There’s nothing more terrifying or exciting than when one of your favourite novels is adapted into a new format. You get to experience the story you love all over again—but will it live up to your expectations?
Here’s a roundup of five books that have recently been adapted or are about to hit screens near you in 2024.
You know what they say, the book is always better.
Coming to Netflix in April 2024, Ripley is inspired by Patricia Highsmith’s classic series featuring the character of Tom Ripley – fiction’s most terrifying con-man. Struggling to stay one step ahead of his creditors (and the law), Ripley leaps at the chance to start afresh on a free trip to Europe. But when his new-found happiness is threatened, his response is as swift as it is shocking.
Did you know that the 2024 award-winning film The Zone of Interest was inspired by a book of the same name? Amidst the horrors of Auschwitz, German officer, Angelus Thomsen, has found love. But unfortunately for Thomsen, the object of his affection is already married to his camp commandant, Paul Doll. As Thomsen and Doll’s wife pursue their passion, Doll is riven by suspicion. With his dignity in disrepute and his reputation on the line, he must take matters into his own hands and bring order back to the chaos that reigns around him.
This spine-tingling collection of stories from Edgar Allan Poe contains the short story that inspired the latest Netflix installment from director Mike Flanagan, following one family’s downfall, and the mysterious things that led to it. Fans of gothic fiction will want to get their hands of this special edition that also contains other favourites like 'The Pit and the Pendulum' and 'The Tell-Tale Heart'
This film adaptation starring Anne Hathaway draws inspiration from the Man Booker shortlisted novel from the author of My Year of Rest and Relaxation . When the beautiful, charismatic Rebecca Saint John arrives on the scene as the new counsellor at the prison, Eileen is enchanted, unable to resist what appears to be a miraculously budding friendship. But soon, Eileen's affection for Rebecca pull her into a crime that far surpasses even her own wild imagination.
Guillermo Del Toro’s adaptation of this beloved classic already has announced a star-studded cast from Jacob Elordi to Oscar Isaac, and if you haven’t had the chance to read the source material, what better time than now while we wait for its release? This edition features a special afterword from author Jeanette Winterson about the cultural history of Frankenstein’s Monster.
