What Book Is the Name of the Rose Based on?
The movie The Name of the Rose is based on Umberto Eco's novel The Name of the Rose.
Based on books
Fast guides to the original books behind movies, shows, and streaming series.
The movie The Name of the Rose is based on Umberto Eco's novel The Name of the Rose.
If you mean Fairy Tale, yes — the story comes from Stephen King's standalone novel Fairy Tale.
If you’re asking whether The Patient is based on a novel, the short answer is no.
Yes. The Martian audiobook is based on Andy Weir’s standalone novel The Martian, so it is the original story in audio form, not a separate spin-off.
Yes. Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes is based on the standalone true-crime book Ted Bundy: Conversations with a Killer by Stephen G.
The Stand series is based on Stephen King’s standalone novel, and the book remains the best starting point before watching the adaptation.
Yes.
The Last of Us is based on a video game, not a book.
Yes. The Idhun Chronicles is based on Memorias de Idhún by Laura Gallego García, and it’s a trilogy, not a standalone novel.
Is Tehran season 1 based on a book? No. It is not adapted from a novel or book series; it was developed as an original espionage thriller for television, so there is no source author, reading order, or book to catch up on first.
Yes—Apple TV+ Foundation is based on Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, which is not a standalone novel.
If you mean the limited-series version of The Promise, the book readers usually mean is Damon Galgut’s standalone novel The Promise. It is a self-contained story, not part of a longer book series, so the screen version has to adapt one complete novel rather than an ongoing franchise.
Yes. Stand by Me is based on The Body by Stephen King, and the source is a standalone novella in the Different Seasons collection, not part of a series.
If you’re asking what book the Divergent movie is based on, the answer is Divergent by Veronica Roth. It is the first book in the Divergent trilogy, not a standalone novel. If you want the full story after the movie, the next books are Insurgent and Allegiant.
Yes. The Taking of Pelham 123 is based on The Taking of Pelham One Two Three by John Godey, a standalone crime thriller.
Is Friends from College based on a book? No. It's an original TV comedy series, so there is no source novel, memoir, or book series to read first.
If you’re asking what book The Count of Monte Cristo TV series is based on, the source is The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. It’s a standalone novel, not part of a larger book series, although it was originally published in serialized form.
Yes. ZeroZeroZero is based on Roberto Saviano’s standalone nonfiction book ZeroZeroZero, an investigative look at the global cocaine trade. The series adapts that reporting into a dramatized limited series, so the original source is a book rather than a novel series.
As far as publicly verified information goes, Sons of Samuel does not have a confirmed single-book source attached yet.
Yes. Little Fires Everywhere is based on the standalone novel Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.
The Turn of the Screw is based on Henry James's standalone novella, not a series or larger book franchise.
Yes. Netflix’s The Stranger is based on Harlan Coben’s standalone thriller novel The Stranger.
No — Sweet Tooth is not based on a traditional book.
The Boys TV series is based on The Boys comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. It is a serialized comic, not a standalone book, and the show uses the comic as source material rather than adapting it page for page.
No—Wednesday is not based on one specific Addams Family book.
Is a Gentleman in Moscow a Book First? The Story Behind the TV Series.
Yes. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is based on the standalone picture book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr.
Yes. The original Gossip Girl TV series is based on Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar, and that source material is a book series, not a standalone novel.
Short answer: I couldn’t verify that Eleven Eleven, the limited series, is based on a novel. At this point, it should be treated as an original screen story unless official materials identify a book adaptation. That also means there isn’t a confirmed source author, standalone novel, or book series order to follow yet.
Yes. The Expanse TV series is based on Leviathan Wakes, the first novel in The Expanse series by James S.A. Corey. It is not a standalone book; it’s the start of a larger sci-fi series, so the screen version only covers part of the full story.
If you're asking whether the Power book vs screen differences are based on a real book, yes.
If you’re wondering what book To Kill a Mockingbird is based on, the answer is simple: it’s based on To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
If you mean A Time to Kill, yes — the movie is based on A Time to Kill by John Grisham, and the story is a standalone legal thriller, not part of a series.
Yes. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is based on the short story “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” by F.
Yes.
Dark Waters is not based on a novel.
Yes. Christine is based on Stephen King’s standalone novel Christine, a self-contained horror story rather than part of a series. The movie keeps the haunted-car premise and the main emotional arc, but the book gives you more of the slow-burn dread and character fallout.
If you're trying to figure out whether The Umbra has a novel behind it, the clean answer is to treat it as an original screen story.
Yes — The Notebook movie is based on The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks.
Yes.
Yes. Clear and Present Danger is based on Tom Clancy's novel of the same name, and that novel is part of the Jack Ryan series.
Black Sails is not a direct adaptation of a book.
Yes — the The Haunting of Hill House audiobook is the audio version of Shirley Jackson’s standalone novel The Haunting of Hill House. If you meant the screen version, the Netflix series with the same title is loosely based on Jackson’s book, not a direct scene-by-scene adaptation.
Yes. Normal People comes from Sally Rooney's novel of the same name, and the screen version is a limited series built from that book.