The 50 Best Movies Adapted From Books Of All Time, Ranked By Fans

Since the earliest days of Hollywood, book adaptations have been one of the most reliant and successful forms of filmmaking, from poignant standalones like The Grapes of Wrath to massive franchises like Harry Potter. Spanning decades and crossing genres - including drama, comedy, horror, and science-fiction - these beloved movies based on books all have one thing in common: they turned their source material into cinema that stands the test of time.

Some authors seem to write novels that are almost handcrafted for the silver screen. Stephen King, for example, has seen his novels made into films on dozens of occasions, and not just in one genre, either. While his horror like Misery and The Shining may come to mind first, his more dramatic works have been equally (if not more) successful on film, such as The Green Mile and Stand by Me. Of course, in some cases you might not even realize that your favorite films are adaptations.Titles like Jaws, Shrek, and Die Hard have become such cultural touchstones all on their own, it's easy to forget that they were on bookshelves before they made it to movie theaters.

With over 100 years of big screen creativity to chose from, it's difficult to narrow down the best films adapted from books. To that end, it's even trickier to decide which ones should rise to the top. As you read ahead, make sure to vote up your favorites to help curate this roundup of all-time great adaptations.