Everyone knows that the books are always better than the movie/show adaptation. And I can agree. Usually. In some cases though, I feel like the show adaptations are great, and dare I say even better than the book sometimes. For example, I would confidently say that shows like “Normal People,” “Shadow and Bone,” and “Daisy Jones and the Six,” are some of the best book to show adaptations I’ve seen.
When I read “Normal People” by Sally Rooney, I hated it. As a realistic fiction book, I was sort of out of my element, but still wanted to give it a try. I immediately regretted that decision. I wasn’t a fan of the writing style, and found it very difficult to get through. I knew that there was a show, but I was hesitant to watch it because I hated the book so much. However, my love for Daisy Edgar Jones overrode my dislike for the book, so I watched it. As I went on to watch the show, I quickly fell in love with it. This was obviously a shock, considering the fact that the show is nearly the exact same as the book, but somehow, infinitely better. This show quickly became one of my favorites, and I’ve recommended it to multiple people. The vibes of the show, the setting, and all the feelings between the two characters are absolutely perfect, and I would highly recommend it.
If you haven’t heard of “Shadow and Bone,” it is a young adult fantasy written by Leigh Bardugo, who has also written her most popular duology, “Six of Crows.” While these two series are separate, they are in the same world, but in a slightly different timeline. These two are both good, but “Six of Crows” is definitely the star of her writing. When the first season of “Shadow and Bone” came out in 2021, I watched immediately, and loved it so much. However, when the second season came out, I didn’t watch it, claiming I’d watch soon, but never got to it. Needless to say, I still think that the show is great, and took an interesting twist. Instead of just focusing on “Shadow and Bone,” Bardugo and the other directors must’ve known that people would prefer to see “Six of Crows,” so they created both in the same season. They went for a different route and mixed the stories together, which I really enjoyed. I probably wouldn’t have watched the show if there weren’t any “Six of Crows” characters in it, so I’m happy they made that decision. Especially because after the second season came out, Netflix decided to cancel the show, breaking many fantasy lovers’ hearts.
I’ve talked about “Daisy Jones and the Six” before, but I still wanted to add it to this article, because after recently rewatching the series, my love for it still hasn’t diminished. Based on the book by Taylor Jenkins Reid, it follows a band and their rising fame, and deals with some serious issues like drug use and how fame can affect people. While I like this author’s other books even more, I still really enjoyed it and was very excited for the show to come out. When I first watched it, I was surprised at how similar it was, but also how they added some extra differences. I think that what the directors added to the show made it even better, and added an extra layer of complexity that the book never had. I think that everything from the cast to the music was phenomenal, and everyone should watch it.
I’d also like to make some honorable mentions to shows like “Lord of the Rings,” “Little Women,” “The Color Purple,” and “Perks of a Wallflower.” Since I haven’t actually read the books, I can’t definitively say that the movie/show is better, but I’d be willing to make that bet.
Overall, I will usually agree with people that the book is better than a movie/show adaptation, but every once in a while, I prefer a show, whether because the book is terrible, or because the directors just did a fantastic job. I would rate all of these shows 5/5 Spartan heads, and would highly recommend them.