Book vs. Movie: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Book vs. Movie is a feature here at JenniElyse. I do a side-by-side comparison of the book and adaptation. Afterward, I reveal which I like better.

As I said in my review of THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES, I actually saw the movie before I read the book. I loved it so much that I decided to listen to the audiobook as soon as I was done with the one I was listening to at the time. And, so this is more of a Movie vs. Book post.

I saw THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES in the theater with Corey, my friend Kami, and her daughter. As I watched the movie, I had no idea what to expect other than it being set in Panem and in The Hunger Games universe. It made the movie more suspenseful and exciting in a way.

I thought that Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler were fantastic in their roles as Coriolanus and Lucy Gray Baird. I loved Peter Dinklage as Dean Highbottom, Viola Davis as Dr. Gaul, Hunter Schafer as Tigris, and Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus. I also thought Jason Schwartzman was a fantastic Lucky Flickerman. He definitely gave me vibes that he could be Caesar Flickerman’s (aka Stanley Tucci) dad.

As soon as I finished reading THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES, I watched the movie a second time. During this second watch, I noticed all the little details that were left out of the movie. While I do think the details add to the story, I think the director, actors, and screenplay writer did a great job of including what was most important to the movie. I also think seeing it on screen, hearing / seeing the actors’ emotions within each of their roles added to the story and experience a lot.

Verdict

I bet you know the verdict before I even say it. The movie may not have everything and be a little different from the book, but the spirit of the story’s still the same. Most of the time books are way better than their movies, but in this instance, I think both the book and movie are equally as good.

Have you read THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES? Have you seen the movie? Do you like the book or the movie better?

About Jenni Elyse


Hi, I'm Jenni. I’m an eclectic reader. I mostly read fiction and I favor fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, mystery, thrillers, and romance. The more kissing in a book the better!
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8 replies
  1. Margaret
    Margaret says:

    It is rare that they are equal but you’re realistic. A movie can never (nor should it) show everything that’s in the book. The film would be 5 hours long! The gift is to know what to include, what to allude to and what to get rid of.

    • Jenni Elyse
      Jenni Elyse says:

      To tell you the truth, I’d probably be fine watching a 5-hour movie if it showed all that I loved about a book, lol. But, I’m glad The Hunger Games film people have done a good job with the adaptations. They definitely make watching the movies more fun. 😀

  2. Haze @ The Book Haze
    Haze @ The Book Haze says:

    I read the book more than a year before the movie came out, so I’d forgotten a lot of details by the time I watched the movie. I enjoyed them both individually, but maybe one day I’ll read the book and watch the movie back to back. I’m glad you enjoyed them both too!

    • Jenni Elyse
      Jenni Elyse says:

      They are both good mediums from the story. I finished listening to CATCHING FIRE last night and I’d forgotten how much of the details were left out of the movie. It was fun to reacquaint myself with them, lol.

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