Book comparison: Which story is better?

[Meredith Quill]

Discuss Here!

[Anela]

It’s been years since I read the book, so I can’t remember much about it.  

[Daltrey]

Same. I will say the audio mix is horrible.

[topanga]

I love the book, and I’d say the book does a pretty close adaptation. But I also wonder if people who haven’t read the novel will be confused with the show. Because the book was first person, many of the explanations of events were in Lisey’s head. 

[Anela]

I haven’t watched the show, since I posted. I wish that I could remember more about the book.  I miss being able get lost in them - I do remember the book holding my attention.  

[Madding crowd]

I’m finding the pacing of the show a little slow. It’s one of my favorite King books and they have great actors in this but I’m finding it slow and  repetitive. Wonder what others are thinking?

[topanga]

On 7/12/2021 at 5:32 PM, Madding crowd said:

I’m finding the pacing of the show a little slow. It’s one of my favorite King books and they have great actors in this but I’m finding it slow and  repetitive. Wonder what others are thinking?

I agree for the most part. I think Julianne Moore and Clive Owen are doing a great job, but so much of the book is about Lisey’s memories and her thoughts and feelings about those memories. We learn her motivations through her thoughts. Julianne is doing the best she can, but unless we want the character walking around giving monologues or doing voiceovers, we lose some of Lisey in the adaptation. But I’m pleasantly surprised that Boo’ya Moon looks almost exactly as it did in my imagination. Stephen King did an amazing job of making the reader visualize this fantastical land. 

It is a bit slow, but I didn’t mind that pacing in the book because there was so much character development. It’s one of the few Stephen King novels that had the perfect number of characters and not a huge ensemble we’re supposed to try to know. The show hasn’t been as good about showing how Lisey has changed during her years with Scott. 

But I’m still enjoying it overall. I haven’t watched the final episode yet.

[teapot]

My husband read the book so he’s filling in some blanks for me.  I want to read the book after we finish watching the series because I feel like the characterization in this book will be very interesting