Film adaptations of popular novels all too often crash and burn, but some manage to be held in a higher esteem than their literary counterparts. This century-old debate will be tested over the course of this year as the Loft Cinema Book Club screens seven classic films, followed by moderated discussions of the books they’re based on.

Here’s the 2013 lineup for the Book Club, courtesy of the Loft website:

February
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST
Milos Foreman, director (1975)
Novel by Ken Kesey

April
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER
Robert Ellis Miller, director (1968)
Novel by Carson McCullers

June
SLAUGHTER HOUSE FIVE
George Roy Hill, director (1972)
Novel by Kurt Vonnegut

August
LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE
Alfonso Arau, director (1992)
Novel by Laura Esquivel

Special September Anti Censorship Month screening
LORD OF THE FLIES
Peter Brook, director (1963)
Novel by William Golding

October
IN COLD BLOOD
Richard Brooks, director (1967)
Novel by Truman Capote

December
LITTLE WOMEN
George Cukor, director (1933)
Novel by Louisa May Alcott

Though all critically-praised in their own right, these films are sure to stir up some dispute - we’ve all been there in high school English class, firmly divided between the appalling Demi Moore performance in The Scarlet Letter versus the snoozefest of a novel. These things can get heated.

From the disorienting surrealism of Slaughterhouse-Five to the Spanish-language sexuality of Like Water for Chocolate, the line-up is a diverse sampling of book-to-film adaptations over the past eight decades. Passes for the full series will be on sale until the first screening of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest on February 24, and are $30 for members, $39 for non-members. Individual tickets for the screenings, which will always be on Sundays at noon, are $5 and $6 for members and non-members, respectively.

The Book Club is indicative of the Loft’s ability to greatly expand their program offerings, following the addition of a third screen next door to the original theater. After raising about $1 million in grassroots donations to fund the expansion, the Loft is still seeking the help of generous cinephiles for future remodeling projects and updates to screening technology.

Click here for more information on the Book Club, and rundowns of the individual films set to screen in 2013. Which one are you most excited to read/see?