The Vampire Diaries by L. J. Smith
Oct. 7th, 2010 09:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meganbmooreI only read the first four books (originally a trilogy, but the fourth was, I understand, written after the fans cried too much about the ending), not the new books that I understand may be someone else using the pen name, which is owned by the publisher.
These aren’t as good as the other L.J. Smith books I’ve read, but not, IMO, anywhere near as bad as people say they are. If nothing else, I’ve certainly encountered far worse that’s been called better.
I prefer the plot of the TV series, but wish it’s sensibilities were closer to those of the books. The books are a pretty straightforward vampire/human teen romance series, whereas the show moves past that as a focus fairly quickly, and moves on to smalltown mythology andmagically almost-racially equal history where the supernatural is real. But in the books, there’s a plotarc early on where Stefan, the vampire boyfriend, is kidnapped. Elena marches up to the person she believes is responsible, tells him she will figuratively rip out his spine and beat him up with it if he’s hurt her boyfriend, then gathers up her sidekicks and rescues the damsel. In the series, Elena is told that she’s a delicate flower whose safety must not be risked, and ordered to wait in the car. I am so impressed with this updating, even with the increased threat level, let me tell you.
The books have far, far fewer dead women, no rapes (and the one rape attempt results in the attempted rapist being beaten to a pulp, and every single character hates his guts for the rest of the series) and takes people’s attitudes and actions far more seriously, and never expects us to start sympathizing with abusers and rapists because they have angst. For that matter, though still not my type, I have pretty much no problems with Damon, and would have far fewer problems with the series if they’d left him the way he was. I mean, my book/tv character preference varies on an individual basis, but that’s the only one that I feel strongly about.
I do agree with some dislikers of the books that the last book is the only one that’s really good, and it’s notably the only one that’s really like the other LJS books I’ve been reading, but I also really liked how Elena’s pursuit of Stefan in the first book reminded me of Cordelia’s interest in Angel in the first season of Buffy, and, well, almost nothing that reminds me of pre-Angel mid-season 3 Cordy is bad in my book. I’m extremely disappointed that the TV series cut Meredith out, but they also transferred a lot of her personality traits to Bonnie (and a lot of book!Bonnie’s traits to tv!Caroline) resulting in Meredith being my favorite in the books, and Bonnie my favorite in the show.
These aren’t as good as the other L.J. Smith books I’ve read, but not, IMO, anywhere near as bad as people say they are. If nothing else, I’ve certainly encountered far worse that’s been called better.
I prefer the plot of the TV series, but wish it’s sensibilities were closer to those of the books. The books are a pretty straightforward vampire/human teen romance series, whereas the show moves past that as a focus fairly quickly, and moves on to smalltown mythology and
The books have far, far fewer dead women, no rapes (and the one rape attempt results in the attempted rapist being beaten to a pulp, and every single character hates his guts for the rest of the series) and takes people’s attitudes and actions far more seriously, and never expects us to start sympathizing with abusers and rapists because they have angst. For that matter, though still not my type, I have pretty much no problems with Damon, and would have far fewer problems with the series if they’d left him the way he was. I mean, my book/tv character preference varies on an individual basis, but that’s the only one that I feel strongly about.
I do agree with some dislikers of the books that the last book is the only one that’s really good, and it’s notably the only one that’s really like the other LJS books I’ve been reading, but I also really liked how Elena’s pursuit of Stefan in the first book reminded me of Cordelia’s interest in Angel in the first season of Buffy, and, well, almost nothing that reminds me of pre-Angel mid-season 3 Cordy is bad in my book. I’m extremely disappointed that the TV series cut Meredith out, but they also transferred a lot of her personality traits to Bonnie (and a lot of book!Bonnie’s traits to tv!Caroline) resulting in Meredith being my favorite in the books, and Bonnie my favorite in the show.