This weekend I was confronted with the option of watching “Blindness,” the movie adaptation of José Saramago’s novel of the same title. Despite the fact that Imdb reviewers gave it a 6.8/10 (which is a pretty good review for that website), I still balked at the idea of seeing the movie because of my love for the novel. Having read the novel well before plans for the 2008 release of the movie was announced, I never really imagined the novel being made into a movie – so I guess in my mind this book will always just be a book to me, and there is no room for artistic expression in the form of a movie version. I mean, I can see how the novel could be a movie, I just want to remain a purist and enjoy the novel the way Saramago wanted it to be (This guy’s blog describes how Saramago didn’t want the book made into a movie – the filmmakers had to bang on his door begging him for permission.)

So, this made me think – do I always want to keep movie and book separate? I think I’m the type of person that will either read the book OR watch the movie. I chose to watch “The Kite Runner” instead of read the book, I read Palahniuk’s “Choke” but have no real interest in the movie… same with “Trainspotting.” I don’t know, maybe I don’t have an interest in the way someone else interprets a novel because I already have my own interpretation and don’t want it shifted by a filmmaker’s vision. I’ll have to mull this one over.