138. Books into Web-series – 1

Nowadays there are lots of web-series that are being made from Books.  While researching on this, I came across quite a lot of them.  This blog looks at 2 such books that have been made into web-series.  Both of them are as good as the books. These being I’ll be gone in the Dark and A Suitable Boy.

I’ll Be Gone In The Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer – This is a book by Michelle McNamara.  The book was released 2 years after her death with the last 1/3^rd of the book being written by other people who were helping her in the search of the killer. The book’s title is taken from the Golden State Killer’s threat to one victim – You’ll be silent forever, and I’ll be gone in the dark.

The name – Golden State Killer, was also given by Michelle.  This book is about a person who had committed at least 13 killings and more than 50 rapes between 1973 and 1986 and he was never caught for it, till 2018, when he was 74 years old.  He was arrested 2 months after the book was released.

Before being given the moniker Golden State Killer, there were other names for him and all those names were thought to be of different people.  East Area Rapist (EAR), Original Night Stalker (ONS), Visalia Ransacker, East Bay Rapist and Diamond Knot Killer.  Later when it was found, thanks to DNA, that all were the same guy, he was known as EARONS before being identified as the Golden State Killer in 2013 when Michelle wrote an article about this case. Due to the publishing of the article, the interest in the case was renewed and many people came forward to help in the search.

Although the book does not identify the actual person, it gives the person’s characteristics, his alleged background, his physical traits and other things.  The book also talks about a new technology – genetic genealogy, wherein you can send a DNA sample to some companies who then trace out the ancestors or people having similar DNA’s and send you the list.

In 2018, the DNA sample from the cases were sent to a company and after getting a list of names, the investigators shortlisted it to one person, who had lived in all the places where the crimes were committed.  They then collected his actual DNA from his house’s curbside garbage can and were matched to the DNA from the earlier cases.  It matched and the killer was arrested.

The web-series is a 6-part documentary with the first 5 parts concentrating on the book and the last part concentrating on the killer, how he was caught, a meeting of around 15-20 of his victims coming together and his trial.  You can see Michelle working on the book and also meeting various lawmakers/detectives across the country to find out the killer.  You also meet the victims who were in their teens during 1973-86 and now in their 60’s and 70’s talking about the crime and how their whole life was changed after that incident.

Since the killer could not be charged for the earlier crimes as the statute of limitations had expired, he was charged for 13 killings and 13 kidnappings.  However, in June 2020, he pleaded guilty to all the earlier cases so as to avoid the death penalty.

A very gripping tale in both the book form and the web-series.  It was released in HBO and was telecast from June 28 to August 2, 2020.

A Suitable Boy – The book written by Vikram Seth and was published in 1993.  With more than 1400 pages, it was the longest novel in the English language published in a single volume.  It was included by BBC New in its list of 100 most inspiring novels.

I had never read the book earlier.  When the news of the serial came, I started reading it.  For the first 2 episodes, I read the book and then saw the episodes containing those parts.  Later, I read the book fully and am now watching the episodes as they are getting released.  The actors in the serial being Tabu, Ishaan Khatter, Rasika Duggal, Namit Das and Ram Kapoor.   The web-series is directed by Mira Nair.

This is the first BBC serial where the entire cast is of Indians.  More than 95% of the series is in English language with 5% being in Hindi.

The story is set in 1951 with the Mehra family looking out for a Suitable Boy for their daughter, Lata.  There are 3 contenders and by the end of the book, she gets married to one of them.

The show premiered on 26^th July and is likely to end on 20^th August 2020.  It is being shown in BBC One. I think this is also available in Netflix.

Cheers till next time!!

Today’s Observation

The trouble with always being on time is, people would hardly notice your arrival!