I love Dead Poets Society. In fact, it's one of the best movies I've watched, ever. It was one of those that deeply moved and touched me. The stories of these boy's lives touched me, as they were so true to life.
However, after reading the book of the movie, I have to say I'm left terribly unimpressed. It read more like a kid's novel than anything else. It lacked depth and emotion. The characters were all made out to be shallow, childish and weak, while Mr. Keating's part in the changing of the boy's lives was terribly downplayed. Some of the very poignant scenes in the movie were simply not justified in the book.
I have to say though, that I have to give credit to the author for some of the extended scenes that were deleted in the movie, but apart from that, it's a big disappointment. It's okay for a read of the outline, but really, you have to watch the movie to really know and understand what DPS is about.