I Read That Movie: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

I  read that movie is a feature where we compare movies or TV series, and the books they're based on.

Big Little Lies

Title: Big Little Lies
Author: Liane Moriarty

Publisher: Berkely

Publishing Date: July 29th, 2014

Pages: 460
Genre: Chick Lit/ Mystery

Series:  Standalone

Source: Audio

 

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?).
Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay.
New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.
Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

Mini-review:

This book took me forever to read. I actually didn't know I wanted to read it until a friend of mine read the book, watched the show, and loved them both. So I decided I needed to give it a shot. I loved the book. I did listen to it on audio and I just couldn't put it down. I also had an issue of being impatient to finish so I could watch the show. So I decided to do both. I would listen for a bit then watch for a bit. It was a very interesting way to read the book and watch the show and compare. 

There was so much going on in this book. The story starts where someone dies but we don't know who. The story is told multiple timelines and multiple POVs. There is the narrative from the three woman from the past... Madeline, Jane, and Celeste. Then there are multiple police interviews going on in the present. It all worked together well to make me want to know more. 

I liked all three of the woman that was featured in this book. I connected to them all on a different level and I can't say I enjoyed one more than the other. They were each so different with different stories and places in their lives. I think I felt most for Celeste. She was just so broken and confused. 

The mystery was good and well written. It was the center of the story but also not the center of the story. The mystery is why the story was told, but the story was about the women and lives. Getting to know each woman was critical to understanding how the mystery would be pieced together. I did have some of the mystery solved but there were twists and turns that I didn't expect and that I loved. 

All in all, I loved this book. From the first page to the very last page. 

Release Date: February 19th, 2017Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodly, Zoe Kravitz, and Laura DernCreator: David E. KelleySeasons: 1

Mini-review:

I really enjoyed the show. I couldn't stop watching it. I feel that the story progressed very nicely, the flashbacks and the interviews were done very well. I feel that I was able to follow and connect with everything that was going on. It wasn't done over the top or cheezy. It was interesting and I just loved it. I really liked the fact it was only 10 episodes. I didn't feel like I had to wait forever for closure. The show built my anticipation and then it came to the end and I was quite satisfied with it all. I do see there will be a second season. I will watch it,  but I am not sure how I will feel about the show having a second season. 

Let's compare:

I had an issue of being impatient to finish so I could watch the show. So I decided to do both. I would listen for a bit then watch for a bit. It was a very interesting way to read the book and watch the show and compare. 

The creator and the writers did an excellent job with the adaptation. I was very pleased with it all. There were some small changes. There was an affair added I didn't think was needed. I guess it was for dramatic effect. The ending was changed just slightly too. But nothing was changed dramatically or over the top. It followed amazingly well. I think the biggest change was just the location. The book takes place in Australia and the show in the US. I don't think it hindered the story in any way. 

I feel they picked excellent actresses for the main characters and I was so very pleased with them. I think they were a little different than I would have pictured but it was easy to picture them as the actresses because I knew who played them and I read the book with the show cover. So I think I would have still really loved them if I had not known before reading the book, but I will never know. 

Really the show and book were very close and I can't say even which one I liked better. I loved them both and they were great each in their own way. 

Interesting Fact: 

HBO won the rights for the series in a bidding war against Netflix.   

Original Trailer: