Book Talk

[Pop Tart]

Comparison/contrast the books vs the show in this thread.

[xfuse]

I like to know what made tptb try this combo when they got the rights to do the series.

The casting is all wrong. Will Trent is supposed to look more like Alexander Skarsgård. His height and looks are part of the books. His personality is wrong. But why use the second book storyline with the first book characters. Angie is a minor character in the books and Ormewood is a pedophile rapist serial killer who gets killed in the first book. He's not even the most interesting person in that book. 

If they wanted the second book story they should have stared with the second book characters. Which are more interesting. Very little of this show is like the books. I'll give it another try but I doubt I will watch any more than that.

[watch2much]

the juxtaposition of Betty's size compared to Will's is lost because of the casting.  I'm going to accept it won't be anything like the books and just take it for what it is.

[DEL901]

It is like Bones.  Other th an the lead being a forensic anthropologist named Temperance Brennan, not one other single thing remained from the books.  

And I agree.  The lead actor is NOT Will Trent from the books.  And his relationship with Angie was more toxic. The show made them seem more like friends with benefits.  

Edited January 6, 2023 by DEL901

[metaphor]

Being a fan of Erika Christensen, I'm glad Angie doesn't grate the way she did in the books for me. But I am curious to know when they plan to introduce Sara Linton. 

[DEL901]

I just saw episode 2.  I still like it, but he isn’t Will Trent and she isn’t Angie.   

There are two scenes in particular…first when he flirts on the phone with Angie.  Then later near the end when he is walking away from Faith and smirking because he deliberately wound her up.  That’s not Will behaviour.  I always saw him as more “innocent “ even after what he went through.  

And Angie doesn’t have that thread of cruelty towards she had in the books.  

[catrice2]

On 1/7/2023 at 7:17 AM, metaphor said:

Being a fan of Erika Christensen, I'm glad Angie doesn't grate the way she did in the books for me. But I am curious to know when they plan to introduce Sara Linton. 

Never I hope

Never I hope

[catrice2]

Karin Slaughter is a producer on this show and has said to see the books and show as separate entities.  She now has the chance to correct some of the mistakes she made, and number one is merging this with Grant County.  Number two is making Angie so reprehensible.  If you do read the series, she had the opportunity to tell a great story with Lena and Angie, and even Faith and they are all ignored in favor of the bland Sara character.  I enjoyed the Will Trent books so much more before they added Sara. 

There have been so many shows and movies that don't follow the book that I am used to it, I am not used to liking the show/movie better than the book.  

 

 

[catrice2]

I am actually hoping she will  use the series to correct the wrong that she made with Angie. Angie should never have taken the turn that she did in the books. I think in hindsight she realizes she went too far with her. Also I've always thought the Will in the book was too passive. I am liking  most of the changes so far....

[xfuse]

On 1/20/2023 at 11:07 PM, catrice2 said:

I am actually hoping she will  use the series to correct the wrong that she made with Angie. Angie should never have taken the turn that she did in the books. I think in hindsight she realizes she went too far with her. Also I've always thought the Will in the book was too passive. I am liking  most of the changes so far....

On 1/18/2023 at 10:16 PM, catrice2 said:

If you do read the series, she had the opportunity to tell a great story with Lena and Angie, and even Faith and they are all ignored in favor of the bland Sara character.

 I think I disagree with everything you said. 

Karin Slaughter is only a producer. She is not even an executive producer so she has little to no say about the show.  Angie is the way she is because of her horrible background and while I understand it I don't think much of anything was going to change the way she turned out. I get why she did the things she did. 

I like Lena and I like how she is wrote. I like and understand why Sara hates her but I don't. While we see why Sara hates her I think she is written in a way that shows she is a flawed person. A flawed person who makes mistakes for the right reasons sometimes and other times because she's trying to survive.

I don't think Will is passive. I think he's a survivor who can't read very well and when he is faced with something he's don't understand he goes quiet. 

[SharonH58]

I am on book 3 of the series.  I am really hating Angie and am glad she is not like this in the show.   She is so mean and manipulative and why oh why would Will marry her?    The main plot is much better of course than the show and I am not sure how I feel about the changes the show made.   Some of the episodes are a little confusing as to the point.

[catrice2]

Certainly everyone is entitled to their opinion, but Karin Slaughter is an executive producer and has said she likes the changes. 

As for the books...she wrote them in a different time. I would imagine there are choices she would have made differently. She moved more and more away from Amanda being as harsh to Will about his disability and some other things. 

Everybody sees things differently and Angie, Lena, Faith and Amanda are all more interesting than Sara in the books IMO and too much time that could be spent on good cases is spent with Will thinking he is not good enough and letting either Sarah, Amanda or Angie run over him. 

Unfortunately my guess is if the show does well they will start to follow the books more, including bringing in Sara. I would be interested to see if they have them marry like they are in the book. 

 

 

 

 

[DEL901]

5 hours ago, catrice2 said:

Certainly everyone is entitled to their opinion, but Karin Slaughter is an executive producer and has said she likes the changes. 

As for the books...she wrote them in a different time. I would imagine there are choices she would have made differently. She moved more and more away from Amanda being as harsh to Will about his disability and some other things. 

Everybody sees things differently and Angie, Lena, Faith and Amanda are all more interesting than Sara in the books IMO and too much time that could be spent on good cases is spent with Will thinking he is not good enough and letting either Sarah, Amanda or Angie run over him. 

Unfortunately my guess is if the show does well they will start to follow the books more, including bringing in Sara. I would be interested to see if they have them marry like they are in the book. 

 

 

 

 

Lee Child said how happy he was with Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher and made up reasons why the changes (e.g. Reacher’s size) were okay.   But it was all lip service and the movies didn’t do the books justice.  Glad Karin I’d a producer and has some input.  While the show has made changes, I’m liking them so far.   Although Will’s confidence is a bit jarring…I just think of him as an alternate universe Will., because tv is different than books and his insecurities might not play as well on tv. 

Edited February 10, 2023 by DEL901

[watch2much]

I'm accepting the Will character now but I like him as a separate entity.  I'm having a much harder time accepting Angie.  In the books she's so flawed and just comes back to screw up Will's life whenever she feels she's losing control of him.  It's difficult to find her likable for me.

[DEL901]

1 hour ago, watch2much said:

I'm accepting the Will character now but I like him as a separate entity.  I'm having a much harder time accepting Angie.  In the books she's so flawed and just comes back to screw up Will's life whenever she feels she's losing control of him.  It's difficult to find her likable for me.

100% agree this is not the Will in the books. I like him, but definitely a different character.  Will in the books has such little personal confidence and Angie works to keep him insecure   

Will be interesting if the introduce Sara sometime in the future. 
 

[SharonH58]

I am on book 6 Criminal.   I am expecting Angie to start cackling like the Bad witch in the Wizard of Oz.

[roughing it]

One thing I don't see in the TV series is how Will manages his work while being dyslexic, like how he uses different colored folders to process the cases (which we don't see any real processing of cases anyway because every episode is so rushed).  I found his ways of coping with dyslexia quite interesting.  The only thing we really see on screen is his use of a voice recorder.

In the books, Angie was very manipulative of Will to get what she wanted of him, and when she didn't need him, she was out of his life.  I did like Sara Linton, and felt she gave Will his much needed stability.  Some say she's bland, but she is good for Will in providing that comfort.

[SharonH58]

I am not reading anymore books.  After Unseen and Will forcing himself on Sara I'm done.   And I was really over it with her reply.  

[DEL901]

Someone in the episode thread talked about Angie treating Will poorly.  I sooooooooooo wanted to mention how much nicer she is in the show compared to the books.  

[Lisa418722]

10 hours ago, DEL901 said:

Someone in the episode thread talked about Angie treating Will poorly.  I sooooooooooo wanted to mention how much nicer she is in the show compared to the books.  

When I see the show's version of Angie it always throws me a little because of what a #@$@ she is in the books.  Maybe they are trying to make Angie a little more likable because of Erika Christensen.  

[catrice2]

I personally think it's because they realized that the author  took the wrong direction with her in the books and she had much more story to tell than the one dimensional villain they turned her into after she was a hero in the first book.  

Angie was even more damaged than Will and in the beginning it was clear she was self destructive trying to drive him away because she thought she was not worthy of anything good to protect him. Then the author went overboard and started bringing her back as a cartoon mustache twirling villain to bolster another character IMO.

The intelligence, tenacity and good police work she did in Triptych should have gotten a book with her as a main character. One with issues of course but Will has issues too. 

Also there were quite a few things that she did and said in the book that would not be accepted in the climate now especially on tv. The way that both Angie and Amanda speak to Will in the books, specifically mocking his disability, would not have worked on screen. I am interested to see if she changes the Will Amanda dynamic in the next book.

Will is also not the same Will from the books in a good way. 

[Quickbeam]

I like the series more than the books. The one exception is that the first book absolutely nailed the correctional system. It was blistering (I was a correctional nurse). Plus it was most of the book. Ramon isn’t what I thought Will would look like but I’m good with it.

[catrice2]

Interesting the way they webt back to Amanda and Evelyn and how they chose to address Will's mother.

I really hope the series gives Angie the chance the books never did.

[catrice2]

There is a new bòok coming out.  I am hoping the confidence in the show for Will is reflected on the books.

Angie may not be for Will but neither is Sara long term IMO. She may be nice and what he needed to see a different relationship but theirs is very high schoolish in the books, juvenile conversations and tiring. Worse it takes away from the case.  Will goes from dysfunctional to thinking he is not good enough and living in the ex husbands shadow.  He needs a third option in his life, more dating experience. They even have her being the mastermind in HIS books!

Even if they bring sara in the show I hope they move Angie in a different direction as they did Ormewood.  Sara, Will and Angie should have at least had therapy mentioned in the books!🤣  Sara had trauma too which was solved by putting her with Will.

I dont know what to think about the reimaging of the Evelyn and Amanda relationship and backstory but love that they are two different takes on the characters.

 

[KittenPokerCheater]

Having seen last night’s season finale, I am wondering if (spoilermarked just in case)

Angie is in a wheeler chair in the books too? [/spoilers]

[DEL901]

In an interview with Ramon Rodrigues, he was asked about next season 

Spoiler

He was coy but seemed to imply Sara would be showing up when asked about her.  

 

[catrice2]

4 hours ago, DEL901 said:

In an interview with Ramon Rodrigues, he was asked about next season 

  Hide contents

He was coy but seemed to imply Sara would be showing up when asked about her.  

 

Ugh!!

[Shorty186]

So I am not a book reader, but I just had to jump in here because I read that ShowAngie is so nice compared to BookAngie. If that is true, I will never read the books because I absolutely despise ShowAngie. I was actively rooting for her not to make it in the finale, so I don't even want to imagine how much worse BookAngie is.

[auntiemel]

On 5/9/2023 at 7:25 PM, Shorty186 said:

So I am not a book reader, but I just had to jump in here because I read that ShowAngie is so nice compared to BookAngie. If that is true, I will never read the books because I absolutely despise ShowAngie. I was actively rooting for her not to make it in the finale, so I don't even want to imagine how much worse BookAngie is.

Oh. SO MUCH worse! In fact, the way they softened both Angie and Amanda in the show is one of the best changes they made. In fact, while I do like the books (the mysteries are good and I like WIll as a hero), the way that both Angie and Amanda constantly berate and mercilessly mock Will for his dyslexia is one of the things that it's REALLY tough to get past.

[Atlanta]

Angie is pretty much the devil and has zero redeeming qualities. Lina is not far behind.

[DEL901]

I have to bite my tongue in the episode threads when people keep saying they think Will and Angie are endgame.   There have been some changes from the books…changes I’m okay with, but I can’t see Will with Angie instead of Sara.  

[peachmangosteen]

I've never read the books but who knows, they may not even bring this Sara character to the show. I feel like the show is trying to be a bit different than the books.

[Irlandesa]

I'm not a fan of Will and Angie but it's TV and based on the way TV works, I think there's a better chance they'll stick with Will and Angie than them bringing on an outside character to be OTP. Especially since it sounds like they softed the Angie character compared to the books.

Plus, Slaughter might have already optioned her Grant Count Series where the character originally appears.  If that's the case, we might be in a Bosch/Lincoln Lawyer scenario where two separate production companies/distributors have the rights to the characters so they can't do more than just hint that either character has a sibling.  There are no crossovers in the TV series the way there are in the book series.

[Atlanta]

If typical TV does its thing, they will ruin a series. Case in point: The Wheel of Time. I don't get why some of the show runners hate the source material and the people who loved the books first get screwed over. Some are only here because of hoping things would resemble the source material. Rafe Judkins (sp?) basically gave the finger to the book fans. 

[DEL901]

7 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I'm not a fan of Will and Angie but it's TV and based on the way TV works, I think there's a better chance they'll stick with Will and Angie than them bringing on an outside character to be OTP. Especially since it sounds like they softed the Angie character compared to the books.

Plus, Slaughter might have already optioned her Grant Count Series where the character originally appears.  If that's the case, we might be in a Bosch/Lincoln Lawyer scenario where two separate production companies/distributors have the rights to the characters so they can't do more than just hint that either character has a sibling.  There are no crossovers in the TV series the way there are in the book series.

Wow. I didn’t know about the Grant Court series being options elsewhere.  That does change things.  Thx

[Lisa418722]

11 hours ago, DEL901 said:

I have to bite my tongue in the episode threads when people keep saying they think Will and Angie are endgame.   There have been some changes from the books…changes I’m okay with, but I can’t see Will with Angie instead of Sara.  

I'm behind on some of the books and I read one after the end of season one and some of the differences between the TV show and the books made me think, especially about Angie.  TV Angie is so different from Book Angie and because of that, I cannot see Will and Angie being endgame, even though I can see people who haven't read the books would think that.  

[DEL901]

51 minutes ago, Lisa418722 said:

I'm behind on some of the books and I read one after the end of season one and some of the differences between the TV show and the books made me think, especially about Angie.  TV Angie is so different from Book Angie and because of that, I cannot see Will and Angie being endgame, even though I can see people who haven't read the books would think that.  

I agree.  I think they have so much shared history, too much to be healthy romantic partners, especially with Angie’s addiction issues.  Will has spent his life saving her.  He needs someone who can support him. 

[peachmangosteen]

11 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Especially since it sounds like they softed the Angie character compared to the books.

Yea, this. They also seem to have changed Ormewood as well. And for that reason, I wouldn't expect the show to follow the the character/relationship beats of the books super closely.

[AheadofStraight]

Is Uncle Antonio in the books and is he a good guy or bad guy?

[DEL901]

13 minutes ago, AheadofStraight said:

Is Uncle Antonio in the books and is he a good guy or bad guy?

I don’t remember Will having any relatives…and in the books, Will is tall and blond., not Hispanic.  

[AheadofStraight]

20 minutes ago, DEL901 said:

I don’t remember Will having any relatives…and in the books, Will is tall and blond., not Hispanic.  

Interesting - thanks for the info! 

[Stats Queen]

On 4/16/2024 at 11:35 AM, AheadofStraight said:

Is Uncle Antonio in the books and is he a good guy or bad guy?

No, he’s not in the books.

 

On 4/16/2024 at 11:49 AM, DEL901 said:

I don’t remember Will having any relatives…and in the books, Will is tall and blond., not Hispanic.  

This is true.

 

Also, in the books, Angie is really, really messed up. I kind of like that the show gave her character a chance to become a better person.

 

[Snazzy Daisy]

Where’s Sara Linton? Will Trent Star Mulls (Inevitable?) Introduction of Karin Slaughter’s Other Protagonist

 

 

[catrice2]

As messed up as she was, Angie was a bada in the first book and was the one on to Ormewood. Will was introduced through Angie, and then instead of having her be a side character ( I could easily have bought her as a PI former Police Officer who showed up in some of Will's stories) the author decided to turn her into a mustache twirling villain instead of showing how she was coping with her horrible childhood.  I actually don't mind that they changed her because Slaughter doesn't seem to know how to write for any other female character than Sara.....the rest of them are all messed in some way, or very "hard boiled," ony Sara is allowed to be soft and feminine and be "protected." 

Not only that, she chose to bring Sara from the other series, which I cannot forgive.  They are no longer "will trent" stories, as in many of them it is Sara  doing  the police work and Will following her lead.  Before the merger, Will's character was a lot more interesting... especially with how he was dealing with his disability....then we got this high school romance and the constant " I am not good enough" from Will l in the background of what should have been focused more on the actual crimes/mysteries.  We even get one story built around Sara's past, and one about a  friend,  when we really haven't gotten a real sense of Will's past, although " A Will Trent" novel is on the covers.  The show has covered more of Will's past than the books ever have.  Everything about his life has to involve Sara, they even have Faith being best friends with Sara so even she considers Sara's feelings about thing, even about her partner Will if they have any type of friction.   There is no separation between work and home.  The addition of Sara also made the author stop trying to develop the other characters.  Faith, Amanda, even Faith's mom are all way more interesting but have gotten no attention. 

To further this, she had to go back and mess with characters and back stories from Grant County to more sell the idea of Will and Sara.   The truth is, she never should have ended that series and merged with this one. Therefore, I sincerely hope the idea of two different production companies are true and we can stave off a Sara appearance or avoid it all together. 

I see these as two different universes that don't need to collide.  I honestly think in hindsight either she or whomever optioned it realized this. If and when Sara shows up in the series, I believe she will be different than the books.   Cricket should have been extended for more than one episode. 

Yes, when I found out the series was coming I said there was no way they could let Amanda and Angie speak about Will the way they do in the books, and could never understand why it was included in the first place.   I am  little sensitive as someone who worked with people with disabilities, one reason I had to stop watching the Good Doctor. They write Amanda's more as if she thinks talking to him like that will toughen him up or keep him in his place because she realizes he is so smart. 

I know, but I am previewing the new book for a review and it starts out again with Will saying he has no idea what she sees in him.....after so many books, I am tired of that.

[DEL901]

I guess I didn’t realize until this last episode that will and Angie weren’t married in Tv land.  She is less toxic, too.  But she and Will could neve4 be together regardless of either of their fantasies.   Wonder if Sara gets introduced next season, or if she isn’t in this version.  

[catrice2]

Well, they are married in the book, so if we are following the book by bringing in Sara, then they should follow the book with Angie and Will marrying.  I personally am hoping for a non sara series. 

[DEL901]

13 minutes ago, catrice2 said:

Well, they are married in the book, so if we are following the book by bringing in Sara, then they should follow the book with Angie and Will marrying.  I personally am hoping for a non sara series. 

As I recall, in the books, they were married when they were young.  When the books started they were separated and she would just come around to eff with him, especially if she thought he was being happy without her.   

[catrice2]

I didn't say it was a good marriage, just that they were married. There is no information on if everything was horrible the entire time, if they had a few months or years of happiness. They were separated and in a toxic relationship.  It is inferred that it had always been bad, but not really explicitly stated.  Even in the books before Sara he was still sleeping with Angie of and on. 

Not sure where I said they were not separated, just that in the books they were married. 

[Stats Queen]

I love the will Trent books and have read them all, I also love the show.

So many things are very different between the two., but I’m not mad at it. It’s like they are parallel universes. 
Even Karin Slaughter said something to the effect that she wished she had done better with the Angie character in the series.

I just don’t want Angie and Will together, just not a healthy dynamic. I haven’t read the Grant County series yet.

[catrice2]

On 6/9/2024 at 7:31 PM, Stats Queen said:

I love the will Trent books and have read them all, I also love the show.

So many things are very different between the two., but I’m not mad at it. It’s like they are parallel universes. 
Even Karin Slaughter said something to the effect that she wished she had done better with the Angie character in the series.

I just don’t want Angie and Will together, just not a healthy dynamic. I haven’t read the Grant County series yet.

Grant County was a good series.  Good writers can write what they want to make people get behind anything  and there is no accounting for what people warm to.   Look at how many people thought cheating with Carrie in his wife's bed was acceptable for a charter and that was a "good" relationship, or the relationship on Scandal..... either of those were what I would call toxic relationships, but viewers saw true love...🙄

Wish I  had a link to her admitting that...that whole character was totally mishandled in the books.  It is the frustrated writer in me, Angie had great potential and was wasted in what she turned her in to. 

And it is not that I like Angie, it is just that I don't like the Sara character in Will's orbit. She was ok in Grant county