Hulu and BBC Three's Normal People has received rave reviews from both viewers and critics alike. The showrunners were able to somehow adapt a very literary text on to the screen. Most adaptations are usually never able to capture the true essence of books like these, especially ones that have a lot of internal monologue going on. But the showrunners came very close to perfection. The screen adaptation of Normal People is one that most of the fans of the books will also actively enjoy.
The show at times was able to better certain things and improve the overall experience of a viewer watching Marianne and Connell's love story unfold. This is a big feat. There are very few things that this show misses in its adaptation. Here are some of the ways in which the show upped the book, and some of the things that would certainly make the hard-core book lovers a bit irritated.
BETTER: Effectively Adapted A Book With So Much Internal Monologue
The problem with adapting young-adult books onto the screen is that it usually loses out on very important inner monologues that these characters have. The essence of such stories is not on the plot but simply on the characters. And therefore, it is essential to know what the characters are thinking and why they are doing, what they are doing.
Adapting such internal monologues onto the screen is usually done in the form of voiceovers, as seen in a movie like The Perks of Being a Wallflower. But voiceovers don't work sometimes. In Normal People, they are able to convert some of these thoughts into dialogues and conversations, and some silent scenes are able to capture the essence of these whirlwind thoughts.
MISSED: Daisy Edgar-Jones Is Too Pretty
The character of Marianne is supposed to be "unconventional" looking. Especially during her school days, she is supposed to be someone who doesn't fit into the norms of what is considered attractive. She doesn't put any effort into making herself look that way also. So her change of style when she is in college, is supposed to be especially noteworthy.
Daisy Edgar-Jones who plays Marianne is just too pretty from the get-go. There is no fooling anyone saying that she's "unconventionally" attractive. In being this way, the show misses out on showing an "unconventional" looking protagonist that many would have related to.
BETTER: Meaningful Silences Throughout The Show
Normal People is a very wordy book, but it is not a very wordy show. There are stretches at a time when there is no talking, no conversations. These silent stretches allow the viewers to immerse themselves in the thoughts the characters could be having. It is a useful way through which this series tries to show the viewers the lives of the characters.
There are mundane activities shown; Connell walking through the library, Marianne cleaning the kitchen table, and so on. But these things allow the viewers to understand the characters better. The showrunners are able to perfectly follow through on the "show don't tell" philosophy.
MISSED: The Decreased Importance Of The Class Aspect
The relationship between Connell and Marianne is one between two complicated individuals who also come from very different economic and social classes. This is a very important part of the book. There are several instances in which Connell views the world very differently because of his working-class upbringing.
The show dedicates very little time in unraveling the complications of this class difference. While focusing on their romantic relationship, the show misses out on capturing the nuances that the socio-economic factors play in their relationship.
BETTER: The Focus Is Completely On Their Relationship
The show doesn't stray away from what is most important, the relationship between Marianne and Connell. In each episode the viewers get a deeper look at each of these characters and the relationship between them. The viewers are able to witness the curve, the growth, the flaws, the perfections of the relationship between these two precocious characters.
Everything else seems like subplots. The show is fully consumed by portraying everything that went right and wrong with these characters. No other character or relationship is given the same level of attention.
MISSED: 12 Episodes For A 266 Page Book
Normal People is a very short and crisp book with steady pacing. The showrunners decided to convert this 266-page long book into a series with 12 episodes. This allowed them to slowly show the growth of these characters and portray the intensity of their relationship.
But a 12 episode long series seems a little too much considering the minimal source material they worked with. Could they have made the show a lot shorter? Maybe. Would a 6 episode series have sufficed? Maybe. At the end of the day, the show seems a little too stretched, and this will especially be felt by those who are watching the show without having read the book.
BETTER: Marianne's Relationship With Her Family Is Shown From The Very Beginning
The readers of the book barely get glimpses at what exactly is wrong with Marianne's family. The showrunners however, went for a different approach. From the very first episode, the viewers see the dysfunctional family that Marianne grows up in. The audience is therefore able to empathize better with Marianne throughout the show.
The brother and mother are recurring characters, and the harshness and coldness that Marianne grew up around, helps the audience understand her nature and feelings a lot better. This is one of the ways in which the adaptation is able to improve on the source material very well.
MISSED: Some Internal Monologues Just Can't Be Adapted
This show does a good job of converting some internal monologues into conversations and showing the viewers what they're thinking without actually telling them. It has done a better job than many book adaptations of recent times.
But at the end of the day, the highlight of a book like Normal People is the incisive precision with which Sally Rooney writes about what is running through the heads of these characters. There is simply no way to adapt that on to the screen. So the screen adaption will always be wanting of this.
BETTER: The Actors Bring The Characters To Life
Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal bring to life Marianne and Connell respectively. The performances of these actors are outstanding. These characters are difficult and without the right actors, they would have come off very differently on screen. Edgar-Jones and Mescal are the perfect fit for these characters.
Their delicate and raw performances take the show to new levels. While the rest of the cast members perform admirably as well, these two specifically need to be appreciated for bringing to life two very complicated characters from a modern literary classic.
MISSED: The Tone Of The Show
Anyone who has read the book will be aware of the vibrant quality of the text. Sally Rooney writes about young people in a way that only young people can write about themselves. She writes the snarky humor, the sarcasm, the witticism of these characters that make the book pop.
A viewer who watches the show, without having read the book, is bound to find the tone of the show depressingly sad. The show is muted and slow. The quippy aspects of the book don't necessarily translate on to the screen.