Comparing film to a novel isn’t really fair under some circumstances, though. In a book, you have a narrator, and he/she tells you what happens. Whether it’s first person, third person limited, or third person omniscient, can have a great impact on what can be portrayed in a film. For instance, a first person novel is very difficult to do without having a constant main character voice-over to display his thoughts and emotions, and we all know that voice-overs don’t work well all the time. Then you have things that just aren’t plausible or practical to show in a film. Visual adaptations of literature aren’t ever going to please everybody because most descriptions are left to interpretation of the reader. Though, the best way to go is obviously to get the original author to co-write the script/screenplay, and to give his word on aesthetic designs, etc.