In an odd turn of events, it seems like terrible (or maybe just mediocre) books make relatively decent movie.s Not necessarily great, but definitely watchable in most senses of the word. There are probably a myriad of reasons for this. With the right cinematography and an appropriate sound track, even the tritest lines can be pulled off with casual ease. Not to mention, good actors can make the most contrived situation seem relatively plausible. With all the factors going into the equation, it's hard to say which is the most important or deciding factor. If I were to hazard a guess (which I will), I think it comes down to the nature of the written narrative. Great books are lauded for many things, but complexity comes close to the top of the list. This complexity fits into every facet of a novel, including plot, characters, settings and so forth. Focusing on characters, it can be exceedingly difficult to fit a well-rounded, developed character into a tow-hour feature. In fact, it's almost impossible. Poor quality books (a dime a dozen) don't have that problem. These things are known for shallow characters with almost no depth of personality. These guys (or I suppose girls) can be cut, drafted and manipulated to fit whatever length film you plan to make. One. Two. Three. Ta-dah, instant movie fodder. So shameful, it's almost palpable in the theater. And the best part is, no one minds. Even with such a predicament, a movie will work just fine, as if shallow characters were desirable (that's of course, because they are). It's the same with the plot. The thinner it is, the easier it is to change. Sure people wince when their favorite scene is excised from the first (second, third, etc.) Harry Potter film, but let's face it, it doesn't really affect Daniel Radcliffe's character whatsoever. I take that back, it adjusts Radcliffe the same way that See Spot Run damages Spot's integrity when the author omits the fact that Spot also walks from time to time. In the end, it doesn't change a thing. It's what everyone wants – Hollywood, critics and moviegoers. When it comes down to it, a good novel just gets in the way. Who wants the complexity? If the audience doesn't, neither will anyone else (except maybe the author). If Hollywood plans to cheat everyone out of a satisfying experience, why not be blatant about it? I say let it slide, this way I get to enjoy more movies even if the book was dreadful.