--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Up until then, whenever anyone had…" description: "\"Up until then, whenever anyone had mentioned the possibility of making a film adaptation, my answer had always been, ‘No, I’m not interested.’ I believ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/paulo-coelho-10_adaptation_up-until-then-whenever-anyone-had-mentio_1446484.jpg" --- # Up until then, whenever anyone had mentioned the… ![“Up until then, whenever anyone had mentioned the possibility of making a film adaptation, my answer had always been, ‘No, I’m not interested.’ I believe that each reader creates his own film inside his head, gives faces to the characters, constructs every scene, hears the voices, smells the…” quote by Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/paulo-coelho-10_adaptation_up-until-then-whenever-anyone-had-mentio_1446484.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/paulo-coelho-10_adaptation_up-until-then-whenever-anyone-had-mentio_1446484.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/paulo-coelho-10_adaptation_up-until-then-whenever-anyone-had-mentio_1446484.jpg) > “Up until then, whenever anyone had mentioned the possibility of making a film adaptation, my answer had always been, ‘No, I’m not interested.’ I believe that each reader creates his own film inside his head, gives faces to the characters, constructs every scene, hears the voices, smells the smells. And that is why, whenever a reader goes to see a film based on a novel that he likes, he leaves feeling disappointed, saying: ‘the book is so much better than the film.” [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author argues that readers internally visualize stories, so external adaptations often fail to match personal imagination. **In simple terms:** Readers imagine books vividly, making films seem lacking. Key Takeaway Accept that personal imagination surpasses visual adaptations. Themes imagination adaptation expectations creativity reader experience Mood reflective nostalgic critical Type literary media critique philosophical When to use this quote - reading a novel - watching a film adaptation - discussing book vs movie in a groups - teaching literature appreciation Key Concepts subjective perception visual storytelling media translation Questions to Reflect On - How does your personal visualization affect your enjoyment of adaptations? - Can a film ever truly capture a novel's essence? A Different Perspective Films cannot replicate the unique mental images each reader creates. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adaptation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adaptation/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Disappointed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointed/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) [Smell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smell/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) ## Related quotes > [“...each reader creates his own film inside his head, gives faces to the characters, constructs every scene, hears the voices, smells the smells. ...whenever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/each-reader-creates-his-own-film-inside-his-head-gives-faces-to-the/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The world may not be ready yet for the film equivalent of books on tape, but this peculiar phenomenon has arrived in the form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/the-world-may-not-be-ready-yet-for-the-film-equivalent-of-books-on/) [Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/) > [If I had used real names, I don't think 'Madras Cafe' would have ever seen the light of day because it was a political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shoojit-sircar/if-i-had-used-real-names-i-don-t-think-madras-cafe-would-have-ever/) [Shoojit Sircar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shoojit-sircar/) > [“One should watch a film adaptation of a favorite book only after considering , very carefully, the fact that the casting of the film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mendelsund/one-should-watch-a-film-adaptation-of-a-favorite-book-only-after/) [Peter Mendelsund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mendelsund/) > [A film adaptation is, I hope, the director's version. A new creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/a-film-adaptation-is-i-hope-the-director-s-version-a-new-creation/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > ['Bubba Ho-Tep' was an accidental story that turned out to be my first film adaptation, and it's still going strong in story and film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-r-lansdale/bubba-ho-tep-was-an-accidental-story-that-turned-out-to-be-my-first/) [Joe R. Lansdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-r-lansdale/) > [Serious writers pretend they don't care about film adaptations of their work, but it's a colossal lie: We all care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/serious-writers-pretend-they-don-t-care-about-film-adaptations-of/) [Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/) > [“Rather than risking feeling disappointed, they’re choosing to live disappointed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/rather-than-risking-feeling-disappointed-they-re-choosing-to-live/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [“Choose one: chronic disappointment or lowering your expectations to the point where nothing can disappoint you. But consider also that you might miss feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/choose-one-chronic-disappointment-or-lowering-your-expectations-to/) [Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/) > [Just like it's not healthy to think overly negative thoughts, exaggeratedly positive thoughts can be equally detrimental. If you overestimate how much of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-morin/just-like-it-s-not-healthy-to-think-overly-negative-thoughts/) [Amy Morin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-morin/) > [I adore book-to-film adaptations when they're done well, and I'm more lenient than many readers when it comes to what counts as 'done well.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/i-adore-book-to-film-adaptations-when-they-re-done-well-and-i-m-more/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [“She was ashamed at feeling disappointed; and began to reflect, as an excuse to herself, on the little objects which attract attention when there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/she-was-ashamed-at-feeling-disappointed-and-began-to-reflect-as-an/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [If I have children, I am never going to read them stories about finding Prince Charming because they will grow up feeling disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/if-i-have-children-i-am-never-going-to-read-them-stories-about/) [Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/) > [“His finger withdrew and the room grew quiet. I could feel his presence, smell his scent, but he made no sound. For a brief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystina-stevens/his-finger-withdrew-and-the-room-grew-quiet-i-could-feel-his-presence/) [Krystina Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krystina-stevens/) > [At this moment I am feeling disappointed with myself and I am hurt and numb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-o-sullivan/at-this-moment-i-am-feeling-disappointed-with-myself-and-i-am-hurt/) [Ronnie O'Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-o-sullivan/) ## More by Paulo Coelho > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Love will never separate a man from his personal legend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/love-will-never-separate-a-man-from-his-personal-legend/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/to-love-is-to-be-in-communion-with-the-other-and-to-discover-in-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It is not enough to dream of the Impossible Love - it is necessary to conquer it too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-is-not-enough-to-dream-of-the-impossible-love-it-is-necessary-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Eat when it is time to eat. And walk when it is time to walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/eat-when-it-is-time-to-eat-and-walk-when-it-is-time-to-walk/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [People are reading more and writing more because of the internet. So the virtual world is a way for me to listen to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/people-are-reading-more-and-writing-more-because-of-the-internet-so/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Joy is like sex – it begins and ends. I want pleasure. I want to be contended, but happiness? I no longer fall into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/joy-is-like-sex-it-begins-and-ends-i-want-pleasure-i-want-to-be/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Trudi se da zivis, sjecanja su za starije ljude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/trudi-se-da-zivis-sjecanja-su-za-starije-ljude/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I've always been a very restless person. I work hard, spend too much time looking after my son, I dance like a mad thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-ve-always-been-a-very-restless-person-i-work-hard-spend-too-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [When someone leaves, it's because someone else is about to arrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-someone-leaves-it-s-because-someone-else-is-about-to-arrive/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [She didn't need to understand the meaning of life; it was enough to find someone who did, and then fall asleep in his arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/she-didn-t-need-to-understand-the-meaning-of-life-it-was-enough-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The simpler the pose, the better; the more sober, the more beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-simpler-the-pose-the-better-the-more-sober-the-more-beautiful/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) [Explore all 3,665 Paulo Coelho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More Adaptation quotes > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [I do think that theater is a great venue for science fiction, and not just adaptations but also original work. I also think some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-einhorn/i-do-think-that-theater-is-a-great-venue-for-science-fiction-and-not/) Edward Einhorn > [“Why I am Passionate and Dedicated 1000% to producing and bringing my books Loving Summer, Bitter Frost, and other book series to the Screen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailin-gow/why-i-am-passionate-and-dedicated-1000-to-producing-and-bringing-my/) [Kailin Gow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailin-gow/) > [My familiarity with the successful use of very long steel ropes for mining purposes naturally suggested their adaptation to the new purpose of deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-agassiz/my-familiarity-with-the-successful-use-of-very-long-steel-ropes-for/) Alexander Agassiz > [The survival of the fittest is the ageless law of nature, but the fittest are rarely the strong. The fittest are those endowed with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-smalley/the-survival-of-the-fittest-is-the-ageless-law-of-nature-but-the/) [Dave Smalley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-smalley/) > [The facts of variability, of the struggle for existence, of adaptation to conditions, were notorious enough; but none of us had suspected that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-facts-of-variability-of-the-struggle-for-existence-of-adaptation/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is a law of nature we overlook, that intellectual versatility is the compensation for change, danger, and trouble. An animal perfectly in harmony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-a-law-of-nature-we-overlook-that-intellectual-versatility-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The world may not be ready yet for the film equivalent of books on tape, but this peculiar phenomenon has arrived in the form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/the-world-may-not-be-ready-yet-for-the-film-equivalent-of-books-on/) [Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/) > [“Evolution is more about adaptivity than adaptability.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/evolution-is-more-about-adaptivity-than-adaptability/) [Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/) > [There is change by necessity or adaptation, and there is contrived change or novelty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/there-is-change-by-necessity-or-adaptation-and-there-is-contrived/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“The tendency for depression to repeat reflects the normal default settings of a plastic mood system that is open to experience. The unfortunate consequence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-rottenberg/the-tendency-for-depression-to-repeat-reflects-the-normal-default/) [Jonathan Rottenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-rottenberg/) > [“The unglamorous truth is that there are but a handful of uniquely human traits that we have clearly demonstrated are adaptations evolved to thrive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rutherford/the-unglamorous-truth-is-that-there-are-but-a-handful-of-uniquely/) [Adam Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rutherford/) > [“You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/you-must-be-shapeless-formless-like-water-when-you-pour-water-in-a/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [“On the rare occasions on which a movie was shown, there was as much suspense in the audience over whether the electricity would hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-caro/on-the-rare-occasions-on-which-a-movie-was-shown-there-was-as-much/) [Robert A. Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-caro/) > [Working on an adaptation is not as satisfying, because it's not your original work: you're interpreting. With 'L.A. Confidential,' I loved the book. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-helgeland/working-on-an-adaptation-is-not-as-satisfying-because-it-s-not-your/) [Brian Helgeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-helgeland/) [Browse all 476 Adaptation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adaptation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Up until then, whenever anyone had mentioned the possibility of making a film adaptation, my answer had always been, ‘No, I’m not interested.’ I believe that each reader creates his own film inside his head, gives faces to the characters, constructs every scene, hears the voices, smells the smells. And that is why, whenever a reader goes to see a film based on a novel that he likes, he leaves feeling disappointed, saying: ‘the book is so much better than the film.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paulo Coelho" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/up-until-then-whenever-anyone-had-mentioned-the-possibility-of-making/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adaptation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/up-until-then-whenever-anyone-had-mentioned-the-possibility-of-making/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/paulo-coelho-10_adaptation_up-until-then-whenever-anyone-had-mentio_1446484.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/paulo-coelho-10_adaptation_up-until-then-whenever-anyone-had-mentio_1446484.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/paulo-coelho-10_adaptation_up-until-then-whenever-anyone-had-mentio_1446484.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Up until then, whenever anyone had mentioned the possibility of making a film adaptation, my answer had…” — Paulo Coelho", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Paulo Coelho", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Up until then, whenever anyone had...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/up-until-then-whenever-anyone-had-mentioned-the-possibility-of-making/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/up-until-then-whenever-anyone-had-mentioned-the-possibility-of-making/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```