Review of Charlaine Harris's Dead Until Dark
Examination of the Book That Inspired the HBO Series True Blood
Jun 9, 2009
True Blood, like many novel-to-screen adaptations, is not exactly like the book from whence it came. The first season of the HBO series closely follows Charlaine Harris's first Sookie Stackhouse novel entitled Dead Until Dark. It doesn't exactly mirror the book, though, and while that shouldn't ruin one's enjoyment of either medium, it may compel one to pick up the book.
Life in Bon Temps
Dead Until Dark follows the life of cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who lives in a small town in northern Louisiana called Bon Temps. She doesn't have many close friends and has rarely dated because of her self-described disability: Sookie is telepathic.
Sookie works for Sam Merlotte, owner of the bar Merlotte's. One night, a vampire by the name of Bill Compton enters the bar. The Japanese have invented synthetic blood, and, ever since, vampires have "come out of the coffin." Sookie is attracted to the vampire, but she realizes almost immediately that with him comes an added bonus: She cannot hear his thoughts. She finds being around him to be peaceful and relaxing.
The two hit it off when Sookie saves Bill from being bled to death by the wicked Rattray couple; he in turn rescues her from them just a few days later. As their relationship blossoms, Sam confesses his affection for Sookie. Eventually, Sookie consumates her romance with Bill (giving up her maidenhood). She questions if having a relationship with a vampire is a good idea, but eventually decides that his love is worth other sacrifices she'll have to make (such as never seeing Bill during the day and accepting that he is truly no longer human).
Murder in the Air
One by one, female "fangbangers" (women who have been intimate with vampires) turn up dead by strangulation. The citizens of Bon Temps find themselves getting jumpy, and many people blame Bill and other vampires who have visited him. Eventually, Sookie's brother Jason is blamed because it is confirmed that he has been intimate with the women in question. When Sookie's grandmother is murdered, Jason is even further scrutinized.
Sookie is pursued by the killer as well, because he perceives her as a "lewd" fangbanger. In the end, though, Sookie is able to use her telepathy to identify her killer, and while she has a lot of healing to do, Bill promises her that they will soon be "back to normal."
Sookie's Love Triangle
Dead Until Dark is a quick, fun read. Sookie narrates the book, so readers not only experience events through her eyes, but they can also enjoy her smooth Southern voice. Sookie is extremely intelligent and perceptive; on the other hand, she is naive and innocent, uttering exclamations such as, "Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea."
Sookie is undeniably a strong, unforgettable character, as is Bill, "her" vampire, a Southern gentleman trying to "mainstream" with humans. Sam as well is charming and fallible (and he also has his own little disability; he's a shapeshifter). The chemistry and relationships among these three are credible, and the dialogue feels natural.
True Blood
Unlike the television show, Jason's character is not quite as prominent. He is still promiscuous, but we only see and hear about it through Sookie. He causes more misery to himself in the book, while in the television show, much of what happens to him is circumstantial. There is also no character named Tara in Dead Until Dark (she turns up in the second book) and the character of Lafayette, while accurate, is less prominent.
True Blood introduces the "Vampire Rights Amendment," wherein vampires are a minority and are regarded sometimes as less than human. The series also explores the drug trade around "V juice," something only hinted at when the Rattrays decide to drain Bill. The book describes Bill giving Sookie his blood in order to heal her, and his blood makes her healthier, stronger, and more sexual. Finally, the television show has Sookie getting help from her two suitors when the killer has her trapped; in the book, Sookie saves herself. The book is centered around a mystery and a brave heroine; the show also explores society and how minorities are treated.
Sookie's Perspective
The main plot of the series (as well as most of the characters) comes directly from the book. What makes the book enjoyable is "hearing" the story exclusively from Sookie's point of view in her voice. Readers know her thoughts, feel her feelings, explore her life as a telepath, and no other character can obscure her viewpoint.
For a reader who hasn't seen True Blood, Dead Until Dark will be an unexpected, entertaining, light read. Fans of the television show, however, shouldn't let that stop them from picking up the book. The differences are varied enough to make it worth the journey through the pages. Harris's down-to-earth, smart-and-sassy narrator Sookie makes the book one readers don't want to put down, even when they read well into the night.
Dead Until Dark. Charlaine Harris. Ace Books. ISBN 978-0441016990
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