Truth in the blood
Wednesday February 22nd 2012, 10:03 pmI’ve been meaning to write up a simple blog for some time now about Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels. We caught onto this character much like many others, through the HBO series True Blood. We adored the show, note the use of past tense here. Wendy and I decided we really should give the novels a try. And we’re caught up completely until the soon be released next installment. While they really aren’t meant to be highbrow literature, there is a certain kind of magic to them. Highly imaginative, charming and relatable in many ways. Granted some installments read better than others, but after immersing ourselves into the long running series, we’ve concluded the HBO version just really ticks us off. Sad to say, but true. It doesn’t hold a candle to the original books in terms of craftsmanship of character, or development of story. I’ve always been one to be somewhat lenient in adaptations from novels to film or television, but what the producers of True Blood have done is really unconscionable. After roughly the second book, the HBO show completely goes in every opposite direction with plot and character possible from the source material. It doesn’t remain “true” to the spirit of the book series at all, ironic considering they use the word in their title. It just really is not necessary to change every aspect of everything, and thats mostly a true statement. It says to me that there is some form of arrogance in this treatment of the source material, that the producers of the show think they know better than the author, to such a degree that they’ve thrown out just about everything except some names and a plot point or two. But even the plots they lowered themselves to address have been warped and distorted, and sucked the charm right out of them. Read the books, ignore the show, you’ll be much happier for it.
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Hello roussefolle
Yes, I really enjoyed the books a great deal. Granted, some volumes are better than others, and the story can get a bit melodramatic, but it adds to the charm. The only other quibble I have with them is that some information can come across as repeated too much when you read the installments back to back. But if one was to read them with some gaps between, this probably won’t be as annoying. She also handles the action sequences superbly. Overall, I enjoyed them enough to want to read her other series.
I liked the first season , but quit the show after season 2 it seemed to me that HBO wanted their very own softcore porn show.
I then read the first 6 books in succession and love them i was amazed at how much the producers threw away the source material and did their own thing.
I think i’m going to have to re-visit Sookie’s world after taking a bit of a break 🙂
Hey there Pat
Yeah I find it ridiculous that the producers have such audacity to completely change everything in the way they did. It clearly was unnecessary, and found it disrespectful. Granted the books get going in the sex department too, but handled so much better.
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ah, good to know.i was thinking for a long time about the books, but was wary of them, taking into account its presentation in the series. now i can waste some money and happily immerse myself in another imagined world.
Comment by roussefolle 02.24.12 @ 2:03 am