Cels Says: To TV or not to TV

Cels Says:

I’ve spent the last few days of my post-Christmas break drooling over— I mean enjoying the eye candy of season 2 of True Blood. Now, those who know me well have heard my rant on how disappointed I was with season 1, the differences between the books, and what I felt the TV adaptation had lost (mainly the light-hearted humour). With season 2, I have found myself having to eat a hefty serving of humble pie. It did get me thinking, though, about whether we should risk our favourite books being mangled beyond recognition, or losing the basics that made us fall in love with them in the first place; or, should we just bite the bullet and enjoy them for the separate media they are?

Now don’t get me wrong—in some cases, the TV adaptation has brought the author a whole new audience of readers, and the way the basis of the storyline has been changed has, at times, breathed new life into the idea. Bones is an excellent example of this.

In the books, Kathy Reichs presents us with an older Tempe, who comes across as a little more “normal,” or “ordinary”, than her TV counterpart. The development of brand new characters and locations in the TV version also makes it feel as though the books have been left unharmed—each perfect in its own setting.

The Vampire Diaries have given those of us who read the series back in the 90s the chance to see the characters come to life; and, in my opinion, they are better developed than those in the books. The show’s popularity has also helped to bring a new generation of readers to L.J. Smith’s work, and, as a flow on, other authors as well. Some non-readers have also started picking up the books to continue Elana’s journey faster and have had a whole new world of pages opened up to them.

Books being adapted into movies can enjoy similar results. Harry Potter lost so much of its magic and delight in the movie adaptation that I felt a little ripped off; but, by the same token, the allure of seeing Hogwarts brought to life kept me watching. Seeing Edward sparkle in Twilight was something else, but I would pick the book over the movie any day.

So the verdict for me? Bring on the TV and Movie adaptations, but please, please read the original works as well. Anything that brings further recognition to authors has got to be worth the risk, right? Now, who knows a TV exec to bring Nylon Angel to life?