Library clubs bring 1-2 punch with books, movies

This kind of club did not cut it with George Costanza (played by Jason Alexander), who wanted to rent the movie for, but not read, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” on an episode called “The Couch” from 1994, in the sixth season of “Seinfeld.”

Never mind, too, what millionaire Thornton Mellon (the late Rodney Dangerfield) told Professor Diane Turner (Sally Kellerman) in “Back to School” in 1986 about his aversion to spend time reading a book when he can just see the movie and be “in and out in two hours.”

The Grand Strand has several library groups whose members every month read a designated book then gather to watch the movie afterward, to compare reactions and go over similarities and differences.

Myrtle Beach’s Chapin Memorial Library dove into this new year with its “Book to Movie Club,” starting with “Jaws” – the novel from 1974 by the late Peter Benchley, and subsequent movie from 1975 – with a John Williams soundtrack and an instrumental theme that’s played at San Jose Sharks home games whenever that teal-dressed NHL team in California goes on a power play.

Three Horry County Memorial Library branches also boast similar programs: the “Reel Reads Book Club” in Carolina Forest, “Matinee Book Club” in Socastee, and “Books to Box Office” and “First Friday Mysteries” – the latter with BBC-TV adaptations – in Surfside Beach.

Vincent Cazzola coordinates the Book to Movie Club at Chapin Library, and he spoke of the waves it could make in arousing interest and exploration in authors’ and moviemakers’ works.

Question | What was the motivation to make “Jaws” the kickoff for Chapin's program, culminating with the screening this Monday?

Answer | We wanted to start out with a blockbuster type of movie that a lot of people would know ... to get that universal sort of appeal, that’s so popular, but not so esoteric that people would be turned off to it. And it’s one of my favorite movies. ... I have seen it several times.

Q. | Which came first for you with “Jaws”: Seeing the book or movie?

A. | I saw the movie first and read the book a few years later, and I just re-read the book, to prepare for this program.

Q. | Just how big is the page you can turn with ideas for books to read, then movies to watch?

A. | We want to stick with movies that are rated PG-13 or less. ... I have a whole list of books that I’d love for us to do. The list has been building for several months since I thought of this program initially. We’d like to do some titles that maybe readers had not seen yet, or books they had not yet read.

Q. | Has this concept of experiencing book and movie always had an appeal, or is this dual immersion picking up steam again, amid the four such group programs available across Horry County?

A. | I’m not really sure. For Chapin Library, I just wanted to do a book-club kind of thing, ... not only analyzing the book, but also watching the movie and being entertained by it, and being able to compare and contrast it, so it’s a double kind of analysis and discussion. ... I’ve always been a movie lover and wanted to connect that with books.

Q. | My wife, who just watched an episode of the new “War and Peace” mini-series series on A&E, remarked how she never had read that book by Leo Tolstoy, but she has read all the Nicholas Sparks novels before seeing their respective interpretations on camera. Do you such observations a lot from library patrons, who like to do both for the full effect?

A. | Most people who come in the library have read the book first and then watch the movie, or if they didn’t know it was based on the book, come back and read the book.

Q. | Is there a consensus on which product draws more praise?

A. | Most people think the book is better than the movie, but a lot of what I want to do is debunk that. My personal view is that “Jaws” works better as a movie, and I wanted to figure out why. With these selections, we can cover why each works better as a movie or book.

Q. | This parent of an engrossed reader wonders: How have series such as “Twilight” and “The Hunger Games” aroused an interest in youth to jump into the books and movies?

A. | Because the characters are relatable to the youth, and in “The Hunger Games,” they’re superheroes and interesting to teens. And with “Twilight,” a lot of young girls can see themselves as the main character, so they can vicariously live out that story. It’s like an escapism, and fantasies have appeal for young adults.

Q. | In general, how the books and movies vary from each other?

A. | They’re all sort of translated in different ways. From what I have seen and read, when books get adapted to movies, it’s ... trying to take that and translate it into visual storytelling.

In a lot of movies that are translated from books, producers will have a voiceover narrator, ... but often it’s not effective in movies, because it’s such a visual medium. In “Jaws,” for instance, in the book, all the shark attacks are explained by the narrator, vs. in the movies, you don’t even see the shark; you just see the point of view of where it’s going.

Also with books, you’re not limited to what they can do in explaining things. In “Jurassic Park,” they have ... the dinosaurs’ DNA and stuff like that, and it goes into more detail in the books, but not the movies because of the complexity and for time’s sake.

Q. | What’s on the wish list for the Book to Movie Club?

A. | For February, we’ll have “Jurassic Park,” for the meeting on Feb. 22, and I’m not really sure whether the movie or book works better. A book I think works as a book for sure is “Alice in Wonderland,” then we could watch the Disney version. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is one I’d like to do, and maybe some movies that are drastically different from the book. ... I want us to have a big mix of genres and time periods.

Q. | Do all the various group activities that libraries present to engage the public prove ever more in this 21st century that libraries remain a valuable force as community hubs for resources, also pleasing staff members at seeing people turn out for events?

A. | It’s a really nice thing for employees. Libraries are more than just books, with so many other resources and programs.

This story was originally published January 24, 2016 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Library clubs bring 1-2 punch with books, movies."