“True Blood” may be based on the “Southern Vampire” novels by Charlaine Harris, but there are many variations between the books and the TV show. Some of the biggest variations come in the form of the show’s characters. Often the names are the same, but the personality is completely different. One good example of this is the vampire Bill Compton.
Annoying on Screen
Call me crazy, but Bill Compton, as portrayed in “True Blood,” has moments where he annoys me pretty intensely. His character in the book was very likable, his connections with Bon Temps and, of course, Sookie Stackhouse, were intense and deep. On screen, Compton comes off as creepy and possessive. I have nothing against Stephen Moyer as an actor, but the direction his character is taking is bound to confuse fans of the book series.
Major Story Differences
There are major story differences between “True Blood” and the “Southern Vampire” novels. After Sookie rescues him from death at the hands of the King of Mississippi and his band of misfit weres, Bill shows his appreciation by raping and mauling Sookie in the back of a car. This appeared in “True Blood” as well, but the aftermath was completely different. Sookie discovered that Bill was leading a double life, and didn’t want to speak to him anymore. In “True Blood,” she stayed mad for a little while, but the pair were still very much a part of each others lives. I have a feeling that Bill’s TV character is not vilified due to Stephen Moyer’s huge fan following. Some things just don’t click when you compare the book to the screen, though. I would prefer Alan Ball stay true to the books.
The big thing about adapting a TV show from a book is that there is bound to be some creative liberties taken by the producer; however, sometimes I feel like I am watching a completely different story than the one I had read previously. While I can understand that the creator of “True Blood” wants to market the show to a specific demographic, Charlaine Harris’ books were exciting enough without having to completely transform them. I wonder what Harris thinks of all the changes to her characters and story lines.
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Character Differences Between ‘True Blood’ and the ‘Southern Vampire’ Novels