As an avid fan of the “True Blood” series, I will be the first to admit that I enjoy the Sookie Stackhouse books more than the HBO show. I find that Charlaine Harris’ writing is smooth and telling, as she intricately weaves a story with history, intrigue, fantasy, disdain and love. This is not to say that I do not like the television series, but here are some reasons that the books are more appealing to me than the show.
Story Line
I find that the story lines in the books flow more seamlessly than they do on screen. Often the show is going for more shock value than the books, so this is where some of Charlaine’s more brilliant ideas get a bit distorted. When they were promoting Season 1 of “True Blood,” I would not have known that the show was based on the books if it weren’t for the mention of Sookie’s name in the preview. While variations aren’t necessarily a bad thing, they are for avid readers of the books.
The Quality of Sookie’s Character
I see a noticeable difference between Sookie in print and Sookie on screen. I find that Sookie in-print is empowered and isn’t waiting for a man, undead or otherwise, to come and rescue her. In the books, we get a much clearer understanding of Sookie’s personality and inner thoughts than we do on screen. When watching Sookie on TV, she does seem quite significantly less empowered, and dare I say, intelligent.
Differences in Characters
There are major differences between the characters in the books vs. on screen. For one, I think that Bill is a much more interesting vampire in print. I’m sure fans of Stephen Moyer are having a fit right now; this is nothing against him. Sometimes the mystique of a character is all in the mind: I created my own version of Bill in my mind, as I’m sure many other readers have.
There is a lot lost in translation when adapting a book to a television series. I love the show “True Blood,” but I have no qualms about saying that I love Charlaine Harris’ books even more.
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