word of the season? EXCESS.
in some ways i was right, in others so very wrong! i cant believe they left us hanging like that!
on another note, this show has evolved into a completely different beast than the books. Charlaine Harris can now pen Sookie books in safety. However, I read something alarming the other day: apparently she actually is around the show, discusses things with the actors, and .....takes part in the development???
PLEASE. NO. *shakes head vigorously*
now. we all know that Charlaine Harris is the diluted version of Laurell K. Hamilton, with Anita Blake, and her Louisiana being the much badder, much darker version of Sookie Stackhouse (actually in real time, Anita being the precursor to Sookie) and her world of vamps, tramps, and anything else that goes bump in the night. however, lets deal with reality.
here's reality. HBO is making Sookie Stackhouse and the "Dead" storyline into something Charlaine Harris never could have, and never would have dreamed in her wildest imagination. because let's face it folks - has anyone here ever READ Harris' books? if you have, you may have noticed that the characters are ridiculously cookie-cutter, as though Harris went and read a book on archetypal character patterns, and plugged them into her story one after another. To top that off, the books are chock full of basic unchallenged and unrepentant stereotypes, linear thinking and severe narrow-mindedness.
its not that this is bad - it simply tells you what to expect from the various books' ultimate punchlines. indeed, the books go undercover as enlightened themes and tongue-in-cheek/good fun critics of the personal prejudices and assumptions of Everyman, but in telling the story, so many assumptions are made and stereotypical pictures painted that at every turn of the page, it feels like you are missing some sort of inside point - a point that is never made.
the point is never made because Harris actually takes herself seriously. the shameless stereotyping of the books, and the enlightened "we're all god's children" and "cant we all get along" theme of the books are
not the snide, yet intelligent humor of a knowing author who totally wants you get the juxtaposition. no. it is merely the basic presumptions of a mystery author who is (self)assured that she, too, can dabble in the theme of exotic fantasy fiction.
i know. *holds up hands in surrender* i judge, i judge. but truly? it was the shallow writing of the first 3 pages in the first book that got me reading the series so long ago. i can remember thinking:
"Oh, this oughta be rich." rich, not in the sense of dense, deep or worthy material, but rich in sense of entertaining or laughable. and how! the entire series is a study in contradictions between the writer, and her work. you can tell a lot about a person by what and how they write - fiction or non-fiction, and Harris is an open book.
she is to exotic fiction what Janet Evanovich is to mystery: the dumbed down version. A lot of fun to be with, but nothing you can respect.
having said all that - lets now pop back over to the HBO show. the
best thing that happened to the Sookie story was for Harris to allow HBO to take creative license. i grant you that where HBO is going with this is still a mystery, but its a strange, weird and intriguing mystery. and if nothing else, HBO has wielded its use of basic presumptions, cliches and stereotypes unapologetically (sp?) and with apparent knowledge - and in doing so it feels like they have given the story - and miasma of suffering depicted - more dignity.
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