Charlaine Harris "Sookie Stackhouse" Series SPOILERS

[BurgundyElephant]

This thread is to discuss the Sookie Stackhouse series. HBO is basing "True Blood" on the books. The True Blood thread is here.

There *will* be spoilers in this thread, so read at your own risk.

[BurgundyElephant]

To continue the conversation from the True Blood Thread:

Originally Posted by BurgundyElephant

So, I read all 8 books. In like three days. They're really good! I would really recommend them. YES, you will know what's going on. Yes, it was as Charlaine Harris said that the show is based on the books but Alan Ball has made it his own. No spoilers from me, I promise!

It's hard for me now to not be a *little* disappointed in the show now. The scene in the graveyard with Bill and Sookie is so much *more* in the book - a lot more emotion and powerful - in the show it's like "Hey, you're alive! Let's kanoodle!" and in the book it's "Bill, I have to tell you something bad, omg, I didn't do it, let's kanoodle to redirect your anger!" And lots of rain. I can see why pp reads them every year or so - I'm definately planning on keeping my set.

The scene with Jason and the girl kidnapping the vamp was horrid. What a horrible woman.

Originally Posted by whateverdidiwants

Do you feel differently about Bill now, too, knowing that Sophie Ann sent him?

Originally Posted by ktbug

Yes, actually, though I'm wondering how Alan Ball's going to treat that, given that Bill's such a hero at this point in the series. (i'm not burgundy elephant, lol)

Originally Posted by BurgundyElephant

Didi - Yes, and no. I did read the books in order, so I really thought Bill liked her at the beginning. I was horrified for her when Eric told her about Sophie Ann in the hospital. BUT, I take Bill at face value later when he says that at the beginning he thought it was beneath him, but then he came to love her. Who knows when he actually fell in love... part of me likes to think it was before the first time they had relations but knowing him he probably just did it to "seal the deal". After she broke it off with him it (oh, what, the third time?) then I think it was definately over. Raping her later (car trunk) was just dirt on the grave of their relationship, so to speak. I don't *hate* Bill but I do think she's better off without him. I personally like Eric.

Originally Posted by Katie Bugs Mama

Burgandy Elephant:
I can't manage to be as charitable to Bill as you are. I think that he regrets using Sookie not because he loves her but because he misses having unlimited access to her fairy blood. It's supposed to be powerfully addictive for vampires, you know. Also, he also was never very generous towards Sookie. He never seemed to care when she was struggling financial, even while he was lavishing money on the Bellefleurs (who look down on Sookie and wouldn't give Bill the time of day.)

Erik, on the other hand, has always been much more thoughtful towards Sookie than Bill ever has. And he wasn't doing just because Sophie Ann told him to. I'm a huge fan of Erik, but I think that I like Quinn even more at least until the last book. Alcide isn't so bad either, except for the whole psycho-ex-girlfriend thing.

[BurgundyElephant]

Yes, I can see the point about the faerie blood. I always thought that Sookie was kind of prideful about the money - like she wouldn't have taken it anyway which is why Eric worked around it. I loved the new gravel driveway.

The casting of Eric for TrueBlood bothered me. Isn't he like 6'4" in the book? And in the first couple of shows I thought he's looked really short. But then on this last one (when Sookie reads the bar employees minds) he actually looked pretty good in that shirt.

I really liked Alcide in the first couple books he was in. Yeah, Debbie is nuts, but Alcide was romantic. But after the pack fight that whole scene just painted to me that he really *couldn't* be with a non-were. What do you guys think?

[PatchyMama]

I just finished reading all 8 books in like 3 days... and I am left feeling... eh. I don't know... I need some resolution to Bill/Eric LOL I rushed through them hoping that there would be some closure by the 8th book and now I feel lame I was originally all for Bill, even up to the hostile takeover and now I am not so sure.

*sigh*

The casting of Eric for TrueBlood bothered me.

Now that I have read the books, I agree that I am not sure the casting was just right for him. He isn't sexy enough for me

[whateverdidiwants]

I saw on the preview for tonight that Bill has Sam watch Sookie while he goes out of town - that must mean there's no Bubba. That bums me out!

[Katie Bugs Mama]

I suspect that the Presley estate would go ballistic over the portrayal of Elvis as a brain-damaged vampire. I bet that that is why HBO cut that bit.

As for the men in Sookie's life, the ones that I think she would be best off with are Sam and Quinn. Sam really cares about her, with no ulterior motives, and Quinn was a great guy until the very last book. Even in the last book, I kind of felt like Sookie was a little hard on him.

His mother is hopelessly mentally ill and his sister relies on him completely. He and his sister did what they could to warn Sookie about what was going on, but she seemed to think that it was too little too late. Sookie could just as easily have been pleased with the fact that Quinn is a good son and brother (and, by extension, likely to be just as devoted to his chosen mate.) Quinn is just the epitome of every thing that Sookie would probably like Jason to be, yet she doesn't value those characteristics in Quinn at all.

I'll admit that I only read the last book once and flew through it pretty quickly, so I'm sure that there is a lot that I'm not remembering. However, it left me with a profound sense that Charlaine Harris is so desperate to maintain the romantic tension in Sookie's life that she had to come up with something to drive a wedge between Quinn and Sookie, even though the something that she came up with didn't ring true.

OTOH, I'm excited by the whole Naill subplot and by Sookie's little cousin Hunter. I hope that we see more of both of them in the next book.

[BurgundyElephant]

PatchyMama - imagine how irritated *I* was. I NEVER read a series until they're all released - I waited years to read Harry Potter. I still haven't read Wheel of Time. So I'm online and I hear about Dead Until Dark and someone says there are only 7 books. (There were actually 8 already.) I'm a nitwit and think that means they're all done. Noooooo. So now I'm waiting for the next with everyone else.

"brain-damaged vampire" haha. He does make a great subplot, though. Who will have killed the were?

I wonder about her ending up with any shapeshifter, truthfully. I mean, she mentions here and there if she ends up with a vampire she won't be able to have kids, but if she ends up with a shapeshifter I wonder if her children will be able to change... thus would whoever she ends up with be secretly upset about that?

Now, about Tara. In the books she's such a small character - with the show at first I really liked her speaking up about stuff, but she's gotten a bit crazed. I wonder if they're going to get her to be more "normal" after the exorcism and then she can eventually get a real career, etc. Perhaps that won't happen until some time in the third season (based on the events in the second book)?

As far as the exorcism stuff goes... when I first saw it on True Blood I was just laughing in disbelief... then I started to think about it and wonder if this is Alan Ball's way of introducing other paranormal stuff besides the vampires and the allusion to Sam's shapeshifting. I know that the other demons actually have their own bodies but I wonder if they're all born or some are just possessing bodies. So perhaps her Mom really did have a demon and Tara does too. Make sense? Check your disbelief at the door, I guess.

[roostery]

Oh Yay! I love Charlaine Harris, I get a new one and my DH and DDs know that aren't going to get any attention until I've finished it.

I was very pro Quinn but I see Sookie's reason's for leaving him. I'm still big on the Eric bandwagon.

Did anyone else read Harris' short story in the Wolfsbane and Mistletoe compilation? What a nice present --for an adrenaline junkie! I don't think I'd be thanking my fairy grandfather for it at all.

We don't get cable (or even tv, really) so I won't be seeing True Blood until it comes out on video (if our library decides to buy it), people seem pretty divided about it though, so maybe it's not a big deal to be missing it.

[Katie Bugs Mama]

I don't think that your missing much by not watching True Blood. The previews following last night's episode really turned me off. Something about Bill going on trial for killing Long Shadow and (maybe) being sentenced to five years bound in silver chains or something like that. I think that the original stories are good enough that there really is no need to deviate from them so far.

[PatchyMama]

yeah last night's episode really threw me and now I wonder how far off the books they are going to go. I will probably watch the rest of the season, but its weird LOL

[BurgundyElephant]

Didn't Eric stake Longshadow in the book?

I noticed that Eric questioned Bill about why he's protectiing Sookie "Because that would require an edict and that's something I would know about, right?" so they're alluding to the Queen earlier than in the books.

Roostery, I haven't read that compilation book yet. I put all the compilations on hold from the library and some of them are quite a wait out. There are lots of them! I did find another good author from one of the compilations, though - Angela Knight. (whoo whoo)

[inkedmamajama]

i was disapointed that they left out so much in this latest episode. and changed the whole eric staking longshadow thing.

meh.

[holyhelianthus]

K I haven't read a single post here because I don't want to burn my eyes with spoilers, so when you respond if you can like bold my name (ie MAGGIE) so I know it's safe to read I'd appreciate it.

Question...
I have watched the series and like it but I like books more. I am getting a little extra money from picking up some extra work a few weeks back and I was thinking of buying the books as a much needed special treat. I found this deal on B&N.com and I am wondering if it's worth it. I'm suuuuper cheap and although it is a great deal it's still over $1 and that to me makes me apprehensive

So I want to know if it's worth it.

(and I can't go to the library as they don't have the books in my area and they are all back ordered in others as the books have gotten way popular. Basically I am impatient )

[Katie Bugs Mama]

Originally Posted by BurgundyElephant

Didn't Eric stake Longshadow in the book?)

Yeah. And it was no big deal -- no tribunal or whatever. The only effect at all was that Sookie got a big ol' dose of vamp blood as Longshadow was dying.

I think that it is better for the plot if Eric kills Longshadow because it shows that he feels something for Sookie too. He's definitely not in love with her or anything, but he is intrigued. It makes him a much more interesting and multi-faceted character than it looks like TB-Eric is shaping up to be.

[Periwinkle]

Where's the poking your eyes out smiley? I snuck in here as a True Blood watcher only - in spite of being warned - and waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. That is all.

[annettemarie]

Moving to television

[PatchyMama]

Originally Posted by magstphil

K I haven't read a single post here because I don't want to burn my eyes with spoilers, so when you respond if you can like bold my name (ie MAGGIE) so I know it's safe to read I'd appreciate it.

Question...
I have watched the series and like it but I like books more. I am getting a little extra money from picking up some extra work a few weeks back and I was thinking of buying the books as a much needed special treat. I found this deal on B&N.com and I am wondering if it's worth it. I'm suuuuper cheap and although it is a great deal it's still over $1 and that to me makes me apprehensive

So I want to know if it's worth it.

(and I can't go to the library as they don't have the books in my area and they are all back ordered in others as the books have gotten way popular. Basically I am impatient )

Maggie

Its a good deal in the sense that it looks like its 7 books for about $5 each book (the paperbacks are regularly 7.99 full price). BUT it doesn't include book 8, which I think is only available in hardback right now.

[journeymom]

Annette, I might be mistaken but I think this thread is to discuss the books that the tv series is based upon, so therefore would belong in the books forum.

[annettemarie]

Whoops sorry. In my defense, I'm drinking.

[journeymom]

An election night drinking game?