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There's a common saying among bookworms that most people may have heard of, "The book is better than the film". This is nearly always true but there is the odd exception. often contain more detail and depth with immersive storytelling and more expansive and realistic characters. Novels also have unlimited space to explore character arcs and intricate storylines, while have time constraints and usually have to follow the "show, don't tell" principle.

Whether a book is better than the film or vice versa is highly subjective and will greatly depend on whether you view books as superior to films or TV series. However, as someone who has , reads every day and has watched hundreds of films and TV series, I've come across those few exceptions where the film, or TV series in some cases, is indeed better than the book. These are the eight films and TV series that I think are better than their written counterparts...

1. Sex and the City 1999-2004 ( , 1996)

Sex and the City is a series I go back to again and again. It's nostalgic, funny and quite honestly, addictive. Plus, I covet Carrie's designer wardrobe. Originally, Sex and the City was a newspaper column written by Candace Bushnell for The New York Observer from 1994 to 1996 based on her and her friends' lifestyles in New York in the nineties.

The book anthology of her columns was published in 1996 and focuses on the columns featuring the character Carrie. As the book is an anthology, it feels disjointed and lacks the flow of a novella. For this reason, I always recommend watching the series over reading the book.

Sarah Jessica Parker brings Carrie to life with her constant musings, dry quips and flamboyant outfits. Her wild blonde hair, penchant for Manolo Blahnik shoes and gold 'Carrie' necklace are iconic and will continue to live on for generations. But it's not just Parker who should be praised for her performance, the series would not be complete without Kim Cattrall's fantastic portrayal of Samantha Jones, Kristin Davis as the uptight Charlotte York and Cynthia Nixon's portrayal of the headstrong, career-driven Miranda Hobbes.

Sex and the City is available to stream on NOW TV.

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2. Bridget Jones's Diary, 2001 ( , 1996)

I first read Bridget Jones's Diary as a teenager and was automatically intrigued by the grown-up, adult life of Bridget Jones. I've since re-read the book and the following instalments and, as an adult, now appreciate Bridget's messy, honest life.

Fielding's novel is written as a personal diary and chronicles the hilarious ups and downs of Bridget's life as she juggles her family, career, love life, and vices. Bridget's voice is addictive and very easy to read, but Renée Zellweger's portrayal of her really brings this character to life.

Zellweger's middle-class, clumsy, ditsy portrayal of Bridget is brilliant. She's hilarious yet a hopeless romantic desperate to settle down and find 'the One'. As a viewer, you can't help but root for Bridget, your heart breaks for her after she stumbles upon her boyfriend Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) having an affair, and cheering for her as she meets Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), who loves her "just the way she is".

Bridget Jones's Diary is available to stream on NOW TV.

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3. The Great Gatsby, 2013 ( , 1925)

I've already made my feelings on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby very clear. I feel it's an so when Baz Luhrmann's film came out in 2013, I was overjoyed. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway and Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan. Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke, and Elizabeth Debicki also star.

There are a few main differences from the book. The main one being that Carraway writes from a sanitarium having checked himself in after spending the summer with Gatsby. Gatsby also dies thinking his pursuit of Daisy was a success.

Even if you're not a fan of the story itself, the costumes, soundtrack and sets are incredible. The soundtrack includes Lana Del Rey's 'Young and Beautiful', which was written for the film, and a Beyoncé cover of Amy Winehouse's 'Back to Black'.

The Great Gatsby is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

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4. Trainspotting, 1996 ( , 1993)

With a 90% critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Trainspotting is a dark, yet often funny, portrayal of heroin addiction in Edinburgh. The cast includes Ewan McGregor as the main protagonist Mark Renton, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle and Kelly Macdonald.

The film is regarded as one of the best of the 1990s and was voted the best Scottish film of all time in a 2004 general public poll.

After watching the film and loving it, I decided to read the book. The book has achieved cult status; however, due to its writing in Scots, Scottish English, and British English and nonlinear plot, it's not an easy read. I personally found this novel too challenging and ended up giving up halfway through.

I might revisit the book later, but for now, I will stick to the film, which also features a killer soundtrack, including the techno sensation Born Slippy. NUXX by Underworld.

Trainspotting is available to rent on Amazon Prime for £3.49.

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5. The Road, 2009 ( , 2006)

The Road is a bleak book and the film isn't much better. However, the film is slightly more enjoyable thanks to two incredible performances. This post-apocalyptic novel details the journey of a father and his young son as they travel across an ash-covered United States that is devoid of civilisation.

With winter drawing in, the father decides to take the boy south towards the coast. Along the way, they must avoid cannibals, thieves and marauders.

Most people prefer McCarthy's novel but I personally preferred the film. I didn't enjoy McCarthy's style of writing; his use of short sentences is an interesting style choice that does work in parts of the novel. However, there are moments where I feel it's overused.

Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee are brilliant in the film adaptation, with critics on Rotten Tomatoes describing their performances as "hauntingly powerful".

The Road is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

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6. Wuthering Heights, 2009 ( , 1847)

I actually love Wuthering Heights. I read it for the first time when I was 16 and very quickly discovered I was an old romantic. The relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff is a passionate yet destructive one, with the characters' obsession with one another ultimately leading to their downfall.

While the book is brilliant, there is a fantastic adaptation with an all-star cast featuring Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley as Heathcliff and Cathy, Andrew Lincoln as Edgar Linton, Kevin McNally as Mr Earnshaw and Sarah Lancashire as Nelly Dean.

The two-part mini series aired in 2009 and was adapted for the screen by Peter Bowker and directed by Coky Giedroyc.

The chemistry between Hardy and Riley as Heathcliff and Cathy is palpable with Hardy playing the brooding, wild-eyed Heathcliff perfectly.

The series has received an 84% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes with many viewers praising Hardy's acting. One person wrote: "One of Tom Hardy's best roles. He nails Heathcliff."

Another wrote: "Tom Hardy is such a gifted actor. His performance is utterly beautiful in this film. He and his real-life wife, Charlotte Riley, have such great chemistry."

Wuthering Heights is available to stream on ITVX.

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7. William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, 1996 ( )

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, this adaptation of William Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name is believed to have been written between 1591 and 1595.

Directed, produced and co-written by Baz Luhrmann, this modernised version of the play portrays the Montagues and Capulets as two rival gangs rather than two houses.

Shakespeare's play is brilliant, however, it's not the easiest to read, frequently employing iambic pentameter to emphasise the characters' elevated emotions; it's poetic in parts.

If you ever get the chance to see Romeo and Juliet at the theatre, I'd highly recommend it, however, Luhrmann's modern take on the Elizabethan tragedy is beautiful and perfectly captures the emotion and tragedy surrounding these star-crossed lovers.

William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet is available to watch on Disney+.

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8. William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, 1999 ( , 1595 or 1596)

I read A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare when I was teenager and loved it. It's surprisingly funny considering it was written in the Elizabethan era. Widely considered one of Shakespeare's most popular plays, the plot centres around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta but there are several subplots involving a group of amateur actors rehearsing for a play, fairies manipulating humans and Athenian lovers.

If you haven't seen the play at the theatre, there is a fantastic film adaptation starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Everett, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Kline, Anna Friel, Dominic West and Christian Bale.

While it has only garnered a 67% critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film was praised for its performances and production. The site reads: "Faultless production and shining performances display the Bard's talent propitiously."

What I love about this film is despite the original play being more than four hundred years old, it feels like a modern rom-com.

William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is available to stream on Disney+.

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