True Blood: The Books, The Series

My favorite Sookie Stackhouse book:
Dead to the World when Eric and Sookie
first get together!

I discovered Sookie Stackhouse quite accidentally by discovering Charlaine Harris's lesser known heroine, Harper Connelly, from the Grave Sight series. I read Grave Sight in one day, ordered and read Grave Surprise the next day, and then Ice Cold Grave the following day. I was so hungry for the next book (which wasn't available yet) that I clicked on Charlaine Harris and discovered Sookie Stackhouse. Again, I was off and running. I read the entire series of books in about a week (up until then it was only 9 books) and have been ferociously devouring every new edition since then. It wasn't until I finished book 9 (Dead and Gone) in that week that I realized that HBO had been producing the show True Blood, based on the first book (Dead Until Dark) already for over a year. Well that was it; I had to order HBO and watch the series. And in this case, most uncommonly, the series was even better than the books.

This is not a rare opinion; the show is spectacularly popular. I'm impressed with the director's and writers' efforts to not only incorporate essential elements of each book (and the overall series) into each season, but then they also spectacularly enhance and ignite every theme and event in the books into something more. The character of Eric changes dramatically in the series; I like him much more on tv. However, his and Sookie's romance was downplayed last season--it was over like a FLIT of a candle. I wonder if they will bring that passion back into her life, even though she now with Alcide Herveaux (which never happens in the books). If on schedule with the plot of the books, the fairies should be coming back in force this season with Sookie's great-grandfather, but we shall see what other plot twists and characters they may bring in and change as well.

I love the True Blood series; I love the hot sex scenes (of course); I adore Anna Paquin who is the perfect Sookie. I'm glad they didn't kill off Lafayette in this first season (as he was in the first book), as he is a core character and a well-deserved heart of the show; Charlaine Harris really missed the boat to develop that character in her books. Not to be completely superlative, but Stephen Moyer is the perfect Bill and is who I imagined Bill to be when I read the first 9 books when I was oblivious to the HBO show. I question whether the show's writers will have the creative willpower and grit to keep with the true heart of the storyline in the books (now that I've read all 12 of them) and (SPOILER ALERT) never reunite Sookie and Bill as a true couple. Eric becomes her true vampire love in the last few books, although they will never quite make it. It will be interesting to see and I look forward to the new season; I will be writing about new episodes every week.