You had better pop down to your nearest bookshop and ask them to point out their "graphic novels" section ...

"cliveh
Is there such a section and can you give examples?"

You betcha. Example? googley is your friend.

 

[cliveh]

I've never read the book. But I can't imagine the book being able to describe a scene from The Exorcist" for example, as well as the movie.

Are you making a joke?

 

[blansky]

I think one of the goals of a good fiction writer is to take you on a journey, not necessarily HIS journey, just one much like it, but unique.

Also when describing his main character we can picture who we think it looks like in real life. One reason I hate some of the movie choices for James Bond, like Roger Moore, and 5'6" Tom Cruise trying to play a 6'5" Jack Reacher.

Non fiction on the other hand often has a picture section in it.

 

[RobC]

I've never read the book. But I can't imagine the book being able to describe a scene from The Exorcist" for example, as well as the movie.

That is a highly debilitating condition, you should get it seen to or perhaps read more to see if you are more capable than you think you are.

 

[cliveh]

Why should one think I've made a joke? Like I said, I never read the book. So I can't imagine anybody being able to set to words some of the scenes in the movie as well as the movie did, especially with it being 1973 special effects photography. I don't even think a "remake" of it done now could rival the film work done in the 1973 movie. That was excellent production work. I just don't see words on a page doing it justice.
The movie was a little heavy on the barfing. I'm not sure I care for that especially. But it was still pretty good film work. If it was up to me to set the movie code, I'd ban the ralphing totally. Just not necessary.

Would you not like to try the experience of reading a book? How about starting with Wuthering Heights?

 

[MattKing]

I'm having a hard enough time studying the real estate textbook. Took the class once and failed the exam, and the re-test. Certainly don't have time for storybooks.

"Real Estate" = "fantasy"

 

[cliveh]

This thread is not about me. I like reading books that teach me something, how to do something. Storybooks don't interest me. But thanks for making your point.

True and no offence intended.

 

[gone]

"I've never seen a film of a book that was as good as reading the book".

Gone With the Wind. 2001 A Space Odyssey. The Wizard of Oz. The Killing (from Clean Break by Lionel White). Paths of Glory. To Kill a Mockingbird. Jaws. The Day the Earth Stood Still (from the Sci-Fi short story Farewell To the Master, which was pretty much crap). A Clockwork Orange. Frankenstein. Psycho. Carrie. Goldfinger. The Island of Dr. Moreau (not the latest versions. The Burt Lancaster and Charles Laughton versions). Apollo 13. Precious. Fail Safe.

A few good films that I would not mind seeing again, especially Precious and the Island of Dr. Moreau.

The only books I felt that had pictures, or illustrations rather, that were up to the writing were Through the Looking Glass and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

I'm ADD... pictures pretty... words suck.

 

[Sirius Glass]

You had better pop down to your nearest bookshop and ask them to point out their "graphic novels" section ...

Is there such a section and can you give examples?

Books with pop up pictures may be better for you.

 

[RobC]

I'm having a hard enough time studying the real estate textbook. Took the class once and failed the exam, and the re-test. Certainly don't have time for storybooks.

Pre-visualising your photographs is a no no for you then.

 

[Truzi]

"I've never seen a film of a book that was as good as reading the book".

Gone With the Wind. 2001 A Space Odyssey. The Wizard of Oz. The Killing (from Clean Break by Lionel White). Paths of Glory. To Kill a Mockingbird. Jaws. The Day the Earth Stood Still (from the Sci-Fi short story Farewell To the Master, which was pretty much crap). A Clockwork Orange. Frankenstein. Psycho. Carrie. Goldfinger. The Island of Dr. Moreau (not the latest versions. The Burt Lancaster and Charles Laughton versions). Apollo 13. Precious. Fail Safe.

A few good films that I would not mind seeing again, especially Precious and the Island of Dr. Moreau.

The only books I felt that had pictures, or illustrations rather, that were up to the writing were Through the Looking Glass and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

I actually enjoyed the 2001 book, and felt it followed the movie, but I think that is because it was "written" in tandem with the movie. I was disappointed with the movie version of 2010.

 

[eddie]

The only titles mentioned, which I've both read and seen, are 2001, Clockwork Orange, and To Kill a Mockingbird. I thought the books were better than the films, but I think they were all great films.
I think writing has changed over the last few decades, with writers purposely describing scenes in a more cinematic way, easier translatable to a film script. The money is in optioning the novels to film studios...

 

[guangong]

Illustrated books once popular

At one time illustrations in books was quite popular Just recall the illudtrations by rockwell kent and beardsley and those sophisticated drawings found in the thorne smith novels But why increase production costs for a novel or book of poetry？

Some movies are better than the writing found in the original works think agatha christy However， even clsssic movies such as treasure of sierra madre and maltese falcan fall short of the original books

When i was a child we had big little books with a page of text and a facing page that was illustrated unlike comic books and graphic novels you still had to be able to read in order to understand what the story was about.