To answer questions about
Altered Carbon,
please sign up.
Susan
It’s pretty well blasphemy to enjoy a show or movie version of a book more than the book itself and I feel kind of ashamed to say it but The TV show of Altered Carbon was far superior to the book. The TV show took an average novel and tightened up the story, made changes to some of the problematic elements and was so much more compelling than the book. I had no emotional attachment to anything that happened in the book or to any of the characters. In contrast I was deeply involved in the TV show.
Djordje
I strongly disagree with Susan. I feel the show's heavily changed to appease to the wider public and make it easier to relate to the characters. It looks good and the atmosphere that certain scenes create is great, but bar the visuals and the acting at times, nothing is exceptional.
The book's plot makes much more sense to me, while the last two episodes of the show cram so much stuff just to make sense to the changes of the plot that its borderline farcical. Some characters make weird and illogical decisions and feel completely unnecessary. Granted, the book is not too easy to read and if you are just looking for some bedtime material, skip it. But if you are willing to invest yourself, I'd definitely recommend it, after you've watched the show.
The book's plot makes much more sense to me, while the last two episodes of the show cram so much stuff just to make sense to the changes of the plot that its borderline farcical. Some characters make weird and illogical decisions and feel completely unnecessary. Granted, the book is not too easy to read and if you are just looking for some bedtime material, skip it. But if you are willing to invest yourself, I'd definitely recommend it, after you've watched the show.
Lizzie
I agree with Susan. The book bored me and I never finished it. The TV show was better paced and more engaging.
Elyse
I've enjoyed both the show and the book very much. I just finished the first book and watched the show when it came out. They go well together but can be enjoyed separately as well. I'm excited for season 2 and will finish reading the books before it comes out.
Nick O'doherty
I haven't seen the show so my comments are not so relevant, and my enjoyment of the book may be related to my reading approach. I agree that there are aspects of the book that are problematic. It seems to assume knowledge and specific vocabulary at the beginning that does not become clear until much later. This may be deliberate to create a sense of confusion, or the author may have written or rewritten the first bits later. If not deliberate maybe it's just bad editing.
The plot is convoluted, but having recently been reading Agatha Christie's Miss Marple series the plot isn't really much more complicated than a classic 'who dunnit' , it seems so because the SF element means that there are classical anchors that no longer apply: an alibi fixing you in one place doesn't mean you couldn't be elsewhere; being killed is a temporary inconvenience with no trauma attached (if you are rich).
My reading approach is that my first read is fast and I miss things but I just devour the storyline. If I enjoyed the book I read it again, sometimes within days. So the the bits I found confusing and disorientating the first time are not usually an issue the second.
I really enjoyed the book. I'd place it alongside Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlow series for atmosphere and thriller story telling. But the existential and moral issues of consciousness transfer add to both the thrilling and the black atmosphere aspects
I would like to see the series now. Is it on Netflix or Amazon or something else?
The plot is convoluted, but having recently been reading Agatha Christie's Miss Marple series the plot isn't really much more complicated than a classic 'who dunnit' , it seems so because the SF element means that there are classical anchors that no longer apply: an alibi fixing you in one place doesn't mean you couldn't be elsewhere; being killed is a temporary inconvenience with no trauma attached (if you are rich).
My reading approach is that my first read is fast and I miss things but I just devour the storyline. If I enjoyed the book I read it again, sometimes within days. So the the bits I found confusing and disorientating the first time are not usually an issue the second.
I really enjoyed the book. I'd place it alongside Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlow series for atmosphere and thriller story telling. But the existential and moral issues of consciousness transfer add to both the thrilling and the black atmosphere aspects
I would like to see the series now. Is it on Netflix or Amazon or something else?
Ruby Jean
The book is not an easy read and in my opinion awful compared to the show. Don't read this, enjoy the show
Kostas
The show made a lot of changes that expanded the book's world and characters. Some of those changes work really well, some don't and I found that to weakening the plot and the mystery of the murder with each episode.
While the book, written in the first person, concentrating only on Takeshi, has overall a better and stronger development. So, personally, I would say the book is even better.
While the book, written in the first person, concentrating only on Takeshi, has overall a better and stronger development. So, personally, I would say the book is even better.
Amber
I watched one episode of the show and couldn't get into it at all, so I decided to read the book instead and I'm liking it a lot better.
Christie
I kind of wished I hadn't read the book and that it interfered my enjoyment of the series, which I feel fixed so many things that the book didn't deliver on.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more
May 15, 2019 02:59PM · flag
Aug 28, 2019 08:59PM · flag