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I haven't started watching Under the Dome yet but I just finished the book and....
...and I reading over the Wikipedia entry for the TV show and now really, really looking forward to watching this. Because it's definitely not going to be the same experience as reading the book - like, at all - and as far as I'm concerned, that's a good thing.
Don't get me wrong. I loved every minute of reading that book. It was fast-paced, epic, sprawling, and utterly horrific in all the right ways. But the producers of the show are smart to recognize that a straight adaptation of the novel definitely wouldn't make for a good TV; if nothing else, the ending of the novel is far, far too grimdark for network television. So I'm about to head into this TV show fully expecting that the plot will be changed significantly, that most of the novel's cast will be reduced down to amalgam characters, and that the gore (not to mention the body count, especially where cute kids and the heroic elderly are concerned) will be toned down significantly.
And yet still I'm reading the character list on the show's Wikipedia page and
A HA HA HA HA HA
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA (*gross sobbing*)
wait what
whaaaaaaaaat
On the other hand, I am really, REALLY looking forward to watching Dean Norris as Big Jim because a) it's The Goddamn Dean Norris and he is absofuckinglutely incredible in Breaking Bad and b) Big Jim is in so many ways the evil mirror of Hank Schrader, so this has got to be one of the most inspired bits of casting I've ever seen. If Hank's character arc is all about a man wrapped up in blustery arrogance and self-delusion who slowly discovers humility and the strength to be honest with himself, then Big Jim's character arc is all about a man wrapped up in blustery arrogance and self-delusion who slowly discovers that he does, actually, have the strength to murder whoever the fuck is standing in his way. At least, that was his character arc in the novel, that is. I guess I'll just have to wait and find out whether Big Jim in the television show bears any resemblance to Big Jim in the novel.
On the other other hand, though, I've heard that Horace the Welsh Corgi isn't in the TV show. And if this turns out to be true, then goddammit, Steven Spielberg and Brian K. Vaughan!! Because Horace fucking rules.
Don't get me wrong. I loved every minute of reading that book. It was fast-paced, epic, sprawling, and utterly horrific in all the right ways. But the producers of the show are smart to recognize that a straight adaptation of the novel definitely wouldn't make for a good TV; if nothing else, the ending of the novel is far, far too grimdark for network television. So I'm about to head into this TV show fully expecting that the plot will be changed significantly, that most of the novel's cast will be reduced down to amalgam characters, and that the gore (not to mention the body count, especially where cute kids and the heroic elderly are concerned) will be toned down significantly.
And yet still I'm reading the character list on the show's Wikipedia page and
Phil Bushey, a popular radio DJ
A HA HA HA HA HA
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA (*gross sobbing*)
Peter Shumway, Julia's husband
wait what
whaaaaaaaaat
On the other hand, I am really, REALLY looking forward to watching Dean Norris as Big Jim because a) it's The Goddamn Dean Norris and he is absofuckinglutely incredible in Breaking Bad and b) Big Jim is in so many ways the evil mirror of Hank Schrader, so this has got to be one of the most inspired bits of casting I've ever seen. If Hank's character arc is all about a man wrapped up in blustery arrogance and self-delusion who slowly discovers humility and the strength to be honest with himself, then Big Jim's character arc is all about a man wrapped up in blustery arrogance and self-delusion who slowly discovers that he does, actually, have the strength to murder whoever the fuck is standing in his way. At least, that was his character arc in the novel, that is. I guess I'll just have to wait and find out whether Big Jim in the television show bears any resemblance to Big Jim in the novel.
On the other other hand, though, I've heard that Horace the Welsh Corgi isn't in the TV show. And if this turns out to be true, then goddammit, Steven Spielberg and Brian K. Vaughan!! Because Horace fucking rules.
no subject
(Anonymous) 2013-09-01 07:39 pm (UTC)(link)Also, no character you can recognize, sympathize with, or stongly despise. Everyone's been mushy-middled, morality-wise, which muddles a massive part of what makes the novel gripping: characters you're rooting for vs. characters you hate but love to watch.
This should have been on cable TV where a show can afford not to be turned into a teen drama with supernaturalism, oh, and some mystery stuff on the side.
I would have dropped ths easily if it weren't such an effective example of plot moving the characters (aka terrible storytelling). The horror of the show is simply watching the show. I highly doubt Ill bother with the 2nd season.
I'm now convinced King loves shitty sceen adaptions of his work as it prompts people to declare to everyone, "but the book was so good!"
BTW, contrary to what King and the others involved have said, criticism of the show is, sadly, not the exclusive domain of bitchy novel readers who are disgruntled about the changes and are ignorant of or unwilling to accept the need for changes in adaptation.
In any case, I do wish you the joy of it, as I'm interested in the opinions of someone who manages to find merit in the show. If not, I'll enjoy the possible write-up you'll do on TV Julia vs original Julia.
no subject
Really? 'Cause from your comment it was kind of hard to tell. ;)
And I dunno, casting everybody in moral shades of gray sounds like it could actually be MORE interesting to me, but then again, any good idea can still be poorly executed, so I guess we'll see.