Me Before You: book vs movie

LATELY, it seems more books are being adapted for the big screen, with book lovers finally getting the chance to see their favourite characters come to life.

“Read the book first” is the phrase readers live by — but, for one particular adaptation, I waited a long time to pick up the book after watching the movie.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes is one of the earlier book-to-film adaptations I saw before reading the novel. The romance, first published in 2012, follows Louisa Clark, who takes on a job as caregiver for Will Traynor, a man paralysed from the neck down after a tragic accident.

An unexpected bond forms between Louisa and Will as she tries to show him that life is still worth living, despite his condition.

Starring Sam Claflin, Emilia Clarke and Australia’s own Stephen Peacocke, the film was released in 2016.

I watched it with my mum on a streaming platform — and what a blubbering mess it made of us (you’ve been warned).

Years later, the movie finally inspired me to read the book.

What I’ve come to realise is that watching the film first helped me follow the story, visualise the characters and better understand their British mannerisms.

My advice? There’s no right or wrong order — book first or movie first. As long as you enjoy it, that’s what matters.

Me Before You is the first in a trilogy, followed by After You (2015) and Still Me (2018).

The movie is available to stream on Stan and Amazon Prime, or can be rented on Apple TV.

By Caitlin Menadue