A review by lynwho
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I loved the show and I can honestly say I think the book is marginally better!! The adaptation follows the book plot beat for beat to an impressive degree
most significant differences I noticed:
Madeline doesn’t tell Jane she looked up Saxon Banks, and she doesn’t go on her road trip to find him.. I preferred the books decision, where it is revealed that Jane picked Pirriwee specifically for Perry, and I can tell that plot point evolved into Jane’s search for Saxon in the show
Bonnie essentially immediately confesses after the night. In the show, they keep it a secret and drag the confession throughout all of S2. I don’t think the show ever even tells you what the consequences are, which in a way I do prefer to how little the investigation results in anything. I think comparatively, the book wraps everything up too quickly at the end
And then another thing I liked better in the book — Ed and Nathan are there when Perry dies. I think this adds a nice layer to the way the women immediately protect Bonnie. I understand the change though, as it allows for the drama to go on longer and for the tension of the secret to permeate season 2
most significant differences I noticed:
Spoiler
Madeline doesn’t tell Jane she looked up Saxon Banks, and she doesn’t go on her road trip to find him.. I preferred the books decision, where it is revealed that Jane picked Pirriwee specifically for Perry, and I can tell that plot point evolved into Jane’s search for Saxon in the show
Bonnie essentially immediately confesses after the night. In the show, they keep it a secret and drag the confession throughout all of S2. I don’t think the show ever even tells you what the consequences are, which in a way I do prefer to how little the investigation results in anything. I think comparatively, the book wraps everything up too quickly at the end
And then another thing I liked better in the book — Ed and Nathan are there when Perry dies. I think this adds a nice layer to the way the women immediately protect Bonnie. I understand the change though, as it allows for the drama to go on longer and for the tension of the secret to permeate season 2