Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

[Meredith Quill]

Discuss The Book Here!

[LucidDreamer]

Such an incredibly dark and disturbing book. Not sure how they will handle some of it visually. It's also a little bit over-the-top in terms of characters, so I hope they humanize them a bit for the show. (I mean many of them come off as caricatures in the book -- you can tell it's a first book, trying a little too hard to be shocking. Many of the characters seem cliched to me, and/or completely unrealistic). 

[Rose Haze]

I read the book a few years ago and am looking forward to the adaptation. I liked it better than Gone Girl, but I agree with your assessment, LucidDreamer. 

[lucindabelle]

I can’t help wondering what I would make of these flashbacks if I had not read the book. I think I would now be suspecting that Camille killed her sister. I have to say the pacing of this is rather boring, and I’m very disappointed that we watched a whole hour and didn’t even get a glimpse of the bedroom floor. 

 

The scars are barely visible. I hope they change that part in the book where she was rejected because of the scars, I just never bought that.

Edited July 16, 2018 by lucindabelle
Because had and had not are different things

[ghoulina]

9 hours ago, lucindabelle said:

I can’t help wondering what I would make of these flashbacks if I had read the book. I think I would now be suspecting that Camille killed her sister. I have to say the pacing of this is rather boring, and I’m very disappointed that we watched a whole hour and didn’t even get a glimpse of the bedroom floor. 

 

The scars are barely visible. I hope they change that part in the book where she was rejected because of the scars, I just never bought that.

Thank you for this! I was wondering if I was the only one. I did re-read the book last week, so I thought maybe I was just bored because it was all too fresh. But I did comment in the episode thread that the pacing was very slow. I was bored. 

I did not notice the scars at all, and was shocked to see others did. I thought they had actually made a choice to not HAVE the scars, which just floored me. 

And, I too, was looking for the floor! In the dollhouse, I didn't notice it either. 

I loved the book. I thought it was much better than Gone Girl. It wasn't too dark for me, at all, but I love dark stories. I also had the "whodunit" figured out pretty early, but I liked that the book made me keep second guessing myself. 

I'll give it another try, but I hope the next episode is more engaging. 

[thesupremediva1]

This book, in my opinion, is Flynn's masterpiece. I read it after Gone Girl and was struck by how much more authentic and truly grotesque this story is. There are insidious elements to it that worm their way into the corners of your mind and linger long after you put the book down. It's half the length of Gone Girl, meaning you can tear through it in a day, but it packs much more of a wallop. 

I wanted this to be a film because I think it could have won Amy Adams an Oscar, but now I'm thrilled it's a limited series. They're going to be able to wring every ounce of the book and pour it on screen. I'm impressed by how closely the sticky-sweet, claustrophobic ambiance of the page-narrative made it into this adaptation. I never pictured someone as bright and beautiful as Amy Adams playing Camille, but hey, I guess that's why she's a 5-time Oscar nominee - she made me a believer in minutes. She dirties up really well. 

As a huge fan of Julie and Julia, I'm ecstatic to see her paired with Chris Messina again. They have insane chemistry, and it's such a departure from the cuteness of cookbooks that it's going to feel totally new and fresh. 

I am hoping the books gets more attention from this series. I always felt its impact was marginalized because Gone Girl (at least the first half) was basically a rip on the Scott and Lacey Peterson case. Sharp Objects has no such real-life hook to hang its hat on. 

[Empress1]

1 hour ago, ghoulina said:

Thank you for this! I was wondering if I was the only one. I did re-read the book last week, so I thought maybe I was just bored because it was all too fresh. But I did comment in the episode thread that the pacing was very slow. I was bored. 

I did not notice the scars at all, and was shocked to see others did. I thought they had actually made a choice to not HAVE the scars, which just floored me. 

And, I too, was looking for the floor! In the dollhouse, I didn't notice it either. 

I loved the book. I thought it was much better than Gone Girl. It wasn't too dark for me, at all, but I love dark stories. I also had the "whodunit" figured out pretty early, but I liked that the book made me keep second guessing myself. 

I'll give it another try, but I hope the next episode is more engaging. 

Me too. A coworker loaned me the book around the time Gone Girl was being made into a movie and there was all this buzz about the movie. I was saying how I was hearing all this about the movie and I'd heard a ton of buzz around the book but never read it, and she was like, well, why don't you try her first book and see if you like it? So I borrowed it from her. It's a quick read. After I finished I told her that I'd figured out the whodunnit early and she said she had too. I never did read Gone Girl, although I did see the movie (on cable).

I pictured the scars as much more grotesque when reading, particularly when they're revealed to people like the detective and he's horrified by them. I mean, the volume of them would be horrific in and of itself, but I pictured them as being more ... pronounced, somehow. It wasn't hard to miss them in the show with that low lighting; they were pretty faint. I didn't picture "faint" when reading.

I didn't really picture Camille when I read it - I like Amy Adams so her casting is cool with me (not that anybody needs my permission, heh) but when I saw Patricia Clarkson I was like "Perfect."

[thesupremediva1]

42 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

when I saw Patricia Clarkson I was like "Perfect."

That's my reaction to every role Patricia Clarkson has ever played. She's vastly underrated, IMO.

I found Adora easier to picture in the book than Camille, and Clarkson comes pretty close.

[ghoulina]

1 hour ago, thesupremediva1 said:

This book, in my opinion, is Flynn's masterpiece. I read it after Gone Girl and was struck by how much more authentic and truly grotesque this story is. There are insidious elements to it that worm their way into the corners of your mind and linger long after you put the book down. It's half the length of Gone Girl, meaning you can tear through it in a day, but it packs much more of a wallop. 

So well put. I totally agree. I read Gone Girl first, just because it was everywhere and people were raving about it. I really enjoyed the first half, but the second half made me want to stop reading a million times. Ultimately it was a large disappointment. I felt like I really liked Flynn's writing, but not THAT particular book so much. I'm so glad I decided to give her another chance, because her first book is best, IMO. It's such an engaging story and really feels different from any other story I've read. 

 

43 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

pictured the scars as much more grotesque when reading, particularly when they're revealed to people like the detective and he's horrified by them. I mean, the volume of them would be horrific in and of itself, but I pictured them as being more ... pronounced, somehow. It wasn't hard to miss them in the show with that low lighting; they were pretty faint. I didn't picture "faint" when reading.

 

Same. She would say that people would notice them as well if they slipped out from under a sleeve or collar. I always imagined them pretty raised and noticeable. I don't know how hard that would be to do on film, so I'm trying to cut them some slack. But the fact that I didn't even SEE them, and I was looking for them, disappointed me. 

 

I didn't really picture Camille when I read it - I like Amy Adams so her casting is cool with me (not that anybody needs my permission, heh) but when I saw Patricia Clarkson I was like "Perfect."

Same again. I don't have strong feelings yet about the casting of Camille or Amma. So far it's working. But picking Clarkson as Adora was what convinced me to get the HBO add-on to my Prime subscription just to watch this. 

[LilaFowler]

Clarkson as Adora is perfect. When I was reading this book, I was picturing Kate Bosworth as Camille. Amma... idk, I always thought that Bella Thorne would have barely had to act to nail the part. I think the actor who plays the stepfather is too good-looking. I always pictured him as incredibly thin and weird-looking (pencil necked, etc).

[SarahPrtr]

16 hours ago, thesupremediva1 said:

That's my reaction to every role Patricia Clarkson has ever played. She's vastly underrated, IMO.

I found Adora easier to picture in the book than Camille, and Clarkson comes pretty close.

The last mother role I saw PC in was Easy A, and I absolutely loved her character.  She made me laugh so hard.

 

Amy Adams is pretty, but she's 43.  Camille is supposed to be 30.  I thought they would go with a younger actress.

 

With the role of Amma, they needed to find an actress who was 18 or over (because of the content) but was youthful enough to pass for a 13-year-old. 

 

This is my favourite GF book.  As many have said, the first half was good, but had no idea what they turned it into towards the end.  Sharp Objects had a better and 'tighter' storyline and ending.  I thought Adora was involved in some way, but didn't really know who the actual killer was. 

 

The floor of the dollhouse - YES!  Maybe it will be revealed in the last episode.  It really is a beautiful dollhouse.  Gorgeous.

[ghoulina]

8 hours ago, LilaFowler said:

I think the actor who plays the stepfather is too good-looking. I always pictured him as incredibly thin and weird-looking (pencil necked, etc).

Yessss. This is true. He needed to come off a lot more delicate for me. 

[shelley1234]

So far, I am really liking the HBO series.   I read the book long enough ago that I've probably forgotten the detailed specifics, so I won't be annoyed as much when it breaks from the page as I often am with other adaptations.    I love Amy Adams, so I'm thrilled she's in the role.  

I do find it really intriguing when you already know the twist that is coming, so you can see the little nuances along the way that are building the foundation for it.   

I'll definitely keep watching.  

[gibasi]

I read Sharp Objects back when it first came out and liked it.  Then I read her second book Dark Places and liked it. However I hated Gone Girl and thought it way too long.  

anyway I had a hard time when I heard that Amy Adams was portraying Camille. In my mind Camille is small and not as beautiful as Amy Adams.  I thought the first episode was slow and boring and I am not sure I am in the mood for another series in the Southern gothic style. 

[lucindabelle]

 I guess I’m alone so far in that I did NOT figure it out when reading!

 

i liked GG better too though- I don’t know, there were some things in sharp objects I didn’t really believe.

 

that said the dollhouse and the floor stuck with me and the Mother’s diaey and going too far I won’t soon forget. 

Edited July 16, 2018 by lucindabelle

[ghoulina]

I'm still bored by this. I might give it one more episode, then cancel my HBO add-on. I don't know that it's worth it. 

There are a couple changes they've made that I really don't like. I know, I know....it's impossible to stay 100% true to the book. But....sigh....

The two I can recall off the top of my head are: 

1. The loving, romantic relationship with Adora and Alan. The dancing to the music. No. In the book, you never got any sense of that. Camille wasn't even sure how Marian and Amma were CONCEIVED. She definitely gives off the impression of an asexual relationship. Alan just always struck me as a simpering weakling. He's there to do whatever Adora says. I can't see him taking over the sitting room with his hi-fi system and wrapping her up in his arms to dance. 

(There's a lot of focus on music, period, in the show that wasn't in the book. But I guess that makes sense considering the different milieus.) 

2. The attention they're placing on Bob Nash (Anne's father). He was NEVER a suspect in the book. Cops weren't looking at his car. He wasn't being kicked out of the Keene's home. I'm guessing they are going this route to throw out more red herrings for non-book readers. To give them someone to focus on? But, the truth is, the only male in the book that came close to being a suspect was Natalie's brother, John. Bob Nash was a nice, if not sad, guy. He always engaged with Camille, when other family members wouldn't. He was there with his other 3 kids (mom seemed to be absent). I don't like how they're portraying him here. 

Gillian Flynn wrote this, right? Maybe she's correcting things she wished she'd done differently in the book? 

Overall, the acting IS good and the setting is just right....but I don't know if it's the pacing or what, but I'm finding myself so disengaged. 

Edited July 16, 2018 by ghoulina

[tennisgurl]

So really liking the show, and its really interesting watching it knowing who actually did it, and why. Its really kind of funny, in a dark kind of way, seeing Richard and the sheriff so convinced they know whats going on here (its definitely a man! its definitely a man who wants to rule the town!) when they are totally, 100% wrong. 

[Black Knight]

12 hours ago, ghoulina said:

1. The loving, romantic relationship with Adora and Alan. The dancing to the music. No. In the book, you never got any sense of that. Camille wasn't even sure how Marian and Amma were CONCEIVED. She definitely gives off the impression of an asexual relationship. Alan just always struck me as a simpering weakling. He's there to do whatever Adora says. I can't see him taking over the sitting room with his hi-fi system and wrapping her up in his arms to dance. 

(There's a lot of focus on music, period, in the show that wasn't in the book. But I guess that makes sense considering the different milieus.) 

2. The attention they're placing on Bob Nash (Anne's father). He was NEVER a suspect in the book. Cops weren't looking at his car. He wasn't being kicked out of the Keene's home. I'm guessing they are going this route to throw out more red herrings for non-book readers. To give them someone to focus on? But, the truth is, the only male in the book that came close to being a suspect was Natalie's brother, John. Bob Nash was a nice, if not sad, guy. He always engaged with Camille, when other family members wouldn't. He was there with his other 3 kids (mom seemed to be absent). I don't like how they're portraying him here.

In regards to #1, the book is entirely through Camille's eyes. The show is being told mostly through her eyes, but not completely - Camille wasn't present for that Alan/Adora scene, nor has she been present for other scenes involving Chris Messina's character, for instance. Many people don't want to think about their parents as sexual beings, so Camille perceiving Adora/Alan's relationship as asexual really doesn't mean anything about the actual nature of their relationship. In reality, they've had two children together, and Camille saying she wasn't sure how they were even conceived just underlines how she's entirely unable to deal with her mother and stepfather as sexual beings, because duh. A stork didn't bring Marian and Amma.

I thought the Alan/Adora scene made a lot of sense. First, they're alone; even leaving aside Camille's subjective viewpoint it's not surprising that they act differently when alone than when one or more of their children are present. They've been married a long time; there's a history and connection and some compatibility. Adora is a narcissist and narcissists often keep their unfortunate partners on a string by being alternately unattainable and a little yielding; they also like being romanced because, after all, it feeds into their egos. This scene showed that dynamic well - Alan longing for Adora, and Adora enjoying that and giving him just a taste before pulling away. He's still been shown in the TV series to be largely subservient to Adora, but it's not surprising to see that he's not quite as weak as he came across in Camille's viewpoint. Camille is not a reliable narrator; it's not that she lies, but she's so emotionally and psychologically damaged that all her observations are skewed. Adora dominates her psyche; naturally Alan shrinks in comparison.

#2 - Since it's a TV series, they have to flesh out secondary characters and the murder investigation more. As the detective noted, it's standard to look at the male relatives. Bob would absolutely be looked at in an investigation, same as John - more so really because Bob's daughter was the first victim - and since it's a TV show they have the time to play that out. Viewers would wonder if the investigation didn't include Bob. In the book, it's all through Camille's eyes, and Camille liked Bob, for the reason you said, so he was never a suspect in her mind and thus never presented as a suspect to the reader.

[Empress1]

22 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

So really liking the show, and its really interesting watching it knowing who actually did it, and why. Its really kind of funny, in a dark kind of way, seeing Richard and the sheriff so convinced they know whats going on here (its definitely a man! its definitely a man who wants to rule the town!) when they are totally, 100% wrong. 

It is fun knowing whodunnit. I like to see how much of it is telegraphed early on (I think the scene with Amma's fit is a big clue), but then I wonder if I'm "tainted" because I already know the outcome.

Camille's hometown "friends" looked very much like I pictured them. Maybe with a little more hair dye, in my head.

[bijoux]

Is whatever happened with Camille's father explained in the book? Like some other non-book readers, I too thought she and Marian shared a father, but I see I was wrong.

[ghoulina]

52 minutes ago, bijoux said:

Is whatever happened with Camille's father explained in the book? Like some other non-book readers, I too thought she and Marian shared a father, but I see I was wrong.

Not that I can recall. Her mother never told her. But she does, at one point, tell Camille that her personality reminds her (Adora) of the father's. 

[bijoux]

Thanks. 

[carrps]

On 7/9/2018 at 10:03 AM, ghoulina said:

So well put. I totally agree. I read Gone Girl first, just because it was everywhere and people were raving about it. I really enjoyed the first half, but the second half made me want to stop reading a million times. Ultimately it was a large disappointment. I felt like I really liked Flynn's writing, but not THAT particular book so much. I'm so glad I decided to give her another chance, because her first book is best, IMO. It's such an engaging story and really feels different from any other story I've read. 

 

Same. She would say that people would notice them as well if they slipped out from under a sleeve or collar. I always imagined them pretty raised and noticeable. I don't know how hard that would be to do on film, so I'm trying to cut them some slack. But the fact that I didn't even SEE them, and I was looking for them, disappointed me. 

 

 

 

Same again. I don't have strong feelings yet about the casting of Camille or Amma. So far it's working. But picking Clarkson as Adora was what convinced me to get the HBO add-on to my Prime subscription just to watch this. 

This. 100%. Especially the wanting to stop reading Gone Girl about a million times in the second half. I really hated it. I was surprised at how much.

Then, about six months ago, someone recommended Dark Places which I really liked, so I picked up Sharp Objects and just finished it as I was hearing about the HBO adaptation. Liked it, too. Yeah, it's a bit Southern Gothic, but mixed with Midwest Gothic ... if that's a thing. The town's a bit bigger and bit nicer than I pictured from the book. I was picturing a shabbier, smaller "downtown." But overall I really think they've nailed the ambience and feel.

[mamadrama]

So after watching the second episode yesterday, I downloaded the book and read through the whole thing in about 3 hours. I am actually really impressed at how well the show captured the ambiance and overall gothic tone. I feel that with Gillian Flynn doing the screenwriting, there was a much better handle on the story than in some of the other book to screen adaptations I've seen. I posted on FB that this series is a better adaptation of MY SWEET AUDRINA than the Lifetime movie of MSA was. While watching the first two episodes I was reminded of that book several times but once I read the book I REALLY started seeing some of the similarities: old Victorian house; weird, rich family; family secrets; crazy mother who seems to live in a different time period; girls dressing and acting younger than they are (Amma); etc. I saw Amma as a combination of both Audrina and Vera. Really interesting. 

I read GONE GIRL first and really liked it, and then I read DARK PLACES and felt like it was better. Now that I've read SO, I'm putting it at the top. In my circles Flynn is very polarizing, but I'm digging her work. 

[Black Knight]

23 hours ago, mamadrama said:

I read GONE GIRL first and really liked it, and then I read DARK PLACES and felt like it was better. Now that I've read SO, I'm putting it at the top. In my circles Flynn is very polarizing, but I'm digging her work. 

SO is also my favorite of Flynn's novels. I've found I have to be careful about who I lend my copy out to, though, because the ending is so unremittingly dark. I had assumed people who had read and liked Gone Girl could tolerate SO's ending, but turns out that's not necessarily the case. I'm curious if the TV show will dare to end the same way.

[mamadrama]

7 hours ago, Black Knight said:

SO is also my favorite of Flynn's novels. I've found I have to be careful about who I lend my copy out to, though, because the ending is so unremittingly dark. I had assumed people who had read and liked Gone Girl could tolerate SO's ending, but turns out that's not necessarily the case. I'm curious if the TV show will dare to end the same way.

Me too. I was also unnerved by DP's ending. It was all just so sad...

[JohnnyRotten]

I've read the book, but it's been a while and I'm forgetting the details. I half remember someone (the drunk lady? the nice one?) who grew up with the mother giving some background. Did she have something traumatic happen to her when she was young? Can someone with a better memory fill me in?

[ghoulina]

1 hour ago, JohnnyRotten said:

I've read the book, but it's been a while and I'm forgetting the details. I half remember someone (the drunk lady? the nice one?) who grew up with the mother giving some background. Did she have something traumatic happen to her when she was young? Can someone with a better memory fill me in?

Are you talking about Adora's friend, who is nice and welcoming to Camille? In the book she does talk a bit about Adora having a rough time growing up. HER mother was apparently very withholding and cold.  I also remember something about white hair and long fingernails. She really probably just wasn't loved. So she didn't know how to love HER kids. And on and on. 

[Mean Machine]

I read the book years ago.  Told myself I wasn't gonna revisit it until after the series was over.  Well, after watching the second episode and being enthralled by it, I couldn't help myself, I read the entire thing again in one sitting.  One thing I am not looking forward to are the brief scenes at the pig farm/slaughterhouse.  Maybe they'll tone them down for television, but man were they disturbing in the book.  

 

Talking to some friends that are watching the show but haven't read the book, they don't even know about the pig farm yet.  Seems like they've barely touched on it so far.  

[carrps]

5 hours ago, Mean Machine said:

Talking to some friends that are watching the show but haven't read the book, they don't even know about the pig farm yet.  Seems like they've barely touched on it so far.  

Yeah, we've heard it's where Adora's family got their money, and there's a glimpse of pigs in the opening credits, but that's about it.

[BingeyKohan]

I read the book between the second and third episodes. It screams "first novel" in a lot of ways but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I think it helped to have the visuals and actors established by the show to set everything against in my mind. I'm not sure it would have worked as well for me without that. It also orients my attention more keenly toward certain elements on the show (at this point I'm assuming the main plot points will track from page to screen) Any shot of the dollhouse is now guaranteed to give me chills, knowing what's lurking there. 

Off-topic (ish), but has anyone read GF's second novel, the one between this one and Gone Girl?

[LilaFowler]

22 minutes ago, BingeyKohan said:

I read the book between the second and third episodes. It screams "first novel" in a lot of ways but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I think it helped to have the visuals and actors established by the show to set everything against in my mind. I'm not sure it would have worked as well for me without that. It also orients my attention more keenly toward certain elements on the show (at this point I'm assuming the main plot points will track from page to screen) Any shot of the dollhouse is now guaranteed to give me chills, knowing what's lurking there. 

Off-topic (ish), but has anyone read GF's second novel, the one between this one and Gone Girl?

Dark Places? Yes. I hated it. Worst ending ever.

[Soobs]

On 7/24/2018 at 1:12 PM, BingeyKohan said:

 

Off-topic (ish), but has anyone read GF's second novel, the one between this one and Gone Girl?

I recently listened to it and although I liked the premise and thought the book as a whole was okay, I will agree that the ending was a little cheap.

[bijoux]

Just finished the book and my God, that entire town must be inbred. They are so crazy. 

I almost laughed out loud when it was revealed that Amma's name was actually Amity. Adora, Amity, Joya. Nice irony there. And it makes Camille and Marian stand out like sore thumbs. And clearly paint them as victims there. 

Someone in the episode thread actually caught the vibe of what was going to happen between Camille and John. I have to admit, I had no clue until it was almost happening. But man, Camille is so fucked up with how she sees sex in general. I don't think the scars are the only reason Richard peaced out. 

I actually get why she was upset with him for pumping her for information. I don't think she would have been as much if it didn't involve her family. On the other hand, I also sided with his blow up about her not getting tested when she suspected she was being poisoned. In fact, I assumed she was going to the hospital for that very reason. 

[ghoulina]

On 7/24/2018 at 3:35 PM, LilaFowler said:

Dark Places? Yes. I hated it. Worst ending ever.

I liked Dark Places better than Gone Girl, but it wasn't great. 

Sharp Objects was really her best. Hands down. 

[FoundTime]

Have read all of Flynn's books and am currently rereading Dark Places on audio; I'm a bit disappointed in this series as it is taking a number of (unnecessary, I feel) liberties with the book, which would have translated to a movie (or shorter mini-series) perfectly well. If I hadn't read the book (though I am curious about how the series will handle the remainder of the story), I'm not sure I would continue watching this. It seems very slow and an awful lot of not much happening. It's very atmospheric, and it's kind of interesting to see a functioning alcoholic on screen, but the story itself doesn't seem compelling. I will admit, though, that the strength of the book was as much the train-wreck of the characters as well as the mystery element, and this series seems to be leaning on the characters fairly heavily (though with some liberties already identified in this thread).

[ghoulina]

I quit after the 3rd episode, which took the biggest unnecessary liberty so far - in the creation of Alice. An entire episode devoted to something that never happened in the book. I know I can be a stickler for movies/shows remaining true to the book; but I've tried, recently, to be more open to why they would need to change/add certain things. I just didn't feel THAT was necessary and it felt like padding an episode, to me. 

If you want to share what other things they're adding/taking away, please feel free. I'm somewhat curious, but my TV roster is so full right now. I just could't commit to one more show when it was not holding my interest at all. 

[riverblue22]

I am watching and thinking of stopping.  The flashbacks are confusing, and it is just so darn dark.  I find the Camille character really frustrating.  I have not read the book.  I read Gone Girl and was not impressed at all, and didn't bother with the movie.  I've gotten to the point where I really don't care who the killer is, and yeah, Camille, your family sucks.  I feel like she should leave and tell her boss to find someone else to deal with this crazy town.

[jeansheridan]

Quote

 in the creation of Alice. An entire episode devoted to something that never happened in the book. I know I can be a stickler for movies/shows remaining true to the book; but I've tried, recently, to be more open to why they would need to change/add certain things

Alice did happen in the book. She's just only about a page, but all the same details are there--cheerleader, cutting above her knees, drinking cleaning fluid to kill herself, Camille cutting herself on the toilet screw. The show makes it clear that she's more significant to Camille than book Camille does. I think it was a smart choice. Another lost opportunity, another lost girl.

I'm actually bummed the editor Curry and his wife aren't used better in the series. In the book he is so clearly her lifeline to a healthy world, to healthy parenting. She depends on him and he's ready to come to her rescue. I don't get that feeling so much in the series. Maybe he's getting chemo as a way to explain why he didn't fly down there to save her.

I just read the book yesterday and today because the pace of the series was driving me nuts and I need to know. I think this is one time a show would have benefited from being dropped all at once. A show like GOT needs some breathing room between episodes in my opinion. But this one I could have slammed through in two days (like the book) and enjoyed it more.

Quote

In my mind Camille is small and not as beautiful as Amy Adams. 

Other characters in the book refer to her beauty so many times it gets annoying. About every fifteen pages or so, someone seems to comment on her looks and what it gets her. And I don't think of Amy Adams as especially tall, but I guess she isn't Winona Ryder small.

Patricia Clarkson was made for the this role and had better win a few awards.

I also think the show did a smart improvement. In the scene when she tells Camille she smells ripe and it's  slap in the face, in the book she says she will carve her name into the last clear spot on Camille's skin. It's WAY too over the top and aggressive at that point. 

Chris Messina does nothing for me in this role. I wish he was giving more hints about what he's really researching. I liked that in the books, that he actually WAS good at his job. Other than, you know, sending Camille home that last night so Adora wouldn't be tipped off.

And I kind of hate that horrible horrible Amma survives. My only hope was that she would be murdered most hideously. And if the girls on the show are meant to be her accomplices, I think the show is doing a crap job of making them stand out in any way. Or have one of them look like she's cracking. I also have a hard time imaging four girls holding their tongues. Two girls yes. Four girls? Never. Just not possible. Not with two murders.

[JohnnyRotten]

12 hours ago, jeansheridan said:

Alice did happen in the book. She's just only about a page, but all the same details are there--cheerleader, cutting above her knees, drinking cleaning fluid to kill herself, Camille cutting herself on the toilet screw. The show makes it clear that she's more significant to Camille than book Camille does. I think it was a smart choice. Another lost opportunity, another lost girl.

I'm actually bummed the editor Curry and his wife aren't used better in the series. In the book he is so clearly her lifeline to a healthy world, to healthy parenting. She depends on him and he's ready to come to her rescue. I don't get that feeling so much in the series. Maybe he's getting chemo as a way to explain why he didn't fly down there to save her.

I just read the book yesterday and today because the pace of the series was driving me nuts and I need to know. I think this is one time a show would have benefited from being dropped all at once. A show like GOT needs some breathing room between episodes in my opinion. But this one I could have slammed through in two days (like the book) and enjoyed it more.

Other characters in the book refer to her beauty so many times it gets annoying. About every fifteen pages or so, someone seems to comment on her looks and what it gets her. And I don't think of Amy Adams as especially tall, but I guess she isn't Winona Ryder small.

Patricia Clarkson was made for the this role and had better win a few awards.

I also think the show did a smart improvement. In the scene when she tells Camille she smells ripe and it's  slap in the face, in the book she says she will carve her name into the last clear spot on Camille's skin. It's WAY too over the top and aggressive at that point. 

Chris Messina does nothing for me in this role. I wish he was giving more hints about what he's really researching. I liked that in the books, that he actually WAS good at his job. Other than, you know, sending Camille home that last night so Adora wouldn't be tipped off.

And I kind of hate that horrible horrible Amma survives. My only hope was that she would be murdered most hideously. And if the girls on the show are meant to be her accomplices, I think the show is doing a crap job of making them stand out in any way. Or have one of them look like she's cracking. I also have a hard time imaging four girls holding their tongues. Two girls yes. Four girls? Never. Just not possible. Not with two murders.

I think this is one of those rare cases where the character in a book is described as knock out beautiful, and the actress they chose isn't that special. Usually it's the other way around (they cast Michelle Pheiffer to play a normal stay at home mom, for example).

[ghoulina]

Someone on FB mentioned that Alice is in the book too. I was shocked. I truly don't remember that. And I JUST re-read the book. 

I'll have to go back and look, but it must have been a very small mention. I still think it felt like padding - to have an entire episode revolve around it.

[jeansheridan]

5 minutes ago, ghoulina said:

I'll have to go back and look, but it must have been a very small mention. I still think it felt like padding - to have an entire episode revolve around it.

It really was just a page or so. But what I liked about it on the the show (besides explaining the blond girl in her memories) was seeing Camille try to get help. The book makes references to therapy and techniques to avoid cutting and I kind of wish the hospital had shown at least one group session--however briefly--to see Camille learning a few things. I don't want the show to become a PSA for cutting, but I think some more indication of how she IS trying to cope would be helpful. And add depth the character. She isn't just drinking herself to an early death. Before returning to Wind Gap she had been trying. And Curry makes the tragic error of thinking going home will help her. He doesn't realize she isn't merely estranged from her mother, but that the relationship is full on toxic. 

I still kind of wish she was a better reporter on the show and in the book. Couldn't Flynn give her one thing she was really good at? She gives her the Currys at least. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

My general rule of thumb is not to read the book until after I've seen the tv show/movie, the reason being that if I read the book first, I get hung up on all the changes made to the tv show/movie (including all the stuff that was left out) whereas if I watch the tv show/movie first and then read the book, usually I just feel like the book fleshes everything out more since there weren't major time constraints. I bought Sharp Objects so that I could read it after the show ended, but then a few weeks ago I realized that I didn't have a beach book to take on vacation with me so I tossed it into my bag just in case I didn't find another book to read. I ended up reading about half of it on the plane. I got caught up to the point that the show was at and then I read one more chapter. Luckily I then found another book for the beach (something lighter that didn't involve murdered girls) so I put Sharp Objects in my suitcase with the intention of finishing it after the final episode aired. After this week's episode, however, I decided screw it, I'm just going to finish this book so I read the last half.

I read Gone Girl a few years ago (I stupidly read it the same week that I read The Girl on the Train so I spent the next week suspiciously eyeing everyone I saw in public, convinced that all of them were plotting to kill someone). Although Sharp Objects isn't a perfect book, I liked the way she created a very clear picture of both small town Wind Gap and Camille's crazy family so that when you get to the twists at the end, it all makes sense that Amma and Adora are abusive murderers because we've already seen what assholes they've been throughout the book.

While I understand that tv shows/movies have to make cuts because they can't include every minute detail from the books, it annoys me when they make random changes. In this case, why did they bother changing Meredith's name to Ashley? And if they felt that Meredith's name HAD to be changed, did they have to choose the name of someone else in the book?

On 7/17/2018 at 8:47 AM, bijoux said:

Is whatever happened with Camille's father explained in the book? Like some other non-book readers, I too thought she and Marian shared a father, but I see I was wrong.

In the book, Adora got knocked up by some boy from church camp who came to visit Adora over Christmas when she was 17, but that's about the extent of what we learn about him in the book. Jackie says that he came by once but Adora sent him on his way.

On 7/20/2018 at 7:20 AM, JohnnyRotten said:

I've read the book, but it's been a while and I'm forgetting the details. I half remember someone (the drunk lady? the nice one?) who grew up with the mother giving some background. Did she have something traumatic happen to her when she was young? Can someone with a better memory fill me in?

 

On 7/20/2018 at 8:51 AM, ghoulina said:

Are you talking about Adora's friend, who is nice and welcoming to Camille? In the book she does talk a bit about Adora having a rough time growing up. HER mother was apparently very withholding and cold.  I also remember something about white hair and long fingernails. She really probably just wasn't loved. So she didn't know how to love HER kids. And on and on. 

In the book, Jackie also mentions that when Adora got a sunburn, Joya made her strip down naked (in front of Jackie and their friends) and Joya peeled the sunburned skin off her body, so yeah, Joya was not the most nurturing mother. Jackie said that Joya constantly had her hands on Adora, but not in a loving way, always constantly adjusting her clothing or hair. She also said that instead of licking her thumb to rub something off Adora's face, Joya would just straight up lick her face. She said that Adora was sick all the time (Jackie assumed it was the stress of having Joya as a mother), always having tubes and needles stuck in her, so it's likely that Adora abusing Marian and Amma was something she learned from her mother.

On 8/2/2018 at 5:21 AM, ghoulina said:

I quit after the 3rd episode, which took the biggest unnecessary liberty so far - in the creation of Alice. An entire episode devoted to something that never happened in the book. I know I can be a stickler for movies/shows remaining true to the book; but I've tried, recently, to be more open to why they would need to change/add certain things. I just didn't feel THAT was necessary and it felt like padding an episode, to me.

 

On 8/4/2018 at 4:17 PM, jeansheridan said:

Alice did happen in the book. She's just only about a page, but all the same details are there--cheerleader, cutting above her knees, drinking cleaning fluid to kill herself, Camille cutting herself on the toilet screw. The show makes it clear that she's more significant to Camille than book Camille does. I think it was a smart choice. Another lost opportunity, another lost girl.

 

On 8/5/2018 at 11:23 AM, ghoulina said:

Someone on FB mentioned that Alice is in the book too. I was shocked. I truly don't remember that. And I JUST re-read the book. 

I'll have to go back and look, but it must have been a very small mention. I still think it felt like padding - to have an entire episode revolve around it.

It wasn't even a full page. It was one short paragraph. In my paperback, it's on pages 63-64.

Edited August 6, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[jeansheridan]

I think the book and show ought to differ. Otherwise what is the point? The show is one thing, the book another thing. 

I loved seeing Calhoun Day in all its sickness. And you get a stylized representation of what we all assume happened to Camille in the woods. A town approved pantamine. John is right to hate that place.

And I like that some details are changed. Natalie attacks her classmate with scissors in the book, not a pencil. Both eyes. Natalie could be dangerous too. I wish we had seen some that fight in her. I hate that we never see Ann and Natalie alive. 

I liked the book because every detail does matter. I hope the show can be so exacting. I feel like it is trying. I mean we have already seen the dollhouse floor. Briefly but it mattered.

I still have no sense Richard is playing a long game however. I wish he had been a bit more sharp with Adora. Just a hint.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

8 minutes ago, jeansheridan said:

I loved seeing Calhoun Day in all its sickness. And you get a stylized representation of what we all assume happened to Camille in the woods. A town approved pantamine. John is right to hate that place.

IIRC, Calhoun Day is not an actual thing in the book. Camille mentions this guy (Millard Calhoon in the book vs Zeke Calhoun on the show) in passing because the high school is named after him but the details are different. There’s no story about pregnant child bride Millie refusing to tell the union soldiers where her husband is and being violated. I think all Camille says about him is that he defended the town during the Civil War and later became the first mayor of Wind Gap. She does mention that his wife (no name in the book) was in her 50s when he died at almost 100 years old, but Adora’s family is not related to the Calho(o/u)n family in the book. 

[teddysmom]

On 7/9/2018 at 1:02 PM, thesupremediva1 said:

That's my reaction to every role Patricia Clarkson has ever played. She's vastly underrated, IMO.

I adore her. The last three things I've seen her in are this, House of Cards, and Tammy One on Parks & Rec. I have to remind myself of the lovely person she played in Lars and The Real Girl so I don't get angry that's she's typecast as mean women. 

She's insane in this. And I mean that in a good way, I haven't read the book but she is nailing this character. 

[uoflfan]

We had to wait 5 episodes for the ivory floor and are still waiting for the Munchausen's by proxy.  I read the book when it first came out in one day.  The series is dragging the plot out and could have been done with fewer episodes.  I am enjoying the performances of Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson. 

Patricia's depiction of a toxic narcissistic mother is spot on.  My mother enjoys having an audience when she tells me I'm "unlovable" as she did in front of my boyfriend after a family funeral 14 days ago.  Since my mother believes my conception ruined her life, I was raised by my grandmother who loved me.   I only see my mother at family events and have seen my father only a few times since they split when I was about 3 years old.  He's just as bad as my mother and married a second toxic narcissistic woman.  My sister from that marriage and I stopped self-harming because tattoos are just as painful, more decorative and our mothers hate them.  I highly recommend revenge tats.

[teddysmom]

5 minutes ago, uoflfan said:

We had to wait 5 episodes for the ivory floor and are still waiting for the Munchausen's by proxy. 

Well it's a mini series and they don't want to give that away, as it will then point to the killer. 

[carrps]

On 8/6/2018 at 9:02 AM, teddysmom said:

 

On 8/6/2018 at 9:02 AM, teddysmom said:

I adore her. The last three things I've seen her in are this, House of Cards, and Tammy One on Parks & Rec. I have to remind myself of the lovely person she played in Lars and The Real Girl so I don't get angry that's she's typecast as mean women. 

She's insane in this. And I mean that in a good way, I haven't read the book but she is nailing this character. 

She was great (and sympathetic) in The Station Agent.

 

On 8/6/2018 at 9:28 AM, teddysmom said:

Well it's a mini series and they don't want to give that away, as it will then point to the killer. 

Seems to me we knew about the Munchausen's by now in the book, or at least had strong, easy to figure out, hints. No?

 

Oh, and according to imdb, Amy Adams is 5'4".

Edited August 7, 2018 by carrps
I'm brain dead.

[teddysmom]

14 minutes ago, carrps said:

She was great (and sympathetic) in The Station Agent.

That's right. It's been a while since I saw that.  Lars & the Real Girl has been on lately, and I just love her character in that. She's so down to earth and so smart in how she works with Lars and accepts the doll as a real person right off the bat.  When she tells the brother "she's real, she's sitting out there". 

 

14 minutes ago, carrps said:

Munchausen's by now in the book, or at least had strong, easy to figure out, hits. No?

I think they're giving little hints, Adora's need to be the center of attention at all times, everything that happens is about her or was done to her, whether it was or not, her overly dramatic reactions to everything, the weird relationship with Amma. 

Edited August 6, 2018 by teddysmom