Book lovers and film lovers tend to clash when favorite books are turned into movies. It’s common knowledge that books are usually trivialized and simplified in movie form because no one wants to watch all 600 pages play out on the silver screen. Personally, I think it’s less traumatizing to watch the movie first, then read the book, but that’s not going to stop people from reading.

I recently went to see the Ender’s Game (a book I’ve reread several times over the last decade) and I kept being reminded of the film adaptation of The Hunger Games. Both Ender’s Game and The Hunger Games have protagonists that live inside their heads. The reader understands them mostly through their thoughts, rather than their actions. That’s why it is particularly difficult to transform these characters into a visual form.

Katniss is lucky enough to be represented by Jennifer Lawrence, who portrays Katniss’s inner struggle through her eyes and facial expression. While I do think Asa Butterfield is an outstanding actor, the dialogue he was given made Ender a more domineering and violent character in the film. His inner dialogue was made public and his character was no longer as impressive because he wasn’t stoic. Suddenly, film Ender is yelling and declaring himself a champion where literary Ender would be observing and strategizing his every move. The literary Ender served as this silently strong and strategic young boy who resisted his destiny but knew, deep down, that it was inevitable. The film Ender played out better on the big screen because he was a strong and physical leader from the very beginning.

If there is one thing that films are almost always successful in portraying, it is the visuals. Many times during Ender’s Game, I thought, “Well, that’s not how I imagined it.” That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Once you get past that reaction, that’s simply how you view that setting or character now. I especially liked how they created the visual of the Battle Room. I pictured more of a boxed in area that was devoid of color, but the one in the movie is so much more dramatic and gorgeous than that. It simply takes an adjustment time and then that’s how you envision it from now on. Next time I read this book, Asa Butterfield will take over the Ender I imagined in my mind.

There was only one thing I was really upset about in the film and that was the missing dialogue. As with any book-made-movie, you love certain pieces that you desperately hope make it into the film. For me, that is the Queen’s explanation of her dead children and civilization. I suppose it is all in Ender’s mind, but it is devastatingly heartbreaking and makes me cry every time I read it. In the film, we just get Ender’s measly responses to the Queen’s sad story. This writing, as well as the Speaker for the Dead portion, helps to wrap up Ender’s adolescent life and all of the things he endured. Instead, Ender’s Game took the important phrases and moments and sprinkled them out of context throughout the film (probably because they knew there would be an uproar otherwise).

Although it’s easy to mention every little detail missing in movies such as these, they do generally present the story in an accurate measure. Really, Ender’s Game presented a condensed version of the literary story. It was able to squeeze in all of the major points, while making it easy for newcomers to understand. Usually when fans get upset in these situations, it is when they add in extra storylines instead of presenting the original scenes (for instance, the unnecessary and awkward romantic relationship between Petra and Ender). This occurrence is understandable because the stories must be connected for a visual audience. Even so, it’s easy to see why bookworms are uncomfortable with their books being made into movies. My advice? Just think of the film as a variation of the story. And you already know all the behind-the-scenes footage and deleted scenes because you’ve read the book!