Damon: Book vs. Show
First off, hi everyone! I’ve been very inactive here lately because of computer viruses, but I’m fully active again. :)
Ok, so now on to the article….
Damon is, without a doubt one of the most popular characters in TVD, in both the books and show. But one question that seems to always pop up is which one is better? The character L.J Smith created in our beloved books, or Ian Somerholder’s great portrayal of him in the show?
Well, this idea has been running through my head for a while now, so this is my take on both versions of Damon Salvatore.
I’ll start with some of the similarities between the two. In both versions, Damon’s character is slightly dark and cynical, though Ian manages to squeeze some immaturity and light hearted humor. Also, both have angsty pasts and somewhat resentment towards Stefan (But in the books, this resentment seems stronger). But I think this is where some of the main similarities end (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong).
In the show, Damon is very emotional, and often let’s his emotions get the better of him, causing him to act out impulsively.
Examples: Snapping Jeremy’s neck after being rejected by both Katherine and Elena, and killing Lexi in a desperate move to get the town off his own butt. And let’s not forget the countless lives her probably took in his quest to get Katherine out of the tomb.
Book Damon, however, is not at all like that. He has emotions yes, but he manages to hide them better then show Damon, and not let them control his actions. He often thinks before he acts, and is not at all impulsive, but a planner. Except for the fact that he probably says things he doesn’t mean in anger or annoyance.
Book Damon is also not as much of a killer as show Damon.
People Damon killed in the show: Lexi, Bree, Mason, Vicky (sort of), Jeremy (sort of), and Mr. Tanner.
People Damon killed in the books: Mr. Tanner, and Stefan (sort of).
See what I mean? There is quite a difference between the lists, which is one of the reasons why I for one prefer book Damon over the show one.
And then there’s all of the horrible things show Damon has done, that I still can’t help but resent him for. So far, there’s only one thing book Damon has done that I’m still kind of angry about, and that’s handing Stefan over to Shinchi so that he could get to Elena more easily. And even that wasn’t ENTIRELY his fault.
I also find how the others in the show act around Damon kind of annoying. They don’t act like he’s a dangerous vampire, like he is, and more like the kind of guy who just enjoys annoying people, like the jerks in high school. The only characters who seem to recognize that Damon is dangerous in the show are Bonnie and Stefan.
Now in the books, all of the characters know and are aware that Damon is dangerous, even if some of them like Bonnie, Elena, and maybe Stefan have soft spots for him. That is one of the many reasons why I love Matt; he doesn’t ALLOW anyone to forget that Damon is dangerous. LOL Off subject, but I really hope L.J writes more scenes between Damon and Matt. Their scenes were one of the few things I liked about “Shadow Souls”.
I hope this doesn’t sound bashing to show Damon. I still love him, but my love for book Damon is much more…
But there are some things I like better about show Damon too. For one, I think the relationship between the two Salvatore brothers is way more interesting and complex in the show. And then there’s the fact that I find show Damon a little less selfish in the show then he is in the books.
Like when he decided that Stefan deserved Elena and compelled her, in a way, giving her up. That is something book Damon would NEVER have done. (This is why we are all counting that he just gets over his obsession and realize that Bonnie is SO much better.)
We all know that book Damon acts selfishly, even towards people he genuinely cares about. The scene where he threatened Elena with her little sister and handed Stefan over to Shinchi are both examples of this.
So that’s just my opinion on both versions of the great character that is Damon Salvatore. I’d love to hear some of yours…
First off, hi everyone! I’ve been very inactive here lately because of computer viruses, but I’m fully active again. :)
Ok, so now on to the article….
Damon is, without a doubt one of the most popular characters in TVD, in both the books and show. But one question that seems to always pop up is which one is better? The character L.J Smith created in our beloved books, or Ian Somerholder’s great portrayal of him in the show?
Well, this idea has been running through my head for a while now, so this is my take on both versions of Damon Salvatore.
I’ll start with some of the similarities between the two. In both versions, Damon’s character is slightly dark and cynical, though Ian manages to squeeze some immaturity and light hearted humor. Also, both have angsty pasts and somewhat resentment towards Stefan (But in the books, this resentment seems stronger). But I think this is where some of the main similarities end (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong).
In the show, Damon is very emotional, and often let’s his emotions get the better of him, causing him to act out impulsively.
Examples: Snapping Jeremy’s neck after being rejected by both Katherine and Elena, and killing Lexi in a desperate move to get the town off his own butt. And let’s not forget the countless lives her probably took in his quest to get Katherine out of the tomb.
Book Damon, however, is not at all like that. He has emotions yes, but he manages to hide them better then show Damon, and not let them control his actions. He often thinks before he acts, and is not at all impulsive, but a planner. Except for the fact that he probably says things he doesn’t mean in anger or annoyance.
Book Damon is also not as much of a killer as show Damon.
People Damon killed in the show: Lexi, Bree, Mason, Vicky (sort of), Jeremy (sort of), and Mr. Tanner.
People Damon killed in the books: Mr. Tanner, and Stefan (sort of).
See what I mean? There is quite a difference between the lists, which is one of the reasons why I for one prefer book Damon over the show one.
And then there’s all of the horrible things show Damon has done, that I still can’t help but resent him for. So far, there’s only one thing book Damon has done that I’m still kind of angry about, and that’s handing Stefan over to Shinchi so that he could get to Elena more easily. And even that wasn’t ENTIRELY his fault.
I also find how the others in the show act around Damon kind of annoying. They don’t act like he’s a dangerous vampire, like he is, and more like the kind of guy who just enjoys annoying people, like the jerks in high school. The only characters who seem to recognize that Damon is dangerous in the show are Bonnie and Stefan.
Now in the books, all of the characters know and are aware that Damon is dangerous, even if some of them like Bonnie, Elena, and maybe Stefan have soft spots for him. That is one of the many reasons why I love Matt; he doesn’t ALLOW anyone to forget that Damon is dangerous. LOL Off subject, but I really hope L.J writes more scenes between Damon and Matt. Their scenes were one of the few things I liked about “Shadow Souls”.
I hope this doesn’t sound bashing to show Damon. I still love him, but my love for book Damon is much more…
But there are some things I like better about show Damon too. For one, I think the relationship between the two Salvatore brothers is way more interesting and complex in the show. And then there’s the fact that I find show Damon a little less selfish in the show then he is in the books.
Like when he decided that Stefan deserved Elena and compelled her, in a way, giving her up. That is something book Damon would NEVER have done. (This is why we are all counting that he just gets over his obsession and realize that Bonnie is SO much better.)
We all know that book Damon acts selfishly, even towards people he genuinely cares about. The scene where he threatened Elena with her little sister and handed Stefan over to Shinchi are both examples of this.
So that’s just my opinion on both versions of the great character that is Damon Salvatore. I’d love to hear some of yours…
