The Leftovers

What if -- whoosh, right now, with no explanation -- a number of us simply vanished? Would we think it was the Rapture? Would some of us collapse? Would others of us go on, one foot in front of the other, as we did before the world turned upside down? 

That's what the bewildered citizens of Mapleton, who lost many of their neighbors, friends and lovers in the event known as the Sudden Departure, have to figure out. Because nothing has been the same since it happened -- not marriages, not friendships, not even the relationships between parents and children.

Kevin Garvey, Mapleton's new mayor, wants to speed up the healing process, to bring a sense of renewed hope and purpose to his traumatized community. Kevin's own family has fallen apart in the wake of the disaster: His wife, Laurie, has left to join the Guilty Remnant, a homegrown cult whose members takes a vow of silence. His son, Tom, is gone, too, dropping out of college to follow a sketchy prophet named Holy Wayne. Only Kevin's teenaged daughter, Jill, remains, and she's definitely not the sweet A student she used to be. Kevin wants to help her, but he's distracted by his growing relationship with Nora Durst, a woman who lost her entire family on October 14th and is still reeling from the tragedy, even as she struggles to move beyond it and make a new start. 

With heart, intelligence and a rare ability to illuminate the struggles inherent in ordinary lives, Tom Perrotta has written a startling thought-provoking novel about love, connection and loss. 

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta is the first novel adapted for the screen that I liked the screen adaptation better. There's so much more mystery in the HBO original program. I was hooked from the first episode. The writers manage to keep all the mystery, but still reveal something that keeps you yearning for the next episode.

I had some real trouble getting and keeping my hands on this book. Apparently I'm not the only one who wants to read The Leftovers. Which is a good thing, but what happened to me was not so much a good thing. Basically, halfway through my reading of The Leftovers, I had to return it to my local library because the due date was up and every single copy had been requested or taken out. I was gutted. I challenged myself to read my remaining 248 in the three hours left of my six and a half hour shift at work. Needless to say, I didn't come close. Two weeks later I was able to check it out again.

The book revealed a little too much for me. The way it's written is kind of told in flashback. The air of mystery is not all there like it is in the TV show. However, I still found the novel intriguing because of the differences between it and the show. I loved the differences. I embraced and welcomed the differences. It was amazing to me how the slight changes in the show and book made such an impact. I wish I could sit down and talk to the creators of the show (Damien Lindelof and Tom Perrotta). I have so many questions regarding why this was changed to this, questions like that.

I'm SO antsy to see how the writers continue the story, the twists and the turns on the show. I wonder how much they will include from the book in these last episodes. I absolutely loved how The Leftovers ended. It definitely felt like an ending, but all stories continue after that final punctuation mark.

I watched The Leftovers (the show) before I read the book because I didn't even know it was a book until after the first episode premiered. I don't know if I would recommend starting the series (if you haven't already) or the novel first. I guess I would say do either first. For me, finishing the book did offer some spoilers on what happens to some of the characters. But because the show changed so many elements I don't really think anything got spoiled. I know as the series continues the writers are going to continue to surprise me. They always do every Sunday. And I am SO happy to report that The Leftovers has been renewed by HBO for a second season! The first season is not even over yet and I'm giddy with anticipation for the next!