The King's Speech

I love books but I also love movies.  One of the things I'm constantly doing is watching the movie and then reading the book or sometimes I do it the other way around.  In my experience 95% of the time the book is better than the movie.  There are rare exceptions like "Field Of Dreams" which was much better than the novella it is based on, but almost always the book is better.

I recently finished reading the book "The King's Speech" and then I watched the film immediately after finishing the book.  To me this was one of the very rare occasions where the book is not better than the movie.  The book is very different than the movie.  Both were very enjoyable in their own ways.  I would call then equals.  Neither is better than the other.

I was a history major in college so historical accuracy is important to me.  This is perhaps where the greatest differences lie between the book and the movie.  The book "The Kings Speech" is co-written by Mark Logue, the grandson of Lionel Logue who was the speech therapist who helped the future king.  For the book Mark Logue did a great amount of historical research and had access to Lionel Logue personal papers, archives, and scrap books.

While the movie plays with historical facts to present more of a drama the book sticks to the real story.  It was fascinating to read about the future Queen Mother and the little Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.  The book also goes into fascinating detail about Edward VIII abdicating the throne.

What I found the most interesting difference between the book and the movie was how the relationship between Lionel Logue and the future King George VI is shown.  In the movie Lionel Logue treats the future king as just another patient.  He treats him no differently than he would treat anyone coming into his office.  The movie gives the impression that Lionel Logue, as an Australian immigrant to England, doesn't have the same sort of respect for the monarchy that an Englishman might have.  According to the book this is completely false.  In the book Lionel Logue is awed by the presence of the future king and he goes out of his way to follow correct protocol.  In the film Lionel Logue calls the future king "Bertie" when they first meet, shakes his hand, and there is physical contact.  In the book Lionel Logue would never dare call the future king by his nickname and always refers to him using the proper title of "Your Majesty".  In the book one of the most dramatic scenes is when Lionel Logue accidentally touches the arm of the king in excitement after one of his speeches because he is so proud of him.  This was after having worked with him for over ten years.  Commoners aren't supposed to touch the king.  It's a big deal and Lionel Logue knows that.  In the film he touches him the first time they meet.

So while the film of "The King's Speech" was very enjoyable, and certainly deserved to win the Oscars it was awarded, if you are looking for the true historical facts behind the story, read the book!  You'll hopefully enjoy it just as much as the film.

Are there any other books that were made into movies that you think are equally good?