I am watching True Blood--on HBO, I think it is. I am also reading Charlaine Harris's first book of the Sookie Stackhouse Series. Um, I don't usually say this, or think this, or god forbid, Say It Out Loud, but I like the tv show better.
I know I know I KNOW. I'm sure the TV writers have the benefit of several Sookie books to feed their insatiable appetite for crazy doings at Merlotte's. And the book has a firm, workable spine. But the show seems took Harris's vision and torqued it into even more. The characters are outrageous, the acting superb (HBO doesn't tolerate anything less) and truly, the most boring folks are the vampires. As vampires go, they're pretty run of the mill; you got your ancient powermonger, and your guy who's just tryin' to make a life for himself, man, and your little nest of baddies who'll get theirs eventually.
But take the regular folk: a bar owner with Big Secrets. A best friend played by this gorgeous thang:
I mean, my god, look at that face! And act? She steals the spotlight in every scene.
Add in a brother who will sleep with any-and-I-mean-anyone. Well, a book can tell us he's gorgeous, but this, baby, is all show:
And who can forget Lafayette, the cook, who wears more eyeliner than me. That one is all Harris's doing, and I "saw " him immediately in the book. The TV writers have wisely given Lafayette more airtime.
But mostly what bothers me is in the books, Sookie seems to take everything in stride. Vampire in town? Cool. Granny dies? Aw, dang. Guess she won't be needin' that bedroom. Brother's a werecat? You don't say. More iced tea? I'm sure it's based in the Southern sensibility of ignoring the elephant in the corner, but somehow Sookie's reactions seem more palatable, real, on stage than in print. I'm not even sure why.
The books aren't bad, per se, but you'd only read them if you like vampires. True Blood the show is must-see just for the sheer fun of the thing.
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