The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Poster of the 2007 movie and cover of the 1997 book
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The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Jean-Dominique Bauby, 1997
movie vs book
Julian Schnabel, Laura Obiols, 2007

The first third of the film is told from the main character’s, Jean-Dominique Bauby, or Jean-Do as his friends call him, first person perspective. Bauby cannot speak, but he develops a system of communication with his speech and language therapist by blinking his left eye as she reads a list of letters to laboriously spell out his messages, letter by letter.


Sarah's Key. Poster of the 2010 movie and cover of the 2006 book
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Sarah's Key
Tatiana de Rosnay, 2006
movie vs book
Gilles Paquet-Brenner, 2010

Set in present-day Paris, a journalist discovers her existence intricately interwoven with that of a young girl whose family endured the heartrending separation during the infamous Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup in 1942. Sixty years later, the truth remains unknown.


See You Up There. Poster of the 2017 movie and cover of the 2013 book, The Great Swindle
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The Great Swindle
Pierre Lemaitre, 2013
movie vs book
Albert Dupontel, 2017

Albert Maillard is saved by Édouard Péricourt a few days before the Armistice. The only thing these two men have in common is the war. By directing a pointless attack, Lieutenant Pradelle ends their lives and joins them as fellow sufferers. Condemned to live, the two make an effort to survive amidst the wreckage of World War I tragedy. Thus, Albert and Édouard pull off a massive heist using the bereaved families’ remembrance and a nation’s hero worship just as Pradelle is about to earn a fortune with the corpses of the war victims.


War Horse. Poster of the 2011 movie and cover of the 1982 book
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War Horse
Michael Morpurgo, 1982
movie vs book
Steven Spielberg, 2011

In 1912, a bay Thoroughbred is born in Devon, England. At auction, farmer Ted Narracott outbids his landlord Lyons for the colt, to the dismay of his wife Rose, because the family needs a working horse that can plough the field. Their son Albert, accompanied by his best friend Andrew, names the colt Joey, and teaches him to come when he imitates an owl’s call.


Farewell. Poster of the 2009 movie and cover of the 2009 book
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Farewell
Sergei Kostin, Eric Raynaud, 2009
movie vs book
Christian Carion, 2009

In this gripping spy thriller, French engineer Pierre’s life takes an unexpected turn when he crosses paths with a former KGB Colonel-turned-spy, codenamed ‘Farewell.’ Drawn into a perilous mission, Pierre becomes instrumental in funneling Russian secrets to the United States, all based on an astonishing true story.


The Big Picture. Poster of the 2010 movie and cover of the 1997 book
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The Big Picture
Douglas Kennedy, 1997
movie vs book
Éric Lartigau, 2010

Paul Exben represents a story of success – a partner in one of Paris’s most exclusive law firms, enjoying a substantial salary, a grand residence, a glamorous wife, and two sons who seem to be straight out of a Gap catalog. However, the discovery that his wife, Sarah, is having an affair with a local photographer named Greg Kremer triggers a surge of emotion, leading Paul to make a fatal mistake. As he stands over the lifeless body of his wife’s lover, Paul realizes that his once-perfect life is irrevocably shattered.