I don’t know about you, but I’m often torn when it comes to book adaptations. Not to be dramatic or anything, but there's a real fear that what arrives on the telly will completely destroy beloved memories of the characters you read about. We'd be lying if we didn't admit that it happens. Then there’s the argument about whether you need to have read the book before you watch it on screen or if it's a discredit to dive into the book retrospectively, without the opportunity to enjoy it as the author meant you to. Literary politics are real, my friends.
Nevertheless, 2018 gave us The Little Drummer Girl, the second season of The Handmaid's Tale, Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects and, of course, another version of Les Misérables – and there's plenty more coming our way this year. If you're not a big fan of the classics, there are some intriguing sci-fi stories on the horizon in 2019. If you are partial to the lavish escapism of period dramas, though, then I bequeath unto you the arrival of yet another Agatha Christie adaptation.
Forgotten favourites from our younger years are set to finally get the TV treatment – Malorie Blackman, we're looking at your generation-defining work. And to round out an already far-reaching selection of shows, there are a few recently released gems that you might not know were books in the first instance. We'll be updating this article with transmission dates as and when so make sure you check back. But for now, read on to find out which ones to keep an eye on (or read) in the coming months.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
If you’re wondering why this one sounds so familiar, you’re correct. Sally Rooney’s critically acclaimed second novel – published just last summer – is already receiving the TV treatment. Unfamiliar with the narrative? Star-crossed young lovers embark on an excitingly frustrating on-again, off-again relationship. It’s one of the best loved, most widely read and hotly spoken about novels of the last year. No pressure on the series…
Pure by Rose Cartwright
Rose Cartwright’s memoir grew from an article she wrote about experiencing Pure O, a common name for a certain type of OCD – the purely obsessional kind. Since being picked up by Channel 4 it’s been adapted into a six-part series about a young woman in her 20s coming to terms with the persistent, sexually oriented intrusive thoughts that disrupt her day to day life. It’s as funny as it is heartbreakingly raw, and a welcome insight into a condition that I’m sure very few of us know much about.
Channel 4 and All4 from 30th January
Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
Do you remember devouring this incredible series? Sephy and Callum are finally hitting our TV screens after a few too many years of teasing. Sephy is a 'Cross' (black and a member of the ruling class) and Callum is a 'Nought' (white and a member of the underclass). They grew up together, fell in love and as they get older have to navigate the extreme complications that come in a society consumed by power and prejudice.
Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie
Enjoy the BBC’s recent version of The ABC Murders? You’re in luck because Death Comes as the End is on the way. Fun fact – it’s one of very few Christie novels not to have been televised before, so expect something that at the very least feels a bit more fresh than the more familiar tales. This one is set in ancient Egypt and follows a young woman who believes her father, a priest, has something to do with a suspicious murder.
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
This fantasy novel is all about an angel (to be played by Michael Sheen in the upcoming Amazon series) and Crowley the demon (David Tennant), unlikely friends who live on Earth and soon discover that they have to work together to stop the end of the world. Classic. True to the late Terry Pratchett’s style, expect a lot of wit interwoven into the sci-fi action here.
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Let’s be honest, while the prospect of Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig playing Mrs Coulter and Lord Asriel was dreamy, when The Golden Compass hit cinemas, it wasn’t quite what we hoped for. So here’s another crack at Philip Pullman’s beloved series, this time starring James McAvoy, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ruth Wilson. Coming to the BBC soon, we hope.
The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee
Nicole Kidman’s production company, Blossom Films, is taking on this well loved novel about three women in Hong Kong, struggling along seemingly different paths only to collide in one of those perspective/life/plot-altering ways. It’s heartfelt, emotional and likely to completely consume you.
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
George Clooney? Back on the small screen? That’s right, kids. Hitting Channel 4 is the familiar World War II novel for a six-part miniseries. Clooney directs and stars in the drama and is joined by The Sinner’s Christopher Abbott. Don’t worry, I’m very aware that Catch 22 is one of those books that lots of people (ahem, me) like to pretend they’ve read when really, they haven’t, they just know the cultural relevance and can blab a synopsis. Soon there’ll be six or so hours of material to absorb and regurgitate, too.
The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard
Pretty Little Liars fans, rejoice. The spinoff novel by the same author has been green-lit for a TV adaptation and anticipation is expectedly high. It’s the third instalment in Sara Shepard’s universe (anyone else remember Ravenswood?) and takes us to the perfect-seeming town of Beacon Heights. Yep, you guessed it – not everything is as it seems, etc, etc and yes, there’s a murder to be solved.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
I’m not even going to try and contain my excitement for this one. Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington are joining forces to produce and star in an adaptation of Ng’s bestselling novel. The theme here is motherhood. The plot follows Mia Warren, who moves into Elena Richardson’s town in Ohio in the 1990s. A custody battle erupts over a Chinese-American baby and the story unravels around these two women who are connected by their children.
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins ( If Beale Street Could Talk, Moonlight) has a new series coming to an Amazon Prime Video account near you. Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. She’s young, an outcast and looking for an out. Caesar soon arrives and tells her about the Underground Railroad – it’s dangerous but a means of escape, which they’re both willing to take. Knowing Jenkins’ previous work, I’m pretty sure we’re in for something special.
The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr
Did you catch The Alienist on Netflix? Well, The Angel of Darkness is Carr's sequel. The main cast of the first instalment – Dakota Fanning, Daniel Brühl and Luke Evans – will all return for a new story, with a new enemy to face. The focus of investigation is a young girl who has been kidnapped but, unsurprisingly, all roads lead towards the most unlikely of suspects. Set on the brink of war in the late 19th century, expect another twisty, chilling exploration of what 'evil' might look like.
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