Living Dead in Dallas (2nd book in series and template for Season 2)

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
I was glad to start "Living Dead in Dallas" as I was in the middle of "True Blood" on HBO since the series introduced many characters in Book 2 who will also become regulars in True Blood's Season 2. Creator Alan Ball has also mentioned that Season 2 will take a lot of inspiration from "Dead in Dallas," but I hope he improves on the novel.

The novel opens with Sookie finding the dead Lafayette in Andy Bellfleur's patrol car. She then has an encounter with the maenad (Marianne Forrester in the show) and then she and Bill head to Dallas to help Stan the Dallas vampire chief find his missing nestmate. Here in Dallas we meet the Fellowship of the Sun -- which I believe will be an important antagonist in Season 2. Sookie gets beat up a lot from beginning to end and after she and Bill survive two lovers' fights she helps Andy find who killed Lafayette. She kisses Eric the vampire and likes it and Bill doesn't seem to be all that jealous. This novel is full of plotholes (now, really, Bill doesn't know how he's related to the Bellefleurs and he hasn't looked at the family Bible since he's been living in Bon Temps?)and swift summaries -- like Harris knew she was going to go back and elaborate on her scenes, but never did. Perhaps she was bored with them and needed filler. Most of the cat and mouse scenes in Dallas reminded me of a Nancy Drew mystery and I couldn't finish this book long after I started it. But after Sookie and Bill leave Dallas the action picks up. In fact whenever Eric, Sookie and Bill are in a scene together (pick Eric/Sookie or Bill/Sookie) the writing is full of energy and is extremely enjoyable to read. Why can't all of the book be this way?

As some of the other reviewers have stated, I found Sookie very annoying in this book because she's written like a selfish bimbo. She is looking to pick a fight with Bill and seems to totally forget he's a vampire - Hello?!

I prefer everything about the show to the books, so far, but I like the books for the background information since the show throw's so much information at you to digest right away. All I can say, is Harris is a good writer, not a great writer, and she gave Alan Ball plenty to work with.


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Dead Until Dark Book Review (the 1st book in the series)

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

My review

(Writer's Note: I wrote this post in Nov 2008 during True Blood, Season 1)

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I'm now a big fan of HBO's True Blood - in fact, I look forward to the repeats! But the first episode of True Blood didn’t hook me until Vampire Bill presented at the night meeting of the Descendants of the Glorious Dead (Episode 5). Poor Bill Compton, make a vampire only when he was trying to find a safe haven after the Civil War ended. When I found out that True Blood was first the Sookie Stackhouse series, I got the first book in the series right away. It's told from Sookie's point of view and she's a likeable voice -- intelligent, a little corny and very brave.I got the book with the "True Blood" photo on it and it's a lot better than the original cover.

If you’re familiar with the HBO Series, then I’d recommend reading Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse “Southern Vampire Mystery Series.” Harris is a competent writer, although she’s no Alan Ball, the series’ writer and creator. What I mean by that is that Ball uses clever foreshadowing, objects as emotional connections (Sookie’s grieves over Gran’s death by slowly eating her pecan pie and Bill grieves over his human loss by throwing an antique toaster into the fire), and fine characterizations to give as much weight to this series as it can hold. Both the book and series have humor, but the series’ humor is definitely dark without being silly. Without Ball’s fine touch, True Blood would descend into a cheesy drama found on Fox that probably would have last 3 shows. But to her credit, Harris sustains a very quick pace throughout the book, never slowing down too long for personal reflection or to smell the flowers. Her Sookie is a character who is quick to anger, naïve, and assumes the worst in her boyfriend Bill. Sookie (the book is told in first person) has to tell the reader exactly what she’s wearing – one of the dangers of using first person, but at least she doesn’t look in mirrors all of the time. Because of its fast pace, Sookie doesn’t have a chance to grieve over Gran’s death and minor characters aren’t given the chance to develop like they do in the show. Sadly, Jason, Arlene, Rene, Sam and especially Lafayette are one-note characters. Andy Bellfleur, surprisingly, is fairly well-drawn and we know more about him in the book than in the show. Perhaps Tara makes an appearance further in the series, but she’s nonexistent here. Dead Until Dark is sometimes serious and sometimes goofy, but always entertaining. I couldn’t put it down and finished it within a week as I worked on other reading and writing projects. That said, I loved Harris’s characterization of Bill and his love scenes with Sookie were well-written. They were neither quick and pat or X-rated, ala Anne Rice. She writes this line using a strong sensory image as Bill and Sookie are about to consummate their relationship, “My hands began to rub his arms helplessly. Strangely, I thought of a pan of caramels my grandmother had put on the stove for a candy recipe, and I thought of the melted, warm sweet goldenness of them.” Bill’s phrasing is just like in the series — he sounds both old fashioned and modern, depending upon the situation. When Arlene’s kids find out he doesn’t give Sookie flowers, he tells them, “I must mend my ways.”



I’d like to read more of Harris’s vampire series, one because I like Sookie’s voice, and two, because I now care about the characters, which is more a result of the show True Blood than this book.








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Scratches, Episode 3

This episode focused on relationship building using real dialogue between Sookie + Bill, Hoyt + Jessica, Tara + Eggs and Jason + Sara. This episode also addressed emotional and physical pain -- more of which will be coming in droves in later episodes, to be sure. The emotional pull of the show wasn't so much Bill and Sookie, but Jason. Sure, we want to dismiss Jason Stackhouse as a selfish ex-jock, V and sex addict, but as we've known from his scenes with Eddie the Vampire from last season, Jason is a sensitive fellow, but he's pushed his emotions down to where he can't figure them out. A quick recap: Jason is enjoying his first couple of days at Fellowship of the Sun Leadership Camp as guilts starts creeping into his consciousness. He's being told by Steve and Sarah Newlin that vampires are EVIL and must be killed, while he knows that Eddie was a good guy that Amy, his V-addict girlfriend kidnapped and staked (Lafayette, by the way, is being held in Eric's dungeon below Fangtasia because of Eddie's disappearance). Jason wonders what God's purpose is and why He sent him to leadership camp after he experiences a vison of Eddie climbing in bed with him. Jason also screams himself out of sleep at the same time his sister, Sookie, is suffering from her bite wounds from the Bull Man/Maryann. In a later scene, Jason reveals to Sarah after a group therapy session that he doesn't know why he's here. She tells him that her sister Amber was kidnapped and killed by vampires and that what they share in common is that they try to see the good in people and ignore the bad. I predict that Jason and Sarah will hook up because "Sarah doesn't whip out her pudding for just anybody."
Speaking of hooking up, a very cleaned-up looking Jessica finds Hoyt at Merlotte's and brings him home. Hoyt loves the fact that Jessica is a vampire and says that it's "great" that she is. Then then proceeds to violently kiss him and Bill and Sookie walk in. Jessica, word to the wise: don't bring strange men home!
I loved how Sookie helps Lafayette escape by agreeing to find Eric's fellow sheriff in Dallas -- very clever plotting that's almost like the book, "Dead in Dallas." Except in the book, there's no Lafayette in a dungeon since he was the one found in Detective Andy's car. After Bill and Sookie bring him home after his nightmare, Lafayette wraps his grandmother's or his mother's shawl around him and cries. This kind of emotion is what makes this show more than just a show about vampires.

This was a good episode, although not as full and funny as Episode 2. It was a build up episode and the real energy was in scenes involving Eric, Jason and Jessica. Bill did a little too much exposition at the beginning when he drives crazily in Sookie's yellow car -- "I had to glamour them", but how else are we viewers supposed to know that Bill didn't kill off Jessica's family? Another good moment was when Bill stops Eric from giving Sookie his blood. Problems will come up when Eric eventually gives Sookie his blood -- I can see it happening now. Looks like from the previews that Tara is coming back to her old self after seeing everyone having sex at Maryann's pool party -- good for her! But, I have a few questions: did Detective Bellfleur participate in the debauchery? What will Bill do about Jessica (I think she's going with him and Sookie to Dallas).

A few things that made me go hmmmmm...
how did Ginger know that Sookie was Lafayette's friend?
how did Bill get to Jessica's parents without a car -- does he run that fast? Her home is near Shreveport.
how did Jessica know about Merlotte's?
It doesn't seem that Bill had any time to get his BMW from Bon Temps to retrieve Sookie and Lafayette

What do you think?


There's no episode next Sunday, July 5th, so see a new posting on Sunday, July 12th for Episode 4.

Till then!
Alice (aka Bill Lover)

Keep This Party Going, Episode 2

Episode 2 was all about intimate conversations between characters that usually don't talk to each other: Sam/Andy, MaryAnn/Sookie, Lafayette/Eric. I loved all of Layfayette's lines starting with Eric asking him if he has blood in his hair and how Pam will kill him if he does. Eric: "Do you want to meet her (Pam)?" Layfayette: "No, I'm good." And later on when Lafayette pleads for his life to Eric and crew, "I want to be your bad-ass vampire." The pace never slowed down and the conflict and stakes were stretched taut-- ready for Episode 3. Even within the drama, there were quite a few funny moments -- Eric and Bill running into each other in the Juniors' department at Dillards is a good example. And Andy watching dancing like a "epileptic on meth" was priceless -- what else will MaryAnn do to the good folks of Bon Temps? Speaking of MaryAnn -- how is she downing all of those hamburgers and onion rings?

After last week's episode I hoped that someone would remember Eddie the Suburban vampire -- well, he's now tormenting Jason Stackhouse's thoughts since Jason liked and respected Eddie. Eddie died at the hands of Amy Burley and Jason will never be the same. Eric noticed Eddie's disappearance (I'm glad someone did!) and captured Lafayette to get some answers. Lafayette tells him Jason probably did it, but Eric knows getting Jason can't help in his work to get Sookie to do more business for him. Jason is also torn since he knows he's a vampire sympathizer, because of Eddie and Bill (I think that him listening to Bill at the church meeting changed his mind about a few things).

I was wondering if Bill put a spell on Jessica so she doesn't leave the house -- why does she need Sookie's help to go visit her parents and try to kill her dad? Could Bill have sensed something wrong before he tore the Hamby door off of the hinges? I loved when he told Sookie to "Shut up!" and "Get the hell out of here while I clean up your mess!" Great stuff -- but I like any scene Bill is in.

Predictions for Episode 3:

Bill glamours the Hamby family -- Bill doesn't kill innocent people (now I don't know what he'll do with the dad)

Jason and Sarah Newlin have an intimate moment

Bill and Sookie fight and make up

Hoyt and Jessica hook up

Terry and Arlene hook up

Sookie finds the "new" Lafayette at Fangtasia

Eric squeezes Bill into making Sookie go to Dallas to find Godric the 2K old vampire

MaryAnn works more of her evil at Merlotte's and in the woods

Till next Sunday!

Season 2, Nothing But the Blood

After watching all of HBO's promo videos and catching up from Season 1, I felt prepared for Season 2 in that I knew Sookie would confront Bill on trust issues and that MaryAnn was going to mess with Sam's head. I also wondered if Uncle Bartlett's death would be explained or if Eddie the vampire or Malcolm's, Diane and Liam's deaths would also be avenged. And what about Lafayette or the dead person in Andy's car? I had seen a spoiler that Lafayette would end up in a dungeon and would possibly become a vampire - very cool. I've grown to appreciate Nelsan Ellis's portrayal of Lafayette after watching countless hours of Season 1 -- this guy can do some improv and it'd be a shame if he was let go from the cast.

And back to Episode 1, Nothing But the Blood

We find out right away that Miss Jeannette is the dead person in the car, which leads to a most excellent confrontation between Tara, MaryAnn and Lettie Mae. Bring it on! Jason misses Amy and Sookie miss Gran -- I'm so glad these missing characters are mentioned in Season 2 and not completely forgotten! Andy is doing some heavy drinking, as is Sam...hmmm... is this MaryAnn's orgiastic influence? Tara and Eggs share a kiss in front of Sam. I loved how Bill tells Jessica she has a 4am curfew and shows her the recycle bins -- he's a very sustainable vampire! Bill tells Sookie he loves her and calls her his "miracle" -- what great writing. Bill hasn't felt love for 140 years! And Royce the redneck confides in Lafayette about an erotic encounter at Safety Patrol Camp back when he was 15 - I guess that's what happens when your cellmates -- all secrets are on the table. Unfortunately for Royce the vampire-hater (he squirted garlic at Bill in Episode 5, Season 1 with his cronies), Eric Northman dispatches him. I love how Eric has come down to the dungeon as he's getting his hair done -- he has the cape and highlights all in.

Great episode -- lots going on, but still there were touching, tender moments. Can't wait for Episode 2 when Jessica sees her family again and takes her father to task -- what will Bill do?

till next time!

Less Than 2 Weeks Away

I spent some time today reviewing the True Blood Season 2 promos on You Tube as well as watching the Alan Ball special on HBO tonight. Many of you know that Season 2 follows the 2nd book in the series: Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris. I don't feel it's as strong as the first book, Dead Until Dark, which mirrors much of Season 1. But thank goodness Alan Ball, our beloved and intrepid creator, has taken serious liberties with the characters and situations so that the emotion and drama are heightened in typical Ball-style.

So after watching the promos I noticed Jason Stackhouse has cleaned up, Sookie is looking all Olivia Newton-John like (at the end of Grease) and Bill looks very tormented because it's hard being a vampire in love with a human while your boss, Eric, is also in love with her. I'm sure we'll have a lot of conflict between Marianne and Sam, Tara and Marianne, Bill and Sookie, Bill and Jessica, Bill and Eric and Sookie and Jason. Looks like there'll be plenty of violence, sex and blood. Maybe a little romance and lots of blood. I'm ready~