"A Citadel Press book."

Includes index.

Words and Shadows is an exploration of how great works of American literature have been adapted—or transformed—for the screen. With a focus on writers like Theodore Dreiser, Stephen Crane, Sinclair Lewis, Willa Cather, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, Edith Wharton, and Henry James, author Jim Hitt delves into the tensions between written narrative and cinematic storytelling.

The book examines both the possibilities and limitations of translating literary themes, tone, and complexity into film. Drawing on examples across multiple genres—from gothic to realism, from historical drama to psychological fiction—Hitt discusses how internal voice, symbolic language, and narrative structure are altered when the medium shifts from the page to the screen.

Rather than lamenting what is “lost in translation,” Hitt provides a balanced critique: some adaptations enhance the emotional core or visual drama of a literary work, while others oversimplify or misinterpret the author's intent. Through detailed analysis, Words and Shadows shows how film adaptations reflect changing cultural values, aesthetic choices, and audience expectations.

The result is a book that appeals to literature lovers, film enthusiasts, and students of adaptation alike. It encourages readers to see film not merely as a derivative of literature but as an art form with its own storytelling grammar—one that sometimes shadows, sometimes amplifies, the written word.