25 modern book-to-screen adaptations that didn’t let us down

Orange Is the New Black

Yet another successful Netflix adaptation of a book is Orange is the New Black, loosely based off of Piper Kerman’s 2010 memoir, which goes by the same title. Piper’s story recounts her time at a federal women’s prison after being convicted for money laundering and trafficking, delivering readers insight into what being sent to prison is actually like.

Netflix’s Orange is the New Black also follows a character named Piper who’s sent to prison under similar charges — though over the course of its seven-season run, the show has taken the story and characters to very different places. For one, Piper and her ex-girlfriend didn’t wind up in the same prison in real life. Of course, their ending up together made the television series more interesting, and so the writers went with it.

The lives and conflicts of the inmates are also expanded and exaggerated upon in the Netflix series, which is to be expected given its much greater length than the memoir. In fact, in her memoir, Kerman describes a more welcoming environment than the one we see on screen. But while memoirs can afford to lack drama and conflict, long-form television series cannot.

All in all, fictional Piper’s story emerged from real-life Piper’s, but it evolved as the seasons continued. And while we love both versions, the adaptation allowed us to spend far more time with Piper and the other inmates, and we’re grateful for that.

What’s your favorite on-screen adaption of a book? Let us know in the comments.