Books....

obnicc

Anyone read the books? stumbled across them in easons the other day, is the tv show based on the books or vice versa?
Bought the first one any way, only a few chapters in so far but it's good!

Johnmb

The TV series is based on the books. More specifically, season 1 is based on the first book. After that, the TV series and the books tend to go their own separate ways, both I find both enjoyable enough to stick with.

neGev

The books are fine, but the guy really sucks at writing an ending. They're all very anti-climactic.

AnCapaillMor

Hated the books, could barely bring myself to finish the 2nd one.

jor el

Yeah, the books are not as good as the series. They also diverge quite a bit from the end of the first book/series, with the series taking a better route. The books are quite a bit darker, and the events in book 2 would simply be unsuitable for TV. I do think they based some of the 3rd series on the 2nd book,

I think the Skinner in S3 was based loosely on Dr Danco in the book.

but it's a very loose connection.

Stark

First book is a good read, though you already know most of what's going to happen from seeing the TV show and it's one of the few cases where there's actually less in the book than in the series. (The series expands on the book big time).
Second book was excellent I thought, every bit as satisfying as the first two seasons of the show.
Third book was a bit meh. I liked it for the most part, but most people didn't.

Eoin

I'm in the middle of the second book, which I'm enoying now that the TV show and the book are not the same. I don't know if I would enjoy the books as much if I hadn't seen the show, I think they've done an excellent job converting (and improving) it.

Necronomicon

If it's a question of which is better, I would say undoubtedly the tv series. I think the writers did a better job of the ending, which I felt was very rushed in the first book. The second book was decent, but the third was...well, turd in my opinion (and a lot of others I think). I have the 4th book but I have a couple of others to get through first.

Having said that though, what is interesting is reading the books and watching the television series because a lot of the happenings are so different. It's like the books (assuming most people primarily follow the show) are a different Dexter-verse. For example, in the first book

how it is La Guerta who plays the suspicious Doakes role and ends up dead because of it

; or how in the third season of the show how

Dexter sees marriage as almost a strategic move

, but in the third book

he accidentally proposes much to his dismay

. Interesting contrasts.