10 Famous Books That Have Been Adapted for Screen Way Too Many Times
Sometimes, enough is enough. Even Stephen King’s works don’t have this many adaptations, and that means something.
10. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1844)
One of the most classic revenge stories, The Count of Monte Cristo follows a young sailor robbed of his happy wife when he’s falsely accused of treason and imprisoned for many years. Once he escapes and claims a hidden treasure, he assumes a noble persona, returns to Paris, and executes an elaborate revenge scheme. Alexandre Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo has been adapted 31 times.
9. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (1883)
The golden classic of pirate fiction, Treasure Island follows a young man who joins a crew of buccaneers on their quest to find a hidden treasure. They are not the only ones searching for it, and the path to uncover its secret is dangerous, but the pirates never give up: nothing motivates quite like a chest filled to the brim with gold, right?
Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island has been adapted 37 times.
8. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1866)
The crown jewel of Russian literature, Crime and Punishment is a tale of a poor student who tests his own philosophy that divides people into two categories: those who have the right to do anything, and those who don’t. He commits an unprovoked murder to see which group he belongs to, and deals with the consequences.
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment has been adapted 39 times.
7. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (1847)
Heralding the list of the best romance novels of all time, Jane Eyre is named after its protagonist: a young orphan who it follows through her life until she becomes employed in a rich nobleman’s estate. The woman inevitably falls for him and things are going splendidly… Until she discovers the dark mystery the nobleman’s hiding.
Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre has been adapted 40 times.
6. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (1844)
Another Alexandre Dumas’s adventure masterpiece, The Three Musketeers follows an aspiring young man dreaming of serving the King. His hopes are soon shattered, but he befriends three prominent musketeers and embarks on a dangerous quest with them which, if he succeeds, should guarantee him the King’s personal grace.
Alexandre Dumas’s The Three Musketeers has been adapted 45 times.
5. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (1843)
Perhaps the most often-quoted moral tale of the Victorian era, A Christmas Carol has an unusual protagonist: an elderly and extremely greedy man, extremely egoistic and ignorant to others’ woes. On Christmas Eve, he’s visited by four ghosts who, by showing him his past, present, and future, make him change for the better.
Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol has been adapted 48 times.
4. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865)
A prime example of the “literary nonsense” genre, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland follows a young girl who finds herself in the strangest dream. In her dream, she visits Wonderland, a mysterious place with bizarre rules, utterly insane inhabitants, and countless problems she should resolve to find her way out.
Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has been adapted 49 times.
3. Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1912)
On par with Mowgli, Tarzan is the greatest human king of the jungle. The novel follows the little son of a couple who dies in the jungle, with their child then being raised by the apes. As he grows up, young Tarzan combines the strength and culture of his new family and humanity’s intelligence to rule over the wild territories.
Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Tarzan of the Apes has been adapted 52 times.
2. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley (1818)
A unique blend of Gothic horror and the 19th century’s take on science fiction, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a tale of a brilliant scientist who creates a monstrosity of dead people’s body parts and brings it to life. The creature he ends up with isn’t particularly happy to join the world, resulting in a tragedy.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus has been adapted 69 times.
1. Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)
The most famous vampire novel of all time, Dracula is the predecessor of an entire genre. To this day, vampires are the most popular monsters in pop culture, all thanks to this brilliant work that follows the undeath of one mysterious and powerful count and the lives and terrors of those who happened to cross their paths with him.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula has been adapted 91 times.
