2001: A Space Odyssey was written same time as the movie was made. Book changed the movie and movie changed the book. The movie was released before the book. After listening three books which inspired movies I like this felt good book to listen next. 2001: A Space Odyssey is movie which could or couldn’t need explanation. I have said biggest flaw of 2010 movie was it explained 2001 too much.
First two parts (Monkeys and Moon) doesn’t offer much new to the movie. It follows the movie quite closely mostly telling what happened in movie in written form. Third part (Spaceship) offers much more and differs from the movie. It explains why HAL acted like it did. It was told in 2010 movie too. Before HAL is turned off book offers only few explanations and couple changes which are because of differences of medium.
After HAL is turned off book became worth to pick up. At least if you want to know what the ending of the movie actually tried to say. If you want to keep your theories you might not want to read or listen the book. The whole book is basically reference material for the movie like photographs are reference material for painting. Hard science fiction parts are almost the same in book and movie. When book moves away from hard science fiction movie it becomes more surrealistic. It was probably best approach with the technology at the time. Today it would have been done with cgi. After listening the book movie’s ending makes much more sense. It is actually quite close to books ending.
The movie is audiovisual experience and the book explains what actually happens. Basically it explains why HAL did what it did, what happened at the end of moon sequence and the ending. Movie told enough about everything else. Book tells everything else too but doesn’t offer much new. I wonder how well the movie works if you have read the book before you watch it. That way you know already everything movie will tell even better than movie tells it. Would how the movie does the telling be enough? Outside audiovisual experience there is only the interview joke which you have to pay attention to get.