The Sookie Stackhouse novels

[Strawberry]

I just bought the books and I read the first five before watching the first season and I think I would have enjoyed the books more if I had seen the show first. I don't know if it'll ruin the show for you...I don't think it will in that sense that "the books are always better then the movie", because imo the show is better than the books. The show is grittier and darker than the books are, and one big problem I have with Harris is that she isn't very descriptive when it comes to scenery or locations ( when Sookie goes to Dawn's duplex in book one there was hardly any description so I pictured a lonely brick building with empty lots all around it.) So I think reading the books after the movie, you wouldn't even notice that and already have the scenery set.

I had also heard that Sookie isn't as annoying in the books as she is in the show, which I couldn't really believe from reading the books, but it's true. On s1e7(?) she was just a major bitch, and she has attitude with people when it's completely unnecessary.

Reading this thread, I'm laughing at everyone's comments about Sookie's fashion sense. Once I got to the banana clips and red plastic earrings I had to flip to the cover and check the first print date. I thought for sure it was going to be 1985.

[angelaudie]

Thanks blacksheep! I think I will check out the books. If I don't like the first one I can just enjoy True Blood (most specifically Alexander Skarsgard's fine body). I was initially worried major plot points might be spoiled but I was clued in Alan Ball isn't a slave to staying 100% true to the books and will change things if he feels certain points just won't work for the show. In other words, I can read the books and still be surprised.

Ok, this is mainly based on the series but there appears to be some similarities between Twilight and this series. I had to check to see who published first and found Charlaine Harris published her books first. Has she ever made any comments about the similarities? I know I'm sitting here wondering if Stephanie Meyer ripped off CH!

[Strawberry]

Jul 9, 2010 13:42:24 GMT -4 angelaudie said:

Thanks blacksheep! I think I will check out the books. If I don't like the first one I can just enjoy True Blood (most specifically Alexander Skarsgard's fine body). I was initially worried major plot points might be spoiled but I was clued in Alan Ball isn't a slave to staying 100% true to the books and will change things if he feels certain points just won't work for the show. In other words, I can read the books and still be surprised.

Ok, this is mainly based on the series but there appears to be some similarities between Twilight and this series. I had to check to see who published first and found Charlaine Harris published her books first. Has she ever made any comments about the similarities? I know I'm sitting here wondering if Stephanie Meyer ripped off CH!

I thought the same thing! I was really rather sorry I had read Twilight first, I think it may have ruined my initial impression of the Sookie books a bit.

All in all, I think there's enough difference between the show and the books that they really wind up as a complement to each other and come off as more of a companion set. In my experience so far, at least.

[twodollars]

I read the first 9 books after watching the show and it didn't ruin the show for me, because they are so different. The first book is really slow though. I ended up not finishing it and just moving to the 2nd book.

[Strawberry]

I'm winding up book eight now and I hate Sookie. I've hated her since she shot Debbie Pelt and was such a twat about it. You killed someone's child, so quit being all irritated that the parents are actually trying to find out what happened to her you stupid, horrible woman and have an ounce of sympathy. She has an attitude with everyone and she's treated like an over-indulged child by all the supes. I love how she can call Erik for a favor, for example, have him save her life and then when he has their mutual friend call and ask for her to come to him she becomes a total bitch and won't let anyone push her around. She's not as cute and clever as Harris likes to think. So much hate.

Sorry if I'm rambling, just needed to vent.

[LurkerNan]

My philiosophy about aging is that everyone picks a decade that they think defines cool and sticks with it. (Which is why you can still see older women walking down the street in leggings and long sweaters.) I think it's fair to say that CH is still stuck in the late 80's.

[MrsCatHead]

I read the most recent book and it did absolutely nothing to move the story forward. It's like CH knew she had a built-in readership and was just writing another one for more money. I think even she doesn't care about her characters anymore.

[glitterbug]

I enjoyed the latest book, but only in the way one enjoys a MacDonald's, i.e. gobble it down as fast as possible while it's still warm, feel a bit bloated, ten minutes later feel empty and a bit guilty whilst secretly wishing you had some more. I don't even need the book to have a plot to enjoy watching the little 1980's Deep South Sims wandering around, which is good because this book felt like taking a breather in between all! the! danger!

One point though - "I swallowed down everything he gave me"??! Srsly?! I had to give myself a hard mental slap when I found my mind full of weird questions about vampire spuff. Like, what colour is it? And would I want it just sitting there in my stomach, not knowing what I'd just swallowed, even if it was Eric on the shooting end of things? (Answer: no.) And then I started worrying in case I was the True Blood equivalent of a Twihard, getting all anxious about Bella's period and the like, but by this time I had nearly finished the book, so it was okay.

[MrsCatHead]

HeeHee. I think we talked about that a few pages back? What is vampire "spunk" made of? Blood?

When I read the books the first time around, I realized that Charlaine came through too much in all her characters. The second time around, I realized she can't write outside of herself. Her characters can't reach beyond anything she herself can realize/be/dream. Very limited, imo.

But still...I read them all. Twice. What does that say about me?

[Strawberry]

Aug 7, 2010 18:31:08 GMT -4 MrsCatHead said:

HeeHee. I think we talked about that a few pages back? What is vampire "spunk" made of? Blood?

When I read the books the first time around, I realized that Charlaine came through too much in all her characters. The second time around, I realized she can't write outside of herself. Her characters can't reach beyond anything she herself can realize/be/dream. Very limited, imo.

But still...I read them all. Twice. What does that say about me?

This. I just kept picturing Charlaine Harris in my head. I finally finished book 8, the last in my box set, and I doubt that I'll be buying nine and on.