Turning novels into TV shows is a practice as old as the visual medium itself. But it is relatively rare for filmmakers to tackle award-winning or short-listed works of literature, which makes Max’s adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s 2015 novel “The Sympathizer” a gamble. As opposed to more plot-driven genre writing, prestigious literature depends on dynamic prose and careful characterizations that can often be difficult to translate to the screen. But when great novels meet great television, the results are memorable. These are five of the best TV literary adaptations of the last five years.
‘Normal People’ (2020)
‘Foundation’ (2021)
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‘Station Eleven’ (2021)
‘Fleishman Is In Trouble’ (2022)
‘Pachinko’ (2022)
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