How is the new BBC series Sherlock different from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories about the 19th century detective? Firstly, the makers have modified the plot, while retaining some aspects of the original, to appeal to a modern audience. Secondly, Sherlock is the literary adaptation of Doyle's work to the small screen.
There are different ways to tell the same story. A novel focuses on a character’s thoughts and feelings. A play may be used for more dramatic stories, in which dialogue and action are very important.
It's fun to change the medium of a story. In 2009, Twitterature , a book showcasing many classics as they would look if tweeted, was published. In the micro-blogging site, Twitter, the tweets can't exceed length of 140 characters.
Vlogs, short for video blogs, are diaries in which people record their experiences and thoughts on films. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice has been made into a movie and a mini TV series. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a vlog based on the novel that has over a million views on YouTube .
Literary adaptations needn't be faithful to the original. Fairy tales are especially easily experimented with. Tangled is about Rapunzel, but is only loosely based on the original Rapunzel . Often, films rework the fairy tales to add a twist to the tale. Thus, in some adaptations Red Riding Hood is actually a werewolf!
Adaptation of works is the means by which classics get transmitted to new generations. That is how they remain relevant. After all, well-done adaptations are just as interesting and important as the originals.
