I just watched the movie yesterday. Maybe it was because I'd just finished the book, but ... I did not think it was nearly as good. It was pretty, but it had to shortcut too many things, and the ending didn't have nearly the same impact. I want to explain why, so you can make an informed decision! In the book, both the story and the ending are told essentially the same way, allowing you to fully imagine both of them. In the movie, the story is told with lavish visuals, and then the ending is told only with voice, no visuals, which I felt robbed it of its impact. It was made to seem lesser than the story, and it turned the ending into a gimmick rather than the show-stopping, I-had-to-put-the-book-down-a-moment heart-wrench of the novel. My personal feeling is that people should read the book first, and then wait a bit before seeing the movie if they want to see it.