| Can the film ever be better than the book? Keira Knightley has played some big literary characters - Lara Antipova in Dr Zhivago, Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Guinevere in King Arthur. She was recently Oscar nominated for her role as Cecilia Tallis in the film version of Ian McEwan's Atonement. This week, Newsnight Review considers her latest role, that of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, in The Duchess, a film built around the biography by Amanda Foreman. Whereas Foreman's book covered all aspects of Georgiana's life - from her politics and activism to her psychological makeup - the film sticks doggedly to her relationships and unconventional marriage. Fans of the book could well be disappointed, but do we expect anything more of literary adaptations? And it's not only in the cinema. We're also looking at Tess on Review this week - the BBC's adaptation of Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy - which kicks off another season of page-to-screen transfers across all genres including Dickens's Little Dorrit, CJ Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series, Affinity by Sarah Waters and Jilly Cooper's Octavia. Is it time for writers to look elsewhere for their inspiration? Is there any point in watching a film or television adaptation because you liked the book? Has a book ever actually been bettered by a screen adaptation? You can discuss this topic on the Newsnight blog, and don't forget that Newsnight Review will be putting The Duchess and Tess under the spotlight when it returns this Friday at 11pm on BBC TWO. To read more and watch a preview of The Duchess click here. | 
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