Better than the book?
Illustration by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff Arts & Culture Better than the book? Faculty recommend their favorite reads adapted for the silver screen … and maybe even improved in the process Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer February 26, 2025 7 min read “The book was better.” In any conversation about a film adaptation, someone is bound to say it. But some books were just meant to be adapted, and some adaptations say new and interesting things about the source material. Just in time for Oscar season — which features several Best Picture nominees based on books, including “Conclave,” “Nickel Boys,” and “A Complete Unknown” — we asked Harvard faculty and staff to share their favorites. Angela Allan Associate Director of Studies and lecturer in American literature, economic history and popular culture ‘Misery’ Stephen King Allan recommended two classics that are well-loved on both the page and the screen. “I love Stephen King’s 1987 horror novel ‘Misery,’ which has a pretty straightforward plot: Best-selling romance...