After watching the Dexter series on Showtime, I had to go back and check out the original novel. While I believe the show is stronger overall, Jeff Lindsay‘s Darkly Dreaming Dexter lays the groundwork for a great story.
Meet Dexter Morgan, a polite wolf in sheep’s clothing. He’s handsome and charming, but something in his past has made him abide by a different set of rules. He’s a serial killer whose one golden rule makes him immensely likeable: he only kills bad people.
And his job as a blood splatter expert for the Miami police department puts him in the perfect position to identify his victims. But when a series of brutal murders bearing a striking similarity to his own style start turning up, Dexter is caught between being flattered and being frightened–of himself or some other fiend.
I’ll admit it, I had no idea Darkly Dreaming Dexter or the rest of the Dexter novels even existed watching the Showtime series. If I had known, the chances are high that I would still had been drawn to the overall concept. A serial killer working for the police. Genius. Like most screen adaptions, the show and the novel have their small and big differences. That said, Dexter lands in the rare category where I feel the screen version actually is better than the source material, right up there with Jaws and the first Jurassic Park.
It is easy to see why showrunner James Manos Jr. chose to adapt Darkly Dreaming Dexter for television, the core plot is simply fantastic. The first novel provides a solid foundation for the show’s first season. Ultimately the changes made by Manos Jr. to the original story ultimately created a more cohesive and entertaining experience.
While the plot pulled me in at first, it’s the characters that truly are the stand out. Jeff Lindsay does a wonderful job crafting distinctive, compelling personalities. Each character has their own story and the way those different stories intertwine makes for a great read. These characters set the tone for the story and draw you into an incredible plot. And while I truly appreciate the creative liberties taken by Manos Jr. on the adaptation, none of it would’ve worked without Lindsay’s original characters as the foundation.
Also, I got abundantly amazingly annoyed with the alliteration.
Darkly Dreaming Dexter has a strong premise, a solid plot, and amazing characters. While I come at this after seeing, and falling in love with, the Showtime series, the book has its strengths. However, I’m not sure I would’ve continued the series if I hadn’t seen the show first.
Darkly Dreaming Dexter is available at bookstores everywhere. The audiobook, narrated by Jeff Lindsay himself, is available at Libro.fm!
