Have you seen the movie? No, but I've read the book.

My whole life, I've been a reader. From grade-school on, classmates delighted in asking me if I had seen a particular movie, and invariably my answer was "no, but I've read the book". It's not that I dislike movies in general -- I have some favorites that I really enjoy. But I usually only go to the movies a few time a year. So this is another area where I'm on a different wavelength from normal American culture. Somehow, every interaction I have feels cross-cultural to me.

Anyway, here is a partial list of titles that I view as books, while the rest of the country assumes they are movies.

• Mary Poppins
  
• Mutiny on the Bounty
  
• The Christmas Carol (ok, I've finally seen the movie)
  
• Jaws (this was not a literary success -- I read the book that was made from the movie)
  
• To Kill a Mockingbird
  
• Bridge on the River Kwai
  
• Wizard of Oz (I finally managed to see this on TV when I was in high school, but I didn't find out until I was around 30 that the Emeral City suddenly shows up in green, since I watched on a black and white set)
  
• Gone with the wind (yes, I finally saw it)
  
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
  
• Pinocchio
  
• The jungle book
  
• Sleeping Beauty
  
• Cinderella
  
• The fellowship of the Ring
  
• Dr Doolittle
  
• Jayne Eyre
  
• Lost Horizon
  
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (they changed the movie title to Willie Wonka, but I remember it as Charlie)
  

I have to confess something. I simply don't 'get' animated films. I don't grasp the appeal. Of course, it is dangerous for me to say this, because invariably someone thinks that if I watch their favorite film with them, that I will share their joy. But I still don't get it. It's as if it's in a language I don't know.

But my funniest eposode about books vs movies occurred at work, a number of years ago. Knowing that I am involved in church activities, a co-worker was trying to make conversation, and asked if I had watched the movie "The Bible". It was irresistable. I couldn't help myself. I answered her truthfully:
"No, but I've read the book".