Book Adaptations: Stop or Keep it coming??

Harry Potter: A book adaptation which was a huge commercial success

I have had the unfortunate opportunity to hear ramblimgs about whether book adaptations are a waste or not. Some of my bookworm friends would say that book adaptaions stole the magic(and some events) of the book away, and were just bland movies, whereas other friends would say the movie just saved their time and moreover provided them with visuals they would never forget. For me, being an avid book lover as well as a moviebuff, I say, keep it coming.

Of course, movies cannot be possibly as detailed as the book, other wise it would be too long and would bore us to death. In 1924 a guy called Erich von Stroheim tried a literal adaptation of a book; it resulted in a 16 hout movie. (whoa).  And sometimes plots need to be changed to go with the flow of movie, or to probably make it seem more interesting. But I urge the cynics to look at what it has given us. Movies such as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, The Shawshank Redemption, The Silence of the Lambs, To kill a Mockingbird, The girl with the dragon tattoo are just a few names that were huge successes. They also attracted a larger audience and promoted the books to those who hadn't  heard about them.

I do agree that reading a book is far more interesing and enriching than watching a movie, because then you get to know the inside story (the thought chain). But I also agree that movies are a great way of actually living the book, seeing the characters come to life and experiencing the story in a different way. Well, everyone is entitled to a view and this is mine. :)