I'm So Confused!

 Virgin River.

I had heard about this series of novels from several people, and I decided to start reading the books, one by one, starting with the first one.

About the same time I heard that Netflix had a great series called "Virgin River" that was based on the same book series by Robyn Cook.  

Let me preface this by saying that I am an English teacher, and I know that when books/novels are adapted into film in any way, shape, or form, there will be differences.

Instance #1 - Thorn Birds.    I started reading this book when Megan was born ---I know.  Years and years ago since she will be 40 in April.  But I had so much trouble getting into that book.  I forced myself to continue reading until my attention was finally captured. I loved the book after that point.  When we watched the movie in my Novels class later, the story on the film began about the same place when my attention was hooked.  The person who wrote the screenplay must have felt the same way I did because those scenes didn't appear in the movie at any point.

Instance #2 - The Firm - I loved Grisham's book and I was looking forward to seeing the film in the theatre. When Gary and I saw it at the Isis Theatre in Winamac, I couldn't believe how different it was from what I read.   On the drive home Gary was talking about how much he enjoyed the film, and I added that I didn't really enjoy it because the book was SO much better and I felt like I had missed out on some key scenes that had been omitted.

Now this one.

I wanted to read the first book before I watched the first season on Netflix.    Before we could watch the first episode, however, Hilary shared with me several things that she really liked about the series she had watched.  As she talked, I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Charmaine was a hairstylist with her own salon in Clear River.  What?  She was an older lady who waited tables at a bar with a deceased husband and grown children.  Oh..and then she was pregnant with Jack's baby?  Not in the book!

In the book Connie had a heart attack and had to be taken to the hospital in a town an hour away in the back of a pick up with Mel holding the IV bag.  Not in the book!  That trip in the pick up was with a young girl who was poisoned by tainted well water.  Her parents were sick too.  Not in the book!

Hope entices Mel to Virgin River to be the nurse practitioner and seems to shuffle around, in and out of the bar, never having a major role in the story line.  In the series, however,  she is always around, meddles in everything, and lo and behold..... is married to the doctor.  They are in the midst of a divorce though.  But she is everywhere!  Not in the book.

Mel's cabin is in shambles when she arrives, but she stays in a room above the doctor's offices.  In the film version, she stays in a boarding house until she is surprised by Jack with a completely renovated cabin.  

Paige is a young mother who is fleeing with her son from an abusive husband/father.  She takes wrong turn and ends up in Virgin River at Jack's Bar, meeting Preacher the night she arrives.  She works behind the bar, in the kitchen, and develops a relationship with Preacher.  She does not have a food truck.  She has not changed her name.  

You know, when one reads a book, a character is defined by his/her actions, speech, profession, relationships, personality, character, likes and dislikes.  The reader has a picture in her mind of that character that works in the situations the character experiences. My picture of the characters in Virgin River are not consistent with the actors/actresses I see on the screen.  Mel is just not strong enough or petite enough or forceful enough.  She should be wearing jeans and boots all the time.  She doesn't.    Doc should be an old, crotchety man, not Tim Matheson. 

I have read nearly 2/3 of the second book in the series, Shelter Mountain.  I like it.  

Tonight we finished watching season one of Virgin River on Netflix.

I feel like the two are so different that they are really separate entities.  

What to do?  What to do?

Right now the best plan for me is to read and enjoy the books.  I can also watch and enjoy the series. 

But I can't keep saying "Well, THIS isn't in the book" and enjoy either. 

As of right now, Friday evening at 11:03 p.m. on January 29, 2021, the two are different stories with some characters who have the same names.  I will continue to picture Mel, Jack, Doc, and Preacher as I want to.  I will watch them on the tv screen and see totally different types of characters for the film version.  I have to do that.  Why?

Because otherwise, I will be SO confused!