I loved the book, and I looked forward to the adaptation so much. I'm currently watching part 5 of 8 right now and have been moderately disappointed. I would never have imagined it could be done in a regular movie -- too much story -- so I figured an eight-part series might work.
But they have cut so much of the story, not so much essential stuff, but some of the subplots that added richness to the story. Some of the changes make little sense. One I think I can mention without it being a spoiler is the wonderful character of Miz Mimi, the school librarian.
In the book, she is an important character whose life touches on many others. In the series, she is a black woman in a position I'm not sure a black woman would hold in a 1960 Texas school.
Indeed, the town of Jodie, Texas, which in the book is a hundred miles or so south of Dallas. In the series, it becomes a small town between Dallas and Fort Worth. Why?
And I haven't even mentioned the biggest change. Making Bill Turcotte a major character and a sidekick to Jake is odd, but we'll see how that plays out.
But they have cut so much of the story, not so much essential stuff, but some of the subplots that added richness to the story. Some of the changes make little sense. One I think I can mention without it being a spoiler is the wonderful character of Miz Mimi, the school librarian.
In the book, she is an important character whose life touches on many others. In the series, she is a black woman in a position I'm not sure a black woman would hold in a 1960 Texas school.
Indeed, the town of Jodie, Texas, which in the book is a hundred miles or so south of Dallas. In the series, it becomes a small town between Dallas and Fort Worth. Why?
And I haven't even mentioned the biggest change. Making Bill Turcotte a major character and a sidekick to Jake is odd, but we'll see how that plays out.
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