[metalthrashin'mad]

1. Most of the time I prefer the books. The only time I preferred the films was LOTR, but I did read those when I was 10.
2. Books are more popular now than 5 years ago I would imagine due to the ease of e-readers, and these will push the popularity of paperbacks down. I imagine e-readers will make them a lot more popular while they are still a novelty, and then when they aren't anymore, then it will be less popular again.

I'm a bloke and I'm 19

[InsaneFandom]

1. Do you prefer to read books or watch movie adaptations of books? Why?

I generally prefer to read the books. I've found most film adaptations are pretty disappointing once you've read them. I think it's usually mainly because the characters don't quite live up to the imagination when placed on screen and with sections of the story being left out. The only films I've personally seen that I loved almost as much as the books are the Lord of the Rings and Going Postal.

2. Do you feel as though the popularity of the book is rising, declining or staying the same? Any reasons why?

Declining I'd say. I know very few people who read for pleasure, and out of those that do most don't seem to read much. I think it's because parents are more inclined now to give children video games to play, or watch movies, television, go online etc. without really encouraging reading at home. I can't be sure of that of course, it's just I've found that people who's parents read tend to be more likely to read for fun themselves.

I'm 19 & female

[danielhere]

1. Do you prefer to read books or watch movie adaptations of books? Why?

I prefer to read books. I would also prefer to watch more movies based on original screenplays. The reason why adaptations of novels (and comic books) are so prominent is because taking an existing narrative structure which works and trying to transpose it to film is seen as less of a risk and the original work brings with it a guaranteed audience. When adapting a novel someone else has already done a lot of the creative work for you and it is sitting there ready to exploit. The problem is that the films produced feel hamstrung by the necessity to conform to certain expectations demanded from the existing audience and whatever kind of fresh quality the novel may have had is lost in the transposition.

I think it is not controversial to say that mainstream cinema is incredibly homogenised in a way that the world of literature isn't. The creative process that a novel goes through I also think is probably less constraining than the production of a movie, which often shows in the final product.

2. Do you feel as though the popularity of the book is rising, declining or staying the same? Any reasons why?
Books have declined in popularity (due to the arrival of television). To my understanding this is well observed historically, but it hasn't occurred within a time frame that I could observe it. TV has been our societies dominant medium for most of my life and only now seems to really be declining. Over my lifetime I feel that the popularity of the novel has been pretty stable.

I am male 18-25