Ever since motion pictures became a popular form of entertainment, every book author has dreamed of getting a call from their publisher or a film studio, informing them of an interest in adapting their work. Even though most authors never appreciate the creative liberties taken when the story moves from the pages to the screen, they always appreciate the fact that their book was selected above many others. It’s undoubtedly the ultimate confirmation of quality.
While a single adaptation is often a reason enough to celebrate, some authors have had their books adapted dozens of times. Regrettably, most of them are no longer alive to see the scale of Hollywood’s obsession with the stories they wrote. Even so, there is a good reason their books continue to be chosen. They have timeless themes, and iconic characters, among other elements. Most importantly, each adaptation has performed well, justifying the need to make more.
10 The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
31 Film Adaptations
Set during the Bourbon Restoration, The Count of Monte Cristo recounts the adventures of Edmond Dantès. Shortly into his career as a sailor, he is accused of aiding the exiled French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and sentenced to life imprisonment in an Alcatraz-like French island fortress named Château d’If.
After serving 14 years, he escapes by putting himself in a body bag meant for one of the deceased prisoners. Having learned about a treasure on the island of Monte Cristo, he goes to claim it. He then adopts the Count of Monte Cristo persona and becomes a powerful Parisian figure with revenge on his mind.
A Multi-Dimensional Protagonist
The book has often appealed to filmmakers thanks to its timeless themes of hope, mercy, justice, vengeance, ambition, and forgiveness. Additionally, the redolent 19th-century setting is ideal because it allows a film crew’s costume design and production design teams to exercise their skills much better.
Apart from that, Dante is also an ideal protagonist for any movie, as he is not only an intelligent person but also a master of disguise. Throughout the novel, he comes up with numerous other aliases besides The Count of Monte Cristo. He pretends to be Lord Wilmore (an English aristocrat), Abbe Busoni (an Italian priest), Chief Clark (a banker), and even Sinbad the Sailor.
9 Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
37 Film Adaptations
Treasure Island covers the life of a young Jim Hawkins after meeting up with a group of buccaneers attempting to find an abandoned treasure trove. The book was originally published in serialized format in the children’s magazine Young Folks under the title Treasure Island or the Mutiny of the Hispaniola and under the pseudonym “Captain George North.” The full story was later published as a book credited to author Robert Louis Stevenson.
Captivating Tales of the Seas
The book’s accentuation of key human desires, coupled with the presence of great characters like Jim and Long John Silver, is a major reason why it has remained a favorite for directors. The story shows the extent to which most people would go to get rich and change their lives while pointing out the dangers of engaging in evil deeds. Most importantly, there is a fun pirate adventure capable of entertaining even the most casual readers and viewers.
8 Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
39 Film Adaptations
Partly inspired by personal experiences, Crime and Punishment was written by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky after his exile in Siberia. The author and many others had been arrested and punished for being supporters of Tsar-hating literary critic Vissarion Belinsky.
Free from fear and frustration, Dostoevsky crafted the story about Rodion Raskolnikov, a poor student in St. Petersburg who chooses to kill a pawnbroker and steal the valuables she keeps inside her flat. He figures that once he becomes rich, he’ll do good, only to be plagued by paranoia and regret afterward.
The “Cop vs Criminal” Template
With its themes of nihilism, utilitarianism, egoism, and rationalism, Crime and Punishment presents a story worthy of anyone’s time. It rubbishes the claim that someone can do a bad thing for the greater good. Instead, it emphasizes that there will always be consequences.
The book’s psychological examination of guilt. Besides that, the presence of the determined investigator, Porfiry Petrovich, creates the path for a perfect cat-and-mouse saga. Stories about the relentless hunt for a criminal have always captivated audiences. It’s thus easy to see why directors lean towards the Dostoevsky book.
7 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
40 Film Adaptations
Published by novelist and poet Charlotte Brontë under her norm de plume, “Currer Bell,” Jane Eyre is a bildungsroman book that tells the story of the orphan, Jane, from her childhood days to her stint as the governess at the estate of Mr. Rochester. While working for the aristocrat, she falls for him, only to make the shocking discovery that he is married and is hiding his mentally ill spouse in the attic.
A Common Setback in Relationships
Jane Eyre touches on feminism, race, and classism, making it as relevant today as it was when it was first published. The book’s plot, which involves embracing someone and then finding out they are not who they claim to be, is very relatable.
Such a kind of narrative has been used consistently by screenwriters of romance movies, and the trend is unlikely to change. The most notable adaptations include the 1943 film starring Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine and the 2011 film starring Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, and Judi Dench.
6 The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
45 Film Adaptations
Set in the first half of the 17th century, The Three Musketeers chronicles the adventures of the aspiring musketeer, d’Artagnan (based on the captain of Louis XIV’s musketeer’s guard, Charles de Batz-Castelmore d’Artagnan) after he arrives in Paris, hoping to serve under the king. The swordsman isn’t granted the opportunity right away, but his fortunes turn for the better when he strikes up a friendship with three of the most formidable musketeers of the age: Athos, Aramis, and Porthos.
The Popularity of a Subgenre
A book is likely to get adapted more than once if its genre is trending. The Three Musketeers benefited from the rise of the swashbuckling genre in the Silent Era and the Golden Age of Hollywood. Directors drew from the book regularly, resulting in a trend where a new movie was coming out almost every year. But there’s more to the source material than just the genre. There’s an endless sense of adventure, themes of loyalty and friendship, and crisp dialogue that transitions well to the screen.
5 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
48 Film Adaptations
Regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, Charles Dickens published many captivating books, yet A Christmas Carol remains his quintessential work. It was the first of a series of annual Christmas novels followed by the author, and it tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly penny-pincher whose life changes for the better after he gets a visit from the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley. After the encounter, Scrooge becomes a nicer, philanthropic man.
Perfect for the Season
A story that not only has a moral lesson but is also perfect for the festive season is guaranteed to be coveted by directors. Christmas movies never go out of fashion, so, every few years, a random studio normally decides to tap into Charles Dickens’ novel rather than take a risk with a fresh story. Such a move always works, and today, none of the productions are considered a flop.
4 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
49 adaptations
Lewis Carroll — a Mathematics professor at Oxford University — was only experimenting when he wrote Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, yet his calculations paid off handsomely. The book is about a young girl named Alice who falls asleep and dreams she has been led by a mysterious White Rabbit down a strange rabbit hole.
There, she has multiple surreal adventures and keeps changing size unexpectedly. She also meets various interesting characters, notably the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Duchess, the Cheshire Cat, the Red Queen, and the Mock Turtle.
Literary Nonsense
The book is credited with popularizing the ‘literary nonsense’ genre and allowing both writers and filmmakers to explore all kinds of weird fantasies without judgment. Because the fictional universe of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is defined by color and nonsensical scenarios, directors have painted perfect visual pictures while adding more elements to the story as they please.
The adaptations have also kept on coming because the characters appeal to children. Anything that the young ones love is guaranteed to make tons of money,
3 Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
52 Film Adaptations
During an expedition to Africa, Vicount John and his wife, Lady Alice, become stranded. Their son, John Clayton, is born shortly after, only for them to die a few weeks later. The baby is then adopted by an ape widow, Kala, whose son had been killed as a jaguar. She then raises Clayton in the jungle, and when he grows up, he becomes a legendary warrior. So popular was Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar that Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote 24 sequels.
Endless Action, Coupled with Great Scenery
Thanks to its exploration of human-ape psychology, numerous action sequences, and lush settings which are a cinematographer’s dream, Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar has continued to appeal to filmmakers for over a century.
Additionally, the themes of civilization, identity, parenthood, belonging, acceptance, and survival resonate and are guaranteed to appeal to most audiences. There has been a debate regarding which the greatest Tarzan movie truly is, but the Disney version has always been a great contender.
2 Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
69 Film Adaptations
When Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in 1818 at the age of 18, she might not have imagined how big her characters would become. Combining science fiction and gothic horror, the novel tells the tale of Victor Frankenstein, a young Swiss scientist who chooses to create a creature from the body parts of corpses. The monster eventually turns against him and kills him before ending his own life.
The Dangers of Innovation
The Frankenstein tale has remained fresh for over two centuries because of its cautionary nature, especially on science-related matters. New ideas keep emerging, and Shelley’s work serves as a reminder that humans ought to exercise caution so that they don’t come up with inventions that might destroy them.
Shelley brought up an interesting discussion about science and created a character that was too big to ignore. Film studios figured quite early that the name ‘Frankenstein’ was enough to influence movie lovers to buy tickets, so they kept churning out more movies. And it appears the trend is unlikely to end anytime soon.
1 Dracula by Bram Stoker
91 Film Adaptations
Bram Stoker’s Dracula is an epistolary novel about a solicitor who chooses to stay at the castle of the Transylvanian nobleman, Count Dracula, while on a business trip. Upon discovering that Dracula is a vampire, the solicitor flees. The Count then relocates to England, where he causes havoc in the quiet seaside town of Whitby. Having had enough, a group led by vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing, begin tracking him.
The Coolest Vampire of Them All
The obsession with Dracula can be likened to that of the Messiah and other biblical characters. Countless movies about Moses or Noah can be made, but religious enthusiasts will always be interested in those about Jesus.
Over the years, there have been countless great vampire movies, yet the buzz they create is never as big as that of a Dracula adaptation. A symbol of charm, seduction, and terror, Count Dracula is more intriguing than the average bloodthirsty vampire, hence audiences feel the need to care about him.
