Hey guys, decided to do something new again.
I’m going to go through a few Books and their TV adaptations, tell you which one I prefer or if it’s a tie (or neither, who knows, maybe I’ll go crazy with it)/
I’ll do 6 today.
1. Good Omens
Verdict: It’s a Tie
Don’t judge me one way or another, they’re both brilliant, damn it.
2. The Mortal Instruments
Verdict: Books
I actually do like the TV series, wouldn’t say I love it beyond all anything but let’s face it, Magnus gives me life in that. I still prefer the books at the end of the day though.
3. How To Train Your Dragon [Dreamworks Dragons]
Verdict: TV Series
I haven’t read all the books yet, daughter and I are reading the first, but so far I’ve gotten the idea the characters may be better in the show [and movies too of course but this is about TV todaaaaay]. Not to mention. Astrid.
4. Watership Down [LOST]
Verdict: It’s a tie
Okay, hear me out. It’s not noted as an adaptation but it basically is, the directors used Watership Down as a heavy influence and source of inspiration and if you’ve watched the show and read the book, it makes total sense. Despite people hating the last season of LOST, I really enjoyed it, though I would say it definitely deviates from the book after about season 4/5.
5. Thirteen Reasons Why
Verdict: Book
I don’t hate the TV series, and in fact, don’t yell at me please, I haven’t read the book but part of the reason for that is because I assumed it was like the TV series until someone told me the differences. I think the TV Series could be something important for YA, I just think that the book is enough…but…hey, sometimes people need the show.
6. Game of Thrones
Verdict: TV Series
Reasoning? I love the books, but I am that bitter that the series isn’t finished yet. I mean the author doesn’t owe us anything, but despite the ending to the show [and I still need to watch the final season], I just feel like at least the show has an ending! Not to mention the first couple of seasons are dead ringers for the books, it’s kinda incredible.
Alright guys, that’s it for me today, expect six more at some point, eventually, in some future.
What are shows or books you prefer? Any of these you agree or disagree with? Tell me in the comments!
Toodles!
The Caffeinated Reader 
26 replies on “Books VS Their TV Series”
Totally agree with Good Omens and your reasoning for GoT. I’ve not seen the others so can’t judge 🙂
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Good Omens was the show I needed this year lol
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I’m right there with you on Good Omens. Both did told their stories so brilliantly, it’s hard to say which is better.
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Sometimes you get to love both, and it’s wonderful! ❤
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I use to love the vampire diaries books but then I watched the show and try to re read them and I think the show is actually much better now! I might have to read them again at some point though. Fab post x
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I’ve not read the books, but I’ve watched like the first four seasons of the show, I’m not sure I could read the books after watching the show so much! Thanks for commenting!
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Yeah i am not sure I could go back to the books now – too much is different! You are welcome x
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I’m not one to watch TV series, so honestly I cannot give my grain of salt for any book/tv series adaptation XD But what I will say, is that actually seeing someone cutting themselves is my ONE and only trigger that I cannot do, which i’ve heard it is shown in thirteen reasons why. So erm.. im just gonna read the book and NEVER watch it xD
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Good idea, put it on your ‘stay far away from’ list! I watch a lot of TV sporadically so like I’ll drop shows for years and pick them back up and be so lost lol
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Hahaha yep, just like what happens with books xd
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Weirdly, I like the City of Bones film more than the Netflix show. I’m still not a huge fan of the film compared to the books though
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I remember seeing the film and being really put off, but, the show is really not like the books at all, it’s nice though to see the differences in all three
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This just reminded me of the adaptions I have to watch of the books I’ve read this year. I like to compare and already off to a bad start lol the two I’ve seen were just bad but I love the books. I’m slowly making a list lol
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lol I tend to watch a lot of mini-series and loving them but they’re all historical so I had to think about this list for a while!
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Agree on GoT – of course there’s the fact that the last book/s has/have to come, also I could follow it better when I put a face to the name. I was getting all mixed up while reading the book. I haven’t read/seen any of the others except How to Train your dragon and I loved the movies.
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I do like the show for helping me, so many names start with the same letters lol
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I’m gonna put my two cents in and say that the GOT books differ more and more as you go through the seasons. To the point where I believe the endings may actually differ… Yes I know George told D&D 3 main points that needs to happen, but the rest D&D made up. So there’s heaps of room to grow. And I do prefer the books coz of the intricacies. Specially coz of how BS that last season was (sorry I know you need to watch it and I won’t say more than that but you’ll understand once you’ve seen it!).
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Yea Martin did say they’d have different endings, but I’m not sure he’ll get around to finishing it, I know he was considering adding one more book or two to GoT now
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He told NZ to put him on an island until he finishes the manuscript for the next book if he arrives there next yr (September I think) without a finished manuscript! That was a funny read
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oooh I didn’t know about the connections between Lost and Watership Down – really interesting!
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I didn’t until about season 5 and I saw something on the extras from the dvds, I thought it was so cool!
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I haven’t seen any of these – oops.
I do want to watch the Mortal Instruments and I think I started it sometime last year but I didn’t watch more than an episode or 2. I think I may try and watch it again when I have more time but lord knows that is not now.
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I am so into the Good Omens show, maybe I just read the book at the wrong time but I didn’t like it as much? book fans have been saying the adaptation is very close both in plot and spirit (no surprise since Neil Gaiman wrote the screenplay!) so I may have to give it a reread soon 🤔
the mortal instruments movie is a TRAGEDY, and tbh I never got past the pilot episode of the show b/c my friends and I were so not about the casting. but the books I reread so many times in high school, so those are definitely a happy memory.
I was barely aware that How to Train Your Dragon had books, but honestly the movies are incredible, I haven’t seen the show but now I kinda want to? (my TBR is sobbing)
GoT is funny to me b/c I read the books first, but of course the show is finished and the books aren’t and that frustrates me to no end. but I’ve heard it’s pretty close up until the last season or so, I just haven’t found the time to watch the show 😅
my go-to “the show was better” example is The 100; the majority of my favorite characters don’t even appear in the books and the plot is completely different beyond the basic premise (I think they wrote the screenplay before the books were even published, but I may be misremembering?). which is not to say that the show isn’t problematic, b/c it absolutely is, but it’s less relationship drama and more sociopolitical / technological which has always been more interesting to me!
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I don’t think I read all the books in the how to train your dragon series, I do know though that I love the TV adaptation and movies better though. The characters really had more development and grew more I felt than in the books. The Mortal Instruments xD I mean I prefer the movie to the TV show but the books win overall for me
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I just started reading the third book in Game of Thrones, A Storm of Swords, and I agree with you. The first two books are almost exactly like the show. I heard the third is where it starts to differ some. I also agree with proudbookreviews and was not super satisfied with the way the final season of the show ended. My favorite characters are still alive in the books so I will keep reading them and hope he eventually finishes the series.
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