Sometimes the Show Is Better Than the Book
Sometimes the Show Is Better Than the Book
There I said it. The other day I was talking with a friend about Big Little Lies- both the show and the book. Of course, we have to remember that the show wouldn’t exist without Liane Moriarty’s amazing storytelling so there’s that but…. I do think, in this example, the show is better than the book. The setting, the playlist, the character development were all just remarkable. So this conversation got me thinking and suddenly, a list started to form. I would add both Handmaid’s Tale and Little Fires Everywhere to television experiences that I enjoyed more than the reading experience. And each of these examples are books written by authors I really admire. So I loved each of these books but I have to admit that I loved these shows just a tiny bit more.
I’ve been thinking a lot about television recently. While I love reading (obviously!), I get something really great and really different out of watching tv shows and especially out of binge watching tv shows. While watching television, I turn my brain off in a unique way and really settle in to the story. When I read, my imagination is hard at work, picturing characters and places, tones of voice and facial expressions. As a reader, I feel super weird saying this but watching tv can, at times, be more relaxing than reading a book- even a great book.
I was recently introduced to a great new-to-me show and bonus- it has subtitles. Yup- it turns out that tv watching can be even more relaxing for me if there are subtitles. Stay with me… Last week, a friend introduced me to Shtisel an Israeli show about “A Haredi family living in an ultra-Orthodox neighbourhood of Jerusalem who reckons with love, loss and the doldrums of daily life.” And yes- a show about the doldrums of daily life was, apparently, just what I need. I am about half way through the first season and I am completely connected to many of the plot lines and the characters. And the benefit of subtitles is that I need to pay complete attention to what is happening. I can’t multi-task as I often do when watching tv. I can’t even mindlessly scroll social media. I have to do one thing and one thing only. It’s been awhile since I’ve binge watched a show and I am glad to be back at it.
So tell me- any shows that you think are better than the books that inspired them?