This post is going to be dedicated to not a book that inspired a movie, but a book series that inspired an entire television series. The gossip girl series written by Cecily von Ziegesar check out her site here, gave birth to the popular show currently running on The CW. Visit The CW’s website here. The stories encompass the world of teenagers on the upper east side of New York City, in other words the rich private school children in the city. Obviously it is a drama. There are about six main characters to follow Serena, Blair, Chuck, Dan, Nate and Jenny. The TV series began with the kids in high school but they are now graduated and gone off to college and still the show is going strong.
I began watching Gossip Girl after its first season because my sister bought the DVDs for me as a birthday present. Till then I had heard of it but not really ever paid attention to it. Needless to say I saw the TV show before I looked into the books. After I enjoyed the show I figured I should look into the books and see if they were just as good. To me I found they really weren’t, I tried to read the first but didn’t really get into it. A lot of reviews claim the story lines are very similar to the books with a few tweaks. One of the things I noticed first that was different was the portrayal of the characters. Some were exactly like their television character while the others were drastically different. These small changes that happened going from books to screen are what turned me off of the books and sad to say I haven’t gone back and tried to read them again.
This just goes to show that characters are extremely important. When reading a book or watching a show or movie you make a connection to the characters in some way, it is what draws you back to the story time and again to see what will end up happening to them. So I had made the connection with the show character first then going back to the book where many of them were different just put me off and I’m sure those who read the books first were a little put off by the show.
Like I said the show is still currently running so here is a trailer for the episode scheduled to air tonight:
Enjoy!
I never watched the show, but a girlfriend of mine talked about it a lot. Is it basically Sex in the City, but for high school?
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen Sex in the City enough to be able to compare them. So I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteI wouldnt say they are the same, but they are similar in the fact that they take place in NYC, thats about it. I am probably going to rant here so have piatience. The books are really good, the television show I also think is very good...however they are drastically different. You haft to take them for two completely different things. The biggest thing that made me mad was the fact that Chuch is the show is a huge character where as in the books he just shows up every once in a while. Nate in the books smokes pot....A LOT, in the show he doesn't. Also Vanessa is a drastically different character in the show than in the books. Show: Cool fashion style, works at a art gallery, is just a hipster. Books: Bald, filmmaker, doesn't care for style at all. These were drastic changes for me because these were things that for the book characters were who they were and then in the show they were completely different. The last book, not counting the prequel, came out right before the show which I liked, but then they were so different anyway that it didn't matter. You can't read the books and expect the same from the show. I love both, but as separate things.
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