The book's the thing

 But sometimes, the TV adaptations are even better

 

Ever since I first read Riders in the early 90s, I have been a fan of Jilly Cooper. So, you’d think I would be delighted when I read that her second bonkbuster, Rivals, was being turned into a TV series, with a star-studded cast. But instead, all I felt was trepidation for fear that one of my favourite books would be ruined by a less than successful transition to the small screen.

 

And while, like most other Jilly Cooper fans, I was appalled by the choice of actor to play the upper-class cad, Rupert Campbell Black (who chooses a dark-haired, swarthy guy to play the ice-blond RCB?) the series itself left me exhilarated. It captured the joyous excess of the 90s to perfection, bringing a pre-PC era to life, with its large hair and larger appetites, and its cheerful celebration of conspicuous consumption. By the time the series ended, even the dark-haired Rupert Campbell Black had begun to grow on me, as I began the impatient wait for series two.

 

But while Rivals more than lived up to the rambunctious promise of the book, there is a vanishingly small number of TV adaptations that do justice to the books they are based on. Which is why it makes sense to give a shout-out to those who have succeeded. So here, in no particular order of importance, are some TV series that have done their best – or even better than – by the books that were their source material.

 

Slow Horses

 

The first show that comes to mind is, of course, Slow Horses, the series based on the spy novels by Mick Herron. In fact, I am going to go out on a limb and say that TV series is far better than the books. The plots have been tightened, the climaxes are far more tightly crafted, and the performances of the actors – especially Gary Oldman, who is sublime as Jackson Lamb – provide an edge that the books don’t always have. 

 

Apples Don’t Fall

 

Liane Moriarty is another author who has only gained from having her books subtly changed for the streaming services. Both Big Little Lies and Apples Never Fall were great books which I enjoyed immensely when they first came out and I was a bit sceptical about whether they would survive being transposed to America from Australia. As it turned out, I need not have worried. Both the books were even better as TV series – thanks, in no small measure, to the assured performances of such stars as Nicole Kidman and Annette Benning. 

 

Disclaimer

 

More recently, the TV series that has captured the spirit of the book perfectly is Disclaimer. The slow burn of the book, with new details being drip-fed to the reader, until you are hit by the sledgehammer of the revelation at the end, which turns the entire narrative upside down, depended on a multiplicity of narrative voices. And there was a real danger that the plot would be overshadowed by the erotica in a visual medium like television. But as it turned out, the TV series was pitch perfect, with marquee performances by such stars as Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline and Sacha Baron Cohen. And the denouement (no spoilers, don’t worry!) was as chilling in the series as it was in the book.

It's a New Year!

My best-of-2023 list... 

This is my first column of 2024. But this week I am looking back – and giving you a taste of all that made 2023 (despite its many miseries) bearable for me. Here, in no particular order, is my best-of-2023 list.

 

Best trip: My love affair with Italy will endure forever, but this year it was another destination that left me stunned by its beauty and captivated by its charm. Morocco had everything that I could have asked for: a beautiful seaside town in Tangiers, a bustling modern city in Casablanca, a spectacular historical centre in Fez. And that’s before you even start on the beauty of the Atlas mountains. An unexpected bonus was the friendliness and warmth of the Moroccan people, and the truly breathtaking Oberoi hotel in Marrakech that made me feel proud to be Indian every time I walked through its doors.

 

Best book: I know the book was published in 2022 but it wasn’t until 2023 that I picked up Bonnie Garmus’s Lessons In Chemistry – and was completely blown away. It wasn’t the conceit of cooking being seen through the lens of chemistry that enticed me so. It was the character of the heroine herself. I don’t think there has ever been a character like Elizabeth Zott in fiction – and I doubt there will ever be again. If you have read it, you will know what I mean. And if you haven’t as yet, you have a treat in store for you.

 

Best movie: I had to wait till the fag end of the year for this one and, frankly, I went into it with zero expectations. But Kho Gaye Hum Kahan surprised me with its sensitive yet entertaining exploration of the world of today’s 20-somethings and their obsession with social media. The tone was far from preachy, the direction had a light touch, and the star cast stepped up with some of their best work. The star of the show was undoubtedly Ananya Pandey, whose emotional journey was the core of the movie.

 

Best TV show: There was simply no contest in this category. Slow Horses on Apple TV (based on the book by Mick Herron) was the best thing on television in 2023. It wasn’t just that Gary Oldman gave the performance of his life as the shambolic Jackson Lamb, whose slovenly exterior hides a razor-sharp brain and reflexes you wouldn’t expect from an overweight, out of shape, washed-up old spy. The rest of the cast is excellent as well, but it is Oldman who carries the show, helped along by the best writing in the business.

 

Best meal: You will probably expect me to name some fancy restaurant or an iconic chef. But the truth is that the meal that stood out for me was one that was grabbed on impulse, cost very little, but which packed a pretty punch when it came to flavour. It helped that I consumed it in surroundings of outstanding natural beauty, the splendour of the Sakura trees in full bloom providing an elegant complement to the egg katsu (sandwich) I had picked up at a grocery store in Tokyo. The creaminess of the boiled egg, the unctuousness of the mayonnaise set off the sweetness of the white bread perfectly. Heaven in every bite.