Top 7 Book Adaptations On Netflix

There are plenty of online shows that are adapted from books – critically acclaimed and classics. Netflix and other streaming platforms have been focusing on adding original and classic shows based on books or comics to their collection. The bookish goodies on Netflix range from young adult sagas to buzzy memoirs and revered feminist classics. Here’s our list of top 7 book-to-screen adaptations to watch on Netflix.

The Haunting Of Hill House

The Netflix Original American anthology supernatural horror drama series created by Mike Flanagan is loosely based on Shirley Jackson’s seminal novel of the same name. The show is regarded as one the best Netflix horror series for Mike Flanagan’s brilliant and masterful making. The show switches between the past and present of a fractured family, haunted by their paranormal experiences at Hill House. Equally scary and suspenseful so that once you start watching it you won’t escape let go anytime soon.

Orange Is the New Black

The American comedy-drama series created by Jenji Kohan is Netflix’s first signature original based on a true story. The series is based on Piper Kerman’s (renamed Piper Chapman in the show) memoir, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison (2010), about her experiences at FCI Danbury, a minimum-security federal prison. She was arrested after laundering money to help her drug dealer girlfriend. The show focuses the long-running story of a women’s prison where the inmates are wrapped up in rivalries and romances. They have got nothing but time and fight a system that is stacked against them.

Mind Hunter

The Netflix Original American crime thriller series created by Joe Penhall takes you back to 1979 when the term ‘serial killer’ was common. The show is inspired by true-crime book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit which is the story of the man who pioneered the science of profiling serial killers. Mind Hunter revolves around two FBI agents, Holden Ford and Bill Tench along with psychologist Wendy Carr who operate the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit. They interview imprisoned serial killers to understand how they think to devise a way to profile potential killers and catch them.

Anne With an E

The Canadian series created by Moira Walley-Beckett is a worthwhile adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 1908 classic work of children’s literature, “Anne of Green Gables”. The story follows a plucky orphan whose passions run deep finds an unlikely home with a spinster Marilla Cuthbert and her soft-spoken bachelor brother Matthew. The show brought a surprisingly modern sensibility to Anne’s world with the thoughtful expansion of the original story and is sure to appeal to adults who grew up reading it. The show also has an anti-bullying and female empowerment message fit for children. 

Alias Grace

The Canadian miniseries directed by Mary Harron and written by Sarah Polley is based on Margaret Atwood’s award-winning novel of the same name. The six-part series is based on the centuries-old true story in rural Ontario. The show set in the 19th century Canada follows the story of a woman who is accused of murder. She is evaluated by a psychiatrist to know whether she can be pardoned due to insanity. The show described as cerebral and intimate by Netflix will keep you on the edge-of-your-seat with the drama and suspense.

You

The American psychological thriller series developed by Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble follows a dangerously charming, intensively obsessive young man named Joe who develops a strong liking to Guinevere Beck, an aspiring writer. The show based on Caroline Kepnes’ novel by the same name has former Gossip Girl star Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg and Elizabeth Lail as Guinevere Beck. Joe uses his expertise in social media and other technology to track Beck’s presence and become her ‘perfect boyfriend’. The show involves a dark shift when his attraction turns into obsession and abusive jealousy which makes him take extreme measures.

The Vampire Diaries

The American supernatural teen drama series developed by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec is based on the popular book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith. The show spanning eight seasons is set in the fictional town of Mystic Falls and follows Elena Gilbert, a young teenager who loses both her parents in a car accident and falls in love with the 162-year-old vampire Stefan Salvatore. A love triangle forms as Stefan’s brother Damon Salvatore also falls for Elena. Trapped in adolescent bodies the two brothers Stefan and Damon seek to protect Elena from various forms of evil amidst multiple threats to their town and vie for the affection of captivating her.

Some known titles, some crowd favourites. Not all book adaptations do justice to the literature, while some screen outings outdo the book. Which category exactly describes the above mentioned series best, is a question best answered by binge watching them. No?