For years there has been the never ending war between whether novels are better than TV, as it offers an in-depth look into the lives of various characters and story-lines. Or, if TV actually portrays the lives of its characters better by allowing you to see what is actually occurring.
Lately, these two seemingly mutually exclusive areas of entertainment have been combined to create a world in which those who do not find the reading of novels to be a fun pastime or those struggling to bring their characters from the depth of a novel into the realm of imagination, can finally see these characters portrayed on TV. Though the depiction of these individuals is not always exactly in the manner of the book, sometimes completely divergent of it, the series have become very popular in this time and age.
1. "Thirteen Reason Why"
“Thirteen Reasons Why” is a young adult novel written by Jay Asher and published in 2007. The story begins when Clay Jensen returns home to find a package outside his door. After opening the package he uncovers a map and cassette tapes that contain the untold story of why Hannah Baker, a local girl he used to know, committed suicide.
The book itself was phenomenal and a little hard to read at such a young age, but it is something everyone should delve themselves into and if reading is not really your passion, the Netflix portrayal of the series is completely astonishing. The TV series came out March 31st, 2017 and, of course, I binge-watched it.
I didn’t think it would be as good as the book, but it completely defied and surpassed all of my expectations. The cast was seemingly born for their roles and the story didn’t deviate from the novel as much as I thought it would, but it still didn’t completely tell the story without changes.
For example, when Hannah, Alex and Jessica meet in Monet’s, the book series had them say “olly olly oxen free” when they put their hands together. In contrast, the show had them say “FML”. This may seem like an insignificant change, but there were plenty of these small changes throughout the show. They are both, respectively, an extremely good read and watch.
2. "The Vampire Diaries"
“The Vampire Diaries” is yet another young adult novel written by L.J. Smith and was published as a trilogy in 1991, before a fourth edition was released after much pressure for one in 1992. This conveys the story of a girl named Elena Gilbert and her introduction to the supernatural world.
I am unsure about how many people actually knew this was a book series before watching the television show. Personally, I only found out about the book series after watching the show for a couple of years and was surprised by how different they were from one another. After reading one of the books I wondered if I was actually comparing the same series. The relationship between the book and show is so fractured that they seemed like two differing series in the same realm, rather than a show based off of a book.
Let’s begin with the actual name of the town, which was Fell’s Church in the novels but became Mystic Falls once it became a TV show. The last names of various characters in the show were changed from that of the book. One of the largest changes had to be Elena having a younger sister to her having a younger brother. Even the looks of the main character, Elena, was changed from a blue-eyed blonde to a brown-eyed brunette.
So, realistically, those who read the book will probably find themselves watching something different than what they imagined. That should prevent anyone from trying out both series because whether you read the novel or watch the TV series, you will find yourself completely encompassed by the lives of the people in Mystic Falls… or Fell’s Church.
3. "Game of Thrones"
“Game of Thrones” is a bestselling novel written by George R.R. Martin and was first published in 1996. The series is probably one of the most unique in the way that it follows each character's storyline creating the idea that each character has a book of its own. Although the series is not complete, writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss took this phenomenally creative and profound world and turned it into one of the greatest TV series to date.
The one thing I love about how this book series became a television show is the level of involvement George R. R. Martin plays in the actual TV series. Not only do David Benioff and D.B. Weiss run most of their ideas through him, especially ensuring that series will end the way it was supposed to or at least close enough, George has actually written a couple of episodes of the TV series himself. That is not to say that the TV series and book series completely follow one another.
The TV series never deviates when it comes to the large-scale ideas derived by George. The various battles and the deaths of most of the main characters are in line with that of the book. That being said, George and the writers of the “Game of Thrones” TV show have both expressed the idea that though TV series follows the book closely there are various times in which the diverge from one another. Many characters in the show are alive when in the book they are dead and vice versa.
The complete sixth season of the show was derived purely from the ideas of George, David and D.B. as the finals books of the series have yet to be written. It is impossible, personally, for me to say which one is better as they both are amazing in their own ways. This is a series that everyone should read and watch.
4. "Pretty Little Liars"
“Pretty Little Liars” is a book series written by Sara Shepard and was published in 2006. The series follows the life of four girls, Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer, after the supposed death of their best friend Alison DiLaurentis. A year after this tragedy they begin to receive texts from an anonymous person calling themselves “A” containing various secrets they never wanted anyone to find out. The book series and TV series are similar in the way that they follow the main plot of “A”, though numerous variances set them apart.
In the book series the characters Toby, Jenna and Mona are dead, while Maya still lives, but in the show, the opposite occurs. The character of Caleb never existed in the books, but I feel his character is one very much needed in the show. Also, the four girls, Emily, Aria, Hanna, and Spencer, looked different in the books than they do on the show, though the TV shows portrayal of their character's personality is spot on.
If you love mystery and plot twists as much as I do, both the novels and the show are a perfect combination of the two.
5. "The 100"
“The 100” is a young adult novel written by Kass Morgan and was published in 2013, before becoming a television series in 2014. The series follows the life of mankind after a thermonuclear apocalypse occurs. The remaining people who survived live on conjoining space stations. They are governed by a Chancellor and council, who determined that any crime is punishable by death, no matter how small, unless the criminal is under 18.
They find out that the space station is running out of oxygen and send 100 delinquents, criminals under 18, to Earth to determine if it is inhabitable. What they do not realize is that Earth may not be as desolate as they once thought.
The reason I find this series to be so fascinating, both the books and show, is how realistic it is.The idea of mankind having another nuclear war that basically wipes out more than ¾ of the population is sadly something that could actually occur, as well as us having the technology in the future to create livable space stations for the remaining population.
Though the books and the television show follow this amazingly insightful plot, they do differ on some big story lines. The largest divergence is that of the main character, Clarke.
In the novels, Clarke is just one of four main characters who share their point of view after reaching Earth. She is the daughter of two scientists who died and is a more gentle character. In the television show, however, she is portrayed as a strong leader who would do anything to protect her people. Her mother is alive and is responsible for the death of her father.
Also, many of the beloved main characters in the show do not exist in the novels. Though there are these large differences in both the books and TV series, both are extraordinarily done and will definitely be a good source of entertainment.
