Love is in the air. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I decided to cover a beloved romance series that I have read but now I can say I have watched as well. The romance series that I am discussing is the Outlander series. (If you remember I had covered the book in an earlier post, Outlander: Take off the shelf or beloved series?) Thanks to Netflix, I have watched all the latest episodes of Outlander, the TV series, and can now compare the show to the book.

When comparing the character portrayal in the book and movie, it is best to analyze the protagonist as our benchmark. Claire, our beloved heroine, shines on the screen. She seems stronger and more tangible as a character. The connection she forges with Jamie lights up the screen and is truly like fire. That is why on character portrayal I have to give it to the TV series.

The next part we should analyze between the two is the pacing of the plot. I have to give it to the book. The show bounces around the time line vs. following one perspective for a consistent period of time. The show sped past moments of sluggishness in the book, but cut out elements of the side tales that go on that help give a sense of depth to the story.

The last judging category is the entertainment value. So far, the show and the book has won one category. This wasn’t easy. I had to give it to the show. I finished the show with more zealous than the book. The book series lost some of the shiny luster that it began with as the series went on. It seemed to drag through the dark moments and speed through the calm. The show is able to pace the story correctly, develop the characters, and allowed the story to flow with the entertainment value in tact.

Therefore, the show is the winner and can’t wait for the next season to be released onto Netflix so I can binge again.