On Monday, I posted my thoughts on why I generally don’t read the source material for TV shows that I watch or plan to see. I decided to take the question to my fellow Clackers and see if they followed the same rule or not. Here are some of their thoughts on the issue:
An: You know, for TV shows, I tend to take that approach. If I haven’t watched the show previously, I don’t go out of my way to read the books during the season. TV shows gear themselves towards serialization and longevity. Out of necessity, certain story lines will undergo modification, elision or extension for dramatic purposes. So, yes, I avoided reading the Legend of the Seeker, The Vampire Diaries, and Sookie Stackhouse novels. Although I read most of Candace Bushnell’s novels, I didn’t read the Sex and the City short stories until the series ended.
Ivey: Personally, I don’t have a problem consuming and appreciating the two separate works independently. Maybe it is a function of how I read books … I don’t necessarily fill and create a scene visually in my mind. As an example (not that it happened this way and in this order for me) when they cast Katniss in the Hunger Games movies, many people were saying that Lawrence didn’t have the right look, was too old, blah blah. Not me, because I never took the time to envision what I thought Katniss would look like.
But, if I were to sit down and read all of the True Blood books before the next season starts, it wouldn’t change my appreciation for either. It is rare that a movie/TV show can be a perfect adaptation of a book. I guess my main point is this: it’s just not right to let your appreciation (or lack thereof) of one thing in any way impede the potential to appreciate something else, especially when they’re so closely related.
Jen: I enjoy reading source material, but maybe I am just too lazy to go out and find new material. I was horribly disappointed in the last Harry Potter book, but I have a different relationship with the movies and those characters and actors. I will see the movies through to the end, even though that last book just about ruined the books for me.
I am reading the Dexter series right now, and it is a lot different from the show, but that is really cool because I get to follow my character on two different, interesting tracks. I wasn’t sure I’d like the books if they were different, though. But since they were source material and not based on the TV show, it’s cool. I have occasionally read a book that is based on TV or movie source-material. Largely, I’d avoid that, but the book for Star Trek II was very good. I have a feeling that last remark really dates me….
Keith: I’m sorta ashamed to admit that I use knowing what new movies or TV shows are coming as a basis of what reading material I want to pick up next. I’m reading (listening to, actually) World War Z partly because Ivey recommended it, but also because a movie is in the works.
I’ve done this for more than a few movies and TV shows, and sometimes I’m happy I read the books first, other times it’s ruined the experience in a spoilery way. As you can tell, I’m a weird spoiler type in that I can’t help myself to read them, then I’m sorry I did. Glutton of punishment I guess.
Michael: When The Walking Dead fast approached last year, I had the opportunity to devour the books before the show took hold. I decided not to do. I just got done reading the compendium. While there are some outstanding situations in the books, I am very glad to have not read them prior to viewing the show. There was stuff in the show that simply could not be translated in the comics. Still, having read the series to this point, I can state it is in and of itself good stuff overall; different from the six episodes seen, but lesser in some parts, greater in others than the books. But, I’m a big fan of the show.
True Blood? Read the first book years ago before the series premiered. Corrections: specifically read the book before the series premiered. I enjoyed the book much more than the first over-the-top and practically pornographic first season. Meh.
It all depends on who you are and what your expectations are. I sympathize with Keith in that he’s the type who “can’t help myself to read them, then I’m sorry I did.” That’s gotta be rough, especially if it rips you up and makes you regret having done so.
Now that you have read our thoughts, what do you do? Do you read the source materials or avoid them? Or, are you like Keith and An and can’t avoid the spoilers and then regret it?
Clacked by Carla Day 
on Apr 13, 2011 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
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