House of Cards

It took me a bit to get into this book. Once I realized there were not as many main characters as I feared, I started to understand the plot, and the motives behind the characters' actions.

In the book, Francis' wife is mentioned, but we don't get to see her on her own at all. We understand that she supports Francis, and even encourages him to act unethically to get what "they" want. But the TV series has her as the leading female character. Although we first see her as ruthless, and see her supporting Francis' affair, as long as "they get something out of it", as the series progresses, we start to see her as a much more sympathetic character. Including her pining for a child.

The young reporter who has the affair with Francis is not quite as sexy as I pictured her. And although she starts the series as crass (similar to the book), that fades quickly.

Francis' patsy is also a much more sympathetic (and less pathetic) character than the book. He is also a senator, where in the book he was only a PR manager. He also gets himself completely sober and clean, and would have stayed that way if Francis did not manipulate him into falling off the wagon.

The two murders that Francis commits build more slowly in the TV series. The writers have 13 episodes to build up to his murder of the reporter. Both murders are committed in a different fashion (from the book), and for slightly different reasons, but the general feel is the same.

The first season of House of Cards did pull me in, but the second season seems like it's dragging a bit.