Famous Films Based on Books to Get at Cairo International book Fair

Since the very beginning of cinema, filmmakers have gone to great lengths to adapt famous literary work to the screen, in hopes of bringing the magic of the pages into life in a movie format. The amount of book-to-film adaptations is endless, from classic Shakespearean works to modern and fantasy tales, we have seen many books being made into films, some were faithful adaptations and others went a different route, only taking some themes but working them into a modern setting. With many books being turned into movies, a neverending battle between which one is better, the book or the movie has begun. Fans of the original novels fight with fans of the adaptations, taking their two cents into X, Facebook, and any social media you can think of, this type of disagreement makes people who haven’t either read the books or watched the film feel less inclined to engage with the source material. 

Fights aside, what’s important is that we let people decide for themselves, and at the Cairo International Book Fair, plenty of books were turned into films. So we are here to present you with books to purchase from the fair, watch the movie, and decide. 

 

 

Murder on The Orient Express by Agatha Christie

 

"Queen of Crime" Dame Agatha Christie’s classic Murder on the Orient Express is a ride. From the amazing setting of a murder on a train to the captivating leading protagonist Detective Hercule Poirot, Christie keeps readers on the edge of their seats wanting to solve the mystery. Murder on the Orient Express is one of Agatha Christie's most well-known and beloved works and that’s for a solid good reason, even if the story is 200 pages long, the amount of details, intricacies, and well-written characters are good enough reasons to pick up on Agatha’s work.

 

Misery by Stephen King

There’s a reason why Stephen King is named “The King of Horror” Carrie, It, The Shinning, ’Salem’s Lot, Pet Sematary, and Misery, are all great books that helped cement King’s name as a master of the horror genre. 

One of his most famous works you can see at the Cairo International Book Fair is Misery. Here’s a summary of the plot for you “ A famous novelist suffers a terrifying case of writer's block, and is held hostage by his number one fan.”  the tension escalates with Annie Wilkes, who takes Paul, the famous novelist as a hostage, demanding that he changes the plot of her favorite book series. A tale of torture, and psychological and physical abuse, you feel trapped in the same room as Paul and that feeling stays due to the brilliant writing of Stephen King. 

 

Enola Holmes by Nancy Springer

 

It follows the titular character of Enola Holmes, the sister of the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, on a search to find her mother. A fast and interesting ready, Springer appeals to the children’s minds and interests without seeming too dull. Enola’s deduction skills are unique and will make readers fall in love with her in little to no time.

 

 

The Call of the Curlew by Taha Hussien 

The Dean of Arabic Literature, Taha Hussien is a tale of revenge, social taboos, and love. The movie is a heartwrenching, melodramatic but made beautifully and the novel is no different. 

The plot is fast-paced and the novel's language is so realistic with characters drawn very carefully. You won't get bored reading this novel.

 

El Naddara El Sawda by Ihsan Abdel-Quddous

If you take a look at the most prominent Egyptian films made in the golden era of cinema, most movies were based on the world of literary icon, Ihsan Abdel-Quddos. His works influentially contributed to bringing change in the conventional concepts in Egypt. In El Naddara El Sawda, Abdel-Quddous describes the conflicts that take place within the human soul beautifully and expressively.

 

 

The Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz

Nobel prize winner and literary legend Naguin Mahfouz is the father of Arabic literature. His novels are considered a pure and realistic representation of the Egyptian society.

Cairo Trilogy chronicles three generations of the family of tyrannical patriarch al-Sayyid Ahmad Abd al-Jawad. Naguib Mahfouz's saga is a rich, multi-faceted, and deeply human story, capturing readers' emotions through the dynamic and rounded personalities of his main characters.

What makes Mahfouz’s writing ages well and memorable, is the way he can write so many characters yet give them distinct trait that makes them relatable, and known. A subdued yet compelling tale of tradition, culture, and change. The plot of the trilogy, which is told with compassion and humor, depicts a nation going through a difficult period, reading the books makes you feel like you entered a time machine into the 20th century and that’s the power of Nagiub Mafhouz, his ability to transform you into other eras seamlessly.