We recorded this episode as the TV-watching world was getting ready for the adaptation of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, from the novel by Susanna Clarke. Straight away, Peter and I were in dispute. Is it ‘NorRELL’ or ‘NORRell’? Nobody has to decide until it’s said out loud.
And that’s one of the key things about seeing a movie or TV show of a favourite book. It’s different from the version in your head.
We had a terrific time discussing dramatisations that weren’t like the original books, in good ways and bad. Some were simplistic. Some were surprisingly faithful to the spirit of the original or took it in a good new direction. We visited Frankenstein, the James Bond novels, Thomas Hardy’s Far From The Madding Crowd, Vertigo, The English Patient, Mash. Did you even know Mash was a novel?
We also deduce some lessons for writers. Storytelling doesn’t work the same across all these media. We unpick some interesting principles.
My co-host is Peter Snell, independent bookseller.
Stream from the widget below or go to our Mixcloud page and binge the whole lot.
PS If you’d like more concentrated writing advice, try my Nail Your Novel books. If you’re curious about my own creative writing, find novels here and my travel memoir here. If you’d like to support bricks-and-mortar bookstores (US only at present) use Bookshop.org. And if you’re curious about what’s going on at my own writing desk, find my latest newsletter here and subscribe to future updates here.
Nail Your Novel 
The characters in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings look very different in my head, compared to the movie versions. Well, except for Gandalf.
Fantasy is an excellent example! Every reader’s version will be different!