Nov 09 2008
Sookie Stackhouse Novels vs. Tv Show
Today I’d like to discuss all things Sookie Stackhouse. I have been an avid reader of Harris’ southern vampire novels from the get go and while I haven’t always agreed with the story line, there is no denying that Harris has the ability to capture an audience. Her stories are always well crafted and delightfully humerous. I will admit that I was very skeptical about the books reaching hollywood. There are not very many books that survive “Hollywoodinization” (A fine new word, if I do say so myself!).
HBO, however, has done something interesting with the series. I’ve watched for the past ten weeks and I really enjoy the show, though I have to think of it as a different entity than the books because if I were to compare them, I would wind up hating the show.
I mean, I was skeptical from the get go… right down to the casting. I will say that I think Anna Paquin is doing an excellent job playing Sookie, she is a bit too thin for the part… but hollywood is thin…. so there isn’t much to be said about that. She’s a good actress and is very true to the character that Harris brough to life. A few of the other characters have meshed with the pictures that I had in my head… namely Sam and Jason. They did a great job with casting there, especially with the part of Jason. Ryan Kwanten is pure Jason!
Moyer was an okay choice, he plays the part very well, though he isn’t what I would have expected. Ellis is an interesting Lafayette, but he isn’t at all what the books illustrated, at least not in my mind…
I keep racking my brain about Tara… and I recall her character being in the books, but never to the extent that she is in the show and not in the same capacity either. She was something of a minor character and now they have the storyline going in all sorts of strange places…. which as a seperate entity, I enjoy… but as an adaptation of the novels…not so much. There are certain things that have been the same in both the series and the novels, but I think they took too many liberties with the stories and characters.
Another complaint I have is Eric…. he should be a bit older, much larger and prettier than he is in the series. I’m not convinced that Skarsgard plays a good Eric either, but his exposure in the series has been limited and my opinion hasn’t yet formed.
So, I guess…in summation… I like them both… in their own rights, but not as a whole?
What are your thoughts and feelings on the matter??
