I love reading. It's one of my favorite pastimes and I enjoy talking about books with other people. Book adaptations are always coming out in theaters, and readers get to see their favorite stories come to life. Sometimes the adaptation is great, and other times it can be a huge let down because many of the ideas or details get left out. It is now becoming more common to see TV series based on books. I think this is the best to adapt even a single book because you can have plenty of time to include everything that was in the book where movies have time restraints of a few hours. Netflix has become known for their incredible series, and they have many to choose from if you want to see your favorite read on the screen; these are four of the Netflix series based on novels.
1. The Haunting of Hill House
This show became a huge hit upon its release in October of 2018. The eerie, frightening show is based on a novel of the same name by Shirley Jackson. If you've seen the show, you know the oldest Crain daughter is named Shirley, and that was their way of paying homage to the writer. The show, while brilliant, was loosely inspired by the book at best; the only similarities being the names of some characters, some lines, and ideas used in the show, and of course Hill House. Even though the series isn't a true adaptation, the book is still worth reading if you enjoyed the show and it will give you just as many chills.
2. Watership Down
Based on the novel by Richard Adams, the show "Watership Down" was just released on Netflix this past December. The books follow a group of rabbits as they try to find a safe new home after a small rabbit, Fiver has a prophetic dream that their warren will be destroyed and they will die. A movie adaption was made of the book in 1978, and it made me cry like a child because it showed bunnies dying, but the book will make you cry from sadness. The Netflix show has unique animation, and it does have a few detail changes, but overall does a great job of portraying the beloved novel.
3. Alias Grace
This show is based on a book written by Margaret Atwood, best known for "The Handmaid's Tale." This show is about a housemaid who was convicted of murdering her employers and their housekeeper then sentenced to life in prison. Her situation is sticky, though, because she claims to have no memory of the events. With the help a psychiatrist, she hopes to regain her memory and gain her freedom. The fact that the story is based on real 19th events makes the story even better.
4. Mindhunter
The star-studded Netflix original is based on the book "Mindhunter" Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit" by Mark Olshaker and retired FBI agent John Douglas. Having interviewed, confronted, and researched serial killers including John Wayne Gacy and Charles Manson, and developed new ways of learning about what makes them tick, Special Agent Douglas's book and the show based on it will intrigue crime buffs everywhere. They both give insight into how the FBI works and how serial killers think. The Netflix show masterfully brings Douglas's book and experiences to life, and you won't be able to look away.
