Are film adaptations always worse than the book? Anyone that's ever loved a book will, at some point, have expressed deep disappointment at its film interpretation and will likely talk avidly for hours on how they would have done it differently, how the filmmakers were unsympathetic in their translation from book to screen: mercilessly hacking at the  integrity of the plot in search of the next money-making blockbuster. But are film adaptations always a poor attempt to reclaim the magic of the book? The trailer for Ang Lee's adaptation of the Booker Prize winner, Life of Pi , by Yann Martel was released recently. I had heard rumours that the book was to be adapted but was unsure as to whether it was a wise decision or not. Despite knowing about the twist at the end of the novel before reading it, I can honestly say that this was one novel that has haunted me ever since I finished it. If ever anybody asks 'what is the point in reading?', then this would be the book I would recommend they read. It is quintessentially what writing and reading is all about and will leave the reader haunted, horrified and in love with the power of storytelling by the time they've finished. Whether this effect will translate to the screen in as powerful a way as the book is yet to be discovered. Yann Martel's Life of Pie Usually, I try to read the book before I see the film, so