So I bought Season One of Gossip Girl on dvd last week and was very excited that it included the audio book of the first book in the series. Only after I finished listening and during the credits did I find out I had just spend several hours listening to an abridged version! Abridged=EVIL! It said nothing about that anywhere in the packaging. If only it had come in the packaging pictured above!So instead of doing a review (since I have no idea what was cut out) I thought I'd do some comparing and contrasting! This weekend I did a refresher on the show and watched the first few episodes.
Compare and Contrast:
-The characters for the most part seem to have the same personalities.
-Vanessa is a lot more important in the books than on the show. She goes to the same school as the girls and sounds more badass.
-Eric is Serena's older brother in the books and away at college and on the show he is her younger brother and lives at home with Serena.
-Chuck is scarf boy in both the show and the book.
-Seems they use more drugs in the book than the show. After the first episode you don't really see any to my recollection.
- Jenny has "big boobs" in the book and they don't let you forget it!
-Dan and Jenny's dad Rufus seems maybe not as nice in the books and is wealthy.
- Serena's and Chuck's parents are both still together in the first book, I think?
- Blair's mother has a boyfriend in the book and not in the first few episodes. Her father has left her for a man in both.
- Dan smokes in the book but not on the show.
- Serena and Dan meet in a totally different way on the show than in the book but the night ends the same way.
-Blair and Nate's relationship seems about the same in both.
So that's what I got. I'm sure there is more. What have you noticed?
Here are a few questions I have:
Do we ever find out what body part of Serena's was plastered in the ads in the book? I don't recall them ever saying what it was in the book, maybe it was abridged out! Or in the second book?
Did anyone else notice that Blair's mom is a totally different person between the Pilot and Episode two?
And who the heck are the people on the cover of the book?
What did you notice when comparing the tv show and the first book? Which do you like better?
I watched the TV programme before picking up the books and found the books to be loathsome.
ReplyDeleteI've never read the book but I am addicted to the show!! LOVE it!
ReplyDeletexoxo
I enjoy the TV show, but I didn't like the first book. I was entertained, but if I had a daughter, I would not want her reading this series. The TV show is pretty scandalous, too, but I feel like there's a little bit more depth to it than what I read in the first book.
ReplyDeleteAt some point I need to watch the show...I have season 1 from Netflix, but I'm trying to finish True Blood first.
ReplyDeleteI've never read the book or watched the show! Haha, I'm not sure how I managed to avoid it. I wasn't really doing it on purpose either. I can't believe they abridged the book though, they aren't that long anyway, right? It's not Charles Dickens...abridgment makes no sense to me.
ReplyDeleteI have never read the book and not seen the movie :( so i didn't read the post...sorry :) it doesn't make sense to me that's why :)
ReplyDeleteI read the first book after watching season 1, and immediately vowed never to pick up another of the books again. The show is great- the characters are interesting without being really obnoxious. But I hated every second of the books.
ReplyDeleteOh! I'm glad I've read this. I too got excited about the audio book of GG with my DVDS - I'm not a big audio book fan, but was willing to give it a go ... but it's abridged!? Grrr!
ReplyDeleteI think I won't listen now and will buy the book instead!
Michelle- Yeah I think I like the show better!
ReplyDeleteK and/or K- The show is so great!
Charley- Well put! I feel the same!
S. Krishna- I hope you enjoy it!
Amee- I know it doesn't make sense why it would be abridged! I rather like the show, you should try it sometime!
Veens- It's a good guilty pleasure show!
Shauna- I think I need to read the book and see what I missed on the audio tape but I definitely like the show more i think!
Elle- Yeah I was so mad when I found out it was abridged, waste of time!