The Sookie Stackhouse books.

[Beyond Birthday]

I read Dead to the World a while ago and have seen every season of True Blood. So, I thought I'd start a topic discussing both the books and the show.

To get things started it bugs me how Sookie was changed for the show. In the books she's this cynical human being who looks at relationships realistically. Hell, she even says that she wouldn't wanna become a vampire! Who would?

But...

In the show she quickly turns into this ridiculous parody of Bella Swan, unable to do anything by herself so that the plot can work and says Bill so many times that it becomes her catchphrase. Seriously, what happened? Are the writers sexist? Can the Six Feet Under guys only write for damaged characters (okay so book Sookie is technically damaged from living among vampires etc. but it wasn't to the point of being ridiculous)? What. The. Hell.

Keep in mind that I only read one book so maybe Sookie is like that in the rest...but I find that highly unlikely.

 

[deldaisy]

Beyond!!!!!!!!!!!!! Haven't seen you around for a bit. Hi hun.

 

[Bouncy Castle]

I've read most of the books, and loved them, but kinda lost the will to watch the series.

 

[Beyond Birthday]

Hi deldaisy.

I've seen every episode and Sookie in the latest season is terrible. It boils down to "Bill you almost killed me! Now, I may be the complete opposite of the book version of me but even I can't stand that......okayyesIcan." Even if Sookie did act like that in the books it would still be stupid.

 

[Bouncy Castle]

All True Blood fans are supposed to be either Team Bill or Team Eric.

I'm Team Sam!!

Gotta love that dog!!

 

[Beyond Birthday]

For the show I'm Team Not-Bill. I'm tired of the writers trying to turn something that isn't Twilight into Twilight when it comes to Sookie and Bill.

 

[Bouncy Castle]

I've read Stackhouse and Twilight, and Sukie is by far the better series.

I didn't mind Twilight, but I bought the DVD and thought it was total tosh. I haven't bothered with the others.

I think the constant sex in the TV show was putting me off a bit, though Ryan "Jason Stackhouse" Kwanten with his kit off is rather easy on the eye!

Gotta say that Alex Skars is a hottie, too.

 

[Beyond Birthday]

Well part of the reason why the books (assuming the others are the same as Dead to the World) are so much better than the TV show and Twilight is because Charlaine Harris clearly understands that she isn't writing Shakespeare here. It's yet another series about what if the supernatural existed with a little vampire sex thrown in and at no point does she try to make it into the next Lord of the Rings or anything.

Now, don't get me wrong, it's all well and good if a writer tries to make something with a deeper meaning or something with character development. That's fine, but sometimes you just want to see a character go through an adventure

Dead to the World is far from a masterpiece, but it doesn't need to be. It just has to make sense and be entertaining. When they made the TV show they decided to complicate things with the same vampire drama bull we've seen a thousand times before. It takes itself too seriously when the source material never did.

 

[Bouncy Castle]

Personally, I feel that Stephenie Meyer is projecting her personal religious feelings.

Mind you, somewhere on here there is a thread (I think) that shows that the Vampires that Don't (have sex) really go for it, with teeth, and really put me off reading any of her other books in the series.

Childbirth by vampire teeth? Yukz.

 

[Beyond Birthday]

Well I mean it's fine if an author puts her religious views into her work as long as it's done well. For example EVA may be one of the greatest young adult books ever but it's still incredibly preachy when it comes to, say, respecting the lives of worms.

I've only read about the first seventy pages of Twilight (LONG before it got the reputation it has now) and all I thought about it was "for some reason I don't like this".

From what I've heard the first book is boring but passable as well as the second. Then it goes into stupid town with the third and fourth books. If Meyer has religious preaching in her books then that's fine as long as it doesn't lead to inconsistencies and dialogue that sounds like speeches. Also if all the characters have the exact same opinions. That's a bad sign.

 

[Bouncy Castle]

I've got 3 of these vampire books on my Kindle, and dear lord almighty they're badly written.

They'd actually make quite good telly series, though are very much skewed towards the romance novel rather than the fantasy.

In fact, I turned over a page on the first book and the darn thing became porn!

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/kerrelyn-sparks/

Anyhoo - vampires that can transport themselves from one location to another? Spike would have a fit!

 

[Beyond Birthday]

Reading Dead as a Doornail now.

 

[lawrenson]

Hi,

I've read all of them.

Have to admit, I always think of them as Goth chic-lit.

My bro was going to read them, but was put off by the fact that the section of the bookshop they were in was "Supernatural Romance"

Did enjoy them mostly, but introducing the Faeries was a mistake, imho. I guess the author thought so too, as they've been taken out now.

Cheers,
karen

 

[Beyond Birthday]

They're pretty much on the same level as the Dexter books although I will admit that men will get odd looks while reading one.

So would that make the Faeries kind of like the third Dexter book in terms of jumping the shark?