Just curious if anyone here has read the book, before or since the Netflix series.
Seen the series, have not read the book. I understand from online discussions there are differences between the book and the series, sometimes major ones.
Yeah, I’ve heard that too. I also read somewhere (don’t remember where) that the real Piper really did run afoul of a tough-as-nails Russian matron who ran the kitchen and was starved out for a few days.
I’ve read the book and seen the series.
The first season parallels some of the book, but by no means all of it. Her lover, for example, was not in the same ward with her in the book. In general, the book is much less dramatic than the show, and overall dryer and more factual than titillating. You can definitely see where some of the characters in the show come from, but I don’t think any of them are exactly the same.
Pretty good read, though. I’d recommend it if you have any interest at all in the subject matter.
I tried, found it oddly tedious. I didn’t like Piper. Gave up after a few chapters. The netflix series is better, IMO.
It’s a quick read. Bought and finished before a flight, passed it off to a flight attendant.
It wasn’t bad - found it gave me a little more insight as to why she ended up working with a dealer, and the relationship with her fiance and inlaws is MUCH better.
This for me, too. Poorly written and oddly dull. One of the few instances I can think of where a TV show far surpassed the book it was based on.
That’s what happened on the show. And while she did badmouth the prison food to the cook in the book, the woman just said something like “Watch yourself,” and let it go. Later the real Piper became one of Pop’s (the ur-Red’s) favored few.
It’s probably worth reading, but it’s definitely not a good book. Poorly constructed, not very well written, and I’m only up to November and really sick of hearing about how much the other prisoners all love Piper.
All in all, very little of the book made it to the series. Which is good, AFAIC.
I have it, I think I got two chapters in (last year, between the seasons) and got side tracked. I keep meaning to pick it back up.
From what I’ve been told (and mostly confirmed upthread), none of the Alex/Piper stuff that was shown in the series, while incarcerated, actually happened. Kind of unfortunate, since that was basically the driving force behind the first season. Without that, more or less documentary on a women’s prison…but I guess that’s probably what the book is about, huh. It is called My Year in a Women’s Prison.
I read it between seasons 1 and 2. The show is more inspired by the book, than based on it. For the most part, she doesn’t write about specific inmates as much as types of inmates. For example, she talks about the meth users as a group and they clearly inspired Pennsatucky and her crew. Very few of the prison plotlines in the show happened in the book. A higher percentage of the plotlines with Piper’s family carryover from the book to the show.
As others said, the book isn’t well-written at all. I only finished it because I was stuck on long-haul flights and it was a rather quick read. Some interesting tidbits here and there, but the show is much more entertaining.
I haven’t read the book, but Piper’s my least interesting character on the series as well and not very likable or sympathetic.
I’ve read it.
What was interesting to me was the extent to which TV Piper is based on the book Piper – i.e., entitled and oblivious. You’d think she’d figure out eventually how dislikable she is, both in the book and on the show.
I read it a few weeks ago. It wasn’t life-changing, but it was interesting enough. It’s definitely not a faithful adaptation, but it does capture the spirit of it very well and it’s not dismissive of the book. It just expands on it and puts Jenji’s voice all over it, which is a good thing.
I read the book before I watched the show. I thought the point of the book was that she did eventually figure out how entitled, oblivious, and dislikeable she was. I took the book as a sort of quiet apology, without wallowing in public confession and sentimentality.
I’ve read it also.
Any time I see a movie made from a book I’ve read, I’m always disappointed in the movie because I feel the book is better. And generally, if I see the movie first, I’ll still enjoy the book better. Oh, novelizations of screen plays don’t count.
OITNB, the book is different than the series. Reading the book won’t spoil the series and watching the series won’t ruin the book. Though, the book might come off as less. I don’t know if I’d recommend buying the book, but if it’s at the library, I’d recommend taking it out. Or if you can deal with a epub file, there are ways.
I read it before I watched season 1. It’s okay, but the prison in the book is more like summer camp compared to how it’s in the show.
Crazy Eyes is in the book, but she’s actually Latina. And she’s not really crazy. Sophia in the book is actually named Vanessa, who is very religious (and I don’t think she was a hairdresser). I think Morello is also in the book, and maybe a Yoga Jones-like character. And also Janae and Red. But they aren’t really the same characters, you know? Like, Morello in the book ain’t really a crazy-ass stalker chick living in a fantasy world.
In the book, the poor white girls were collectively named “Eminemlettes”. And Piper didn’t have any beef with Pennsatuckey.
It was an interesting glimpse of prison life. But you quickly figure out that the only reason it was published is because Piper knows the right people. That’s not a slight against her, and she does make a point of talking about how her race and socioeconomic class benefited her compared to the other prisoners. It’s just that you get the feeling that Piper didn’t suffer as much as a typical inmate would have. For one thing, she had a constant supply of encouraging mail from friends and family. A regular rotation of visitors also helped to keep her spirits up. She never got sent to solitary. No one ever beat her up. Her experience isn’t boring or anything, but it just doesn’t seem all that bad considering she’s in prison. Towards the end she talks about her epiphany. But it’s like one of those after-the-fact contrivances that help to get a memoir published.
So it was just okay.
You could be right – I read it six months ago. Or maybe her mea culpa was just too subtle for me. 
I don’t want to point out the line, but we should decide if spoilers from the show are okay (and they’re fine with me and probably most everyone else) and have the thread title amended to reflect that. I only mention it because there’s one in that post.
I haven’t seen the series but I hated the book. She’s blond and she went to Smith and she doesn’t really belong in prison. This is basically the book with some smug details thrown in. She’s blond. She went to Smith. She doesn’t belong in prison. Over and over and over again until you want to sort of throw her in prison again for crimes against the reading public.
Pepper Mill and MilliCal have, and they watch the TV series. I’ve skimmed parts of the book.
My first thought was “THAT’S what I have to do to get my stuff published – spend time in stir!”