Lawrence of Arabia. Poster of the 1962 movie and cover of the 1922 book, Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph
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Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph
T.E. Lawrence, 1922
movie vs book
David Lean, 1962

The film opens in 1935, when Lawrence is killed in a motorcycle accident. At his memorial service at St Paul’s Cathedral, a reporter tries to gain insights into the remarkable, enigmatic man from those who knew him. The story then moves back to the First World War. Lawrence is a misfit British Army lieutenant who is notable for his insolence and education. Lawrence is sent to assess the prospects of Prince Faisal in his revolt against the Turks.


Hamlet. Poster of the 1948 movie and cover of the 1603 book
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Hamlet
William Shakespeare, 1603
movie vs book
Laurence Olivier, 1948

The action begins on the battlements of Elsinore where a sentry, Francisco, is relieved of his watch by another sentry, Bernardo, who, with yet another sentry, Marcellus, has twice previously seen the Ghost of King Hamlet. Marcellus then arrives with the skeptical Horatio, Prince Hamlet’s friend. Suddenly, all three see the Ghost, and Horatio demands that the ghost speak. The ghost vanishes then, without a word.


The Guns of Navarone. Poster of the 1961 movie and cover of the 1957 book
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The Guns of Navarone
Alistair MacLean, 1957
movie vs book
J. Lee Thompson, 1961

In 1943, the Axis powers plan an assault on the island of Kheros, where 2,000 British soldiers are marooned, to display their military strength and convince neutral Turkey to join them. Rescue by the Royal Navy is prevented by two massive radar-directed large-calibre guns on nearby Navarone Island. Franklin’s best friend Corporal Miller, an explosives expert and former chemistry teacher; Greco-American Spyros Pappadimos, a native of Navarone.


The Bourne Identity. Poster of the 1988 TV series and cover of the 1980 book
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The Bourne Identity
Robert Ludlum, 1980
TV series vs book
Roger Young, 1988

An unconscious man is washed ashore on the beach of a small French village during a heavy storm. A retired doctor takes care of the unconscious stranger. When the mysterious man recovers, he can’t remember a thing. He does not know his name, he does not know where his flashback memories come from, and he does not know why the access code for an anonymous Swiss bank account is implanted in his thigh. As he seeks his own identity, things quickly become dangerous.


The Eagle Has Landed. Poster of the 1976 movie and cover of the 1975 book
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The Eagle Has Landed
Jack Higgins, 1975
movie vs book
John Sturges, 1976

Admiral Canaris, head of German military intelligence, is ordered by Adolf Hitler to make a feasibility study into capturing the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Although Canaris considers it a meaningless exercise that will soon be forgotten by the Führer, he knows this will not be the case with Heinrich Himmler. He therefore orders one of his staff officers, Oberst Radl, to begin a study to avoid being possibly discredited.


Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* But Were Afraid to Ask. Poster of the 1972 movie and cover of the 1969 book, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex*
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Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex*
David Reuben, 1969
movie vs book
Woody Allen, 1972

A collection of seven vignettes, which each address a question concerning human sexuality. From aphrodisiacs to sexual perversion to the mystery of the male orgasm, characters like a court jester, a doctor, a queen and a journalist adventure through lab experiments and game shows, all seeking answers to common questions that many would never ask.


The Key to Rebecca. Poster of the 1985 movie and cover of the 1980 book
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The Key to Rebecca
Ken Follett, 1980
movie vs book
David Hemmings, 1985

North Africa, Summer of 1942. Master spy, Alex Wolff is on a mission to send General Erwin Rommel’s advancing army the secrets that would unlock the doors to Cairo… and the ultimate Nazi triumph in the war. Wolff’s pursuer, Major Vandarn, engages the seductive charm of Elene Fontana to lure him into range for what is to be a startling and explosive confrontation.


Great Expectations. Poster of the 1974 movie and cover of the 1861 book
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Great Expectations
Charles Dickens, 1861
movie vs book
Joseph Hardy, 1974

A young boy called Pip stumbles upon a hunted criminal who threatens him and demands food. A few years later, Pip finds that he has a benefactor. Imagining that Miss Havisham, a rich lady whose adopted daughter Estella he loves, is the benefactor, Pip believes in a grand plan at the end of which he will be married to Estella.