My aunt said to read the book before the movie club meets, but I think it's better after.

Our club read 'Project Hail Mary' and watched the film adaptation. My aunt, a member for years, insisted I finish the novel first to 'get the full story.' I did, and honestly, it made the movie feel like a rushed highlight reel. Another friend watched the film cold and loved discovering the plot twists visually, then enjoyed the book's deeper details. Which way actually leads to a better discussion? I'm curious what your groups do.

3 comments

3 Comments

ward.piper1mo ago

Oh man, I used to be a strict 'book first' enforcer. I was convinced it was the only way. But then I saw the opposite in action and it totally changed my mind. @river_gonzalez66's experiment makes a lot of sense to me now, because watching the movie first made me pay more attention to the small moments in the book instead of just waiting for the big scenes. I think the real key is just making sure everyone in the group is on the same page, whatever order they choose, so you're not talking past each other.

river_gonzalez662mo ago

My book club tried both ways last year.

val4062mo ago

That's a cool experiment by @river_gonzalez66. Did you notice if the mood of the meetings changed based on the format? Like, was one way more about arguing over meanings and the other more about sharing personal stories? That social vibe gets overlooked sometimes.