A Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ user
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I'm watching the BBC1 tv series based on this book, how does the story in the book compare to the tv series?
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Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell,
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Rita Lamb
The plot in the book is very ingenious but also very intricate, so for TV it has been simplified and some locations conflated. I felt Stephen Black is less morally complex in the series than in the book, while Lady Pole gained a feminist dimension. Several enjoyable minor characters are dropped and Lascelles meets a somewhat different fate. It's still a remarkable adaptation though, and keeps more of the original than it loses.
Kat!e Larson
A lot of things are left out for the sake of time and simplicity. However, it stuck to the feel of the book and a lot of the events... until the end. The last two episodes felt quite different. I think the love story between Strange and Arabella was a lot sappier, as was the relationship between Strange and Norrell. The end also felt a lot sadder and much less satisfying, because of the way the relationships had been changed. I really loved the mini series until the end, but I came out of it feeling dissatisfied and simply wishing to reread the book.
Jeanne
It seems to me that Jonathan Strange was made more sympathetic in the series than in the book with the strange effect of everyone talking about how arrogant he is without him seeming all that arrogant. In the book he is clearly empathy deficient. In the show he seems just frustrated by all the stupidity around him (justifiably). The language of the book is beautiful and the show can really just give the bare skeletal outlines of plot with some tweaks. Also the raven king is so present in the book and it is really more his history than any other story and he is sadly less present in the show. But the imagery of the stones and the corpses coming to life is wonderful! And the fairy lands are beautifully strange.
Ingram Krug
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Braxiatel
This is an old question but the main differences are:
- Stephen Black's scenes and internal monologue are cut down so he is much less of a fascinating character
- Instead of Stephen the show develops Arabella Strange and Emma Pole fleshing them out more than the book does
- The gentleman with thistle-down hair is ruined and has his fun whimsical nature replaced with a more machiavellian, colder and more sinister personality (other than this the adaptation is good)
- Jonathan Strange is made slightly more likeable
- Some of the book plotholes are filled in the TV series and the TV ending has been restructured to be more impactful but the ultimate outcome is largely the same
- Stephen Black's scenes and internal monologue are cut down so he is much less of a fascinating character
- Instead of Stephen the show develops Arabella Strange and Emma Pole fleshing them out more than the book does
- The gentleman with thistle-down hair is ruined and has his fun whimsical nature replaced with a more machiavellian, colder and more sinister personality (other than this the adaptation is good)
- Jonathan Strange is made slightly more likeable
- Some of the book plotholes are filled in the TV series and the TV ending has been restructured to be more impactful but the ultimate outcome is largely the same
Boy Blue
In terms of plot they're pretty similar. In terms of characters, they are quite different. Norrell is almost identical in both. Strange is more emotional in the TV series and in some ways more charming. The love between him and his wife is far more victorian in the book. Whereas, on TV it's very modern chick flick. Childermass is better in the book I feel (more enigmatic) but Stephen Black probably suffers the most on TV, his character is very much reduced to an unthinking automaton. I also thought the sycophants surrounding Norrell get too much screen time. Overall, the magic of the book is stronger. While the TV series is easier to watch, the book is ultimately more rewarding and paints a better picture. If you watch the TV series first you won't get to imagine your own version of everything because you'll have the characters and settings already in your head, which may detract from it. Especially if you really don't like some of the actors.
Naomi
The BBC series sticks very closely to the book plot until the final episode, where it changes the sequence of actions and where they occur, in order to fit everything in. Even some of the minor incidents that aren't in the book were taken from the (numerous) book footnotes.However, I didn't find any of the changes deviating from the spirit of the book, except to make the consequences of the Fairy's curse too dramatic.
Cindy
I am reading the book and watching the BBC series at the same time. I have found the series very close to the book, but have not watched the last episode yet. I enjoy the depth of the story and the footnotes written as if from actual historic documents. I also agree that it is a bit slow, but as soon as Strange appears, it does become faster paced.
Jan
Based on some tweets I've seen since the UK final episode ended, there have been some deviations from the book ending.
Solarita
As I know, it`s exactly the same. Some details were changed, of course, but plot, characters and even dialogues in the book as wonderful, as in BBC series.
Lisa
Just finished watching the series after loving the book. I love the series! I thought the series enhanced the characters of Norrell and Strange, captured my picture of them and then filled it in. I agree w/others that Stephen nor the fairy were portrayed correctly, but it was all okay ... such a huge undertaking! I can forgive. The ending is all different but I didn't care. I'm still glowing from it all!
Andrea
I struggled with the book when it first came out but finished it. Then I watched the BBC production and went back to the book and raced through it. I just needed the visual help the BBC provided.
Now maybe they would help me with Anathem.
Now maybe they would help me with Anathem.
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