The Literate Kitty

In this era of “whatever-book-is-popular-will-be-streaming-next-week” (okay, probably next year , but close enough), we’ve come to expect differences between what’s on the page and that moment when the filmed version almost inevitably hies off on its own. ( Game of Thrones . The Walking Dead . True Blood . All started off using the origin stories as roadmaps, but eventually opted to take divergent forks along their respective byways.)   Such variances matter little if you only read the print version, or watch just the televised one, but, when you read the book(s) first, you have certain expectations about what characters look or sound like, how they act, and where the story goes. The same holds true when you see the filmed version first, then follow up with the book; you think you know what to expect, but often, what you find isn’t really the same. My experience with Swedish author Viveca Sten started out the latter way: I found—then happily plowed through a few seasons of—...