Recently on holiday we had a Superman marathon, watching all the movies (except the terrible Superman 4), and at home I'm re-watching Smallville, and may then move onto Lois & Clark. But in case we're not counting graphic novels, which I haven't read by the way, my choice would have to be The Green Mile by Stephen King.
Originally published as a series of 6 in 1996, it has since been published in a single volume. Not only is it a fabulous book to read, it was turned into a fantastic movie in 1999, directed by Frank Darabont, starring several notables including Tom Hanks and the late Michael Clarke Duncan.
Darabont also directed another King adaptation, The Shawshank Redemption. I love both of these films, but have not read Shawshank. I couldn't pick between the two in terms of the film. Both have wonderful mixes of sadness, glimpses of evil, humour, and also great hope.
I can't read a Stephen King horror without being genuinely frightened (fully fledged, paid up member of the scaredy cat club), but I do really enjoy his general fiction stories. This will sound strange, but he has a wonderful way of showing that the worst kinds of monsters are the human kind, while at the same time showing you the beauty of humanity right along side it.
If you haven't read or watched The Green Mile, go do both now. I watched the film before realising that it was a book, and I don't think that it detracted from the book at all. A rare thing indeed.
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