Like many people, I came to Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series after being hooked by the first season of True Blood.
I read the whole series in a couple of weeks and continue to reread them, each time finding layers, themes, character nuances and subplots that I didn’t see before. I hope to explore some of these ideas here on this blog – hopefully with others who have found themselves drawn into these books in the same way I have been.
I welcome everyone’s input here and hope you enjoy reading. Please read the comment policy before posting.
Book and show spoilers are rampant, you have been warned so don’t abuse me for ruining the books or the show. I want to speculate here and to do that, we need to be able to chew over everything we know. Play nice in the comments. I am not at all into heavy handed moderation – in return I expect that everyone will refrain from personal attacks and remember that there is a real person on the receiving end of whatever you say to each other here. And most importantly, remember that the SVM and True Blood are works of fiction.
Now for an upfront confession. As well as being completely smitten with the world that Ms. Harris has created, I am very firmly rooting for a tall blonde Viking to be the last man standing when all of this is over. I will make no apologies for that and I expect it will colour my posts! Particularly my True Blood related posts.
I will not rant about Eric’s portrayal on True Blood. I won’t…
…I won’t!
sookieverse@fastmail.fm
Oh. I also apologise in advance for the colourful language. Sometimes I post drunk.
Sookieverse 
love it,love it…. all! great job and can’t wait for the next post. Well I am off to start book one again.. and i will not skip any pages. Lot’s of food for thought. Go Eric go. Hmmmmm
hi!
i just wanted to say thank you!
I LOVE your site and look forward to your new posts every day! please keep it up!
Thank you! I hope you stick around and join in on my sad attempt at occupying myself until the new book comes out LOL.
Absolutely love this. It’s like Christmas all over again when you publish a new post. Thanks for making me chuckle so much!
Hello,
I just wanted to say that I really like your blog. I love how the book is being broken down. I have read all the books but sometimes there are things that I miss or just don’t get and it nice to come here and have some clarity. You are really great at giving us an alternative way of understanding the themes.
I started watching TB during the second season…but when I found out there were based on the books by CH I had to get them and finished them within 2 weeks. I can’t wait for the next book and do plan to attend the signing for her book tour. I too and rooting for the tall blond viking. I noticed that everyone is very passionate about this book and I am glad I am not the only one. I feel like CH pull me in everytime I read them. The relationship with E/S is complicated but really what relationship isn’t.
I really liked when Eric said “Your kiling me”… “your killing me” I interpreted it as his feeling are growing more and more deeper for Sookie and he doesn’t know what to do about it really. There are so many layers to it, so please tell me if I have it wrong, I don’t mind the criticism.
I found this blog on a whim really and so far out of all the other blogs I have enjoyed this one the most. I will definietly be coming back. Sorry for the misspelled words…it is quite late.
AnnaS
I LOVE your site! Now I have something to ease the SVM cravings as I wait for the next book! And reading your rants about True Blood just makes me glad I never could get into the series. I made it as far as the first couple of episodes and stopped because: 1) It felt too much like porn and I kept looking over my shoulder, expecting my mother to suddenly appear and 2) I can’t stand anything that starts with the books, then takes an abrupt, inexplicable 90 degree right in a different direction.
Dear Sookieverse moderator,
I thoroughly enjoy your commentary, although I do wince at your age-centric rather parochial point of view. Ouch! -did that get you attention?
My perspective is that of a reader of CH, since ‘Shakespeare’s Landlord’ came out, and I am older than CH. I have also been something of a student of history, especially women’s history and American Folk History (see the Firefox books for an excellent primer).
Firstly, there was a recent comment that Lorena was more adaptable than Bill – she changed with the times and blended in socially. Bill, on the other hand, is the type of old fashioned gentleman that I am very familiar with -the don’t bother your pretty little head kind. The kind that kept family and business and mistresses very separate. More common in the South, even now. Since Sookie is in her twenties, I rather suspect that he feels as though he is protecting her from the sordid facts of vampire existence.
Can’t say it’s good, but that is the way it was – I was there.
Secondly, please give CH permission to be herself, embedded in her own place and time. If she chooses to dress Sookie in something that would have been considered hot in small town Louisiana a decade ago – I think she is a better judge of that than either you or I.
As to putting Eric in a silk tee shirt (see above), plus I think you were using the wrong shade of brown – photo suggests more of a mid-brown or russet rather than an umber. Umber would work as would the pleated pants -very Euro. [an aside: since I have all sons, grown now, and style conscious in the NY Times sense – I do get men’s fashion]
You know, you don’t have to be totally down on Bill to prefer Eric…gustibus non disputandum. I personally prefer the dark brooding type. That said, I’ve always preferred Virgos over waffly Libras which then reverses the equation. WTF.
When predicting the outcome don’t discount Sookie’s hormonal imperative to reproduce, that, I think will be the Joker.
Enough of my Jeremiad – I do think you blog is the best of the lot. I also agree that every time I re-read the books I uncover missed details. CH is amazing.
Toni
Parochial point of view indeed! I’m pretty open about my bias but I think you might be surprised at just how old I am 😉 I really couldn’t be arsed pretending to be neutral when I’m not. I think alot of people find that a nice change. There’s a lot of “we want you to think we are neutral but really we are anything but” sites and blogs in this fandom… for those who like to play that game.
Oh, the Fashion Hell thing was a bit of poking fun. I hope most readers took it in the spirit in which it was intended (all five readers I think I had back then when I posted that!). And do you know what I went through just to *find* a pic of a brown silk tshirt with brown pants for that post? By the time I found something remotely resembling Eric’s outfit I was long past worrying about it being the correct shade….and don’t even get me STARTED on trying to find a pic of some red genie pants. Which you would think would be relatively easy right? Nuh uh! 🙂
Thanks for reading!
How about some of the old Mr. Clean ads and some photoshop? Now that is really showing my age!
Hi I love your blog it as cool as the Bloodbond blog, which I am a major fan of. I have heard that you are Aaine from HBO TB board I have always loved your posts and I am going to read everything on this blog, keep up the good work.
Hi camp …I remember you! I haven’t been around HBO much since they effed up the boards but I still check in occassionally. Yes me and Aaine are one and the same 🙂
So glad you found me here…hope you join in the madness and Happy Reading!
I love *LOVELOVELOVE* your blog! I’m fairly new to the SVM world, but I’ve
read many different blogs on the books (and True Blood) and yours is by far my favourite. I especially enjoy the humorous takes on the characters. It doesn’t matter whether I agree or not, I laugh every time I read anything on here. I’ve read and re-read the SVM but your posts always leave me with new perspectives and fresh ideas to ponder.
Oh, and also… As far as I’m concerned, there is no HEA for Sookie if Eric does not play a pivotal role in it…
Thanks for all the laughs and food for thought! And, btw, the colourful language makes the commentary that much more hilarious and drinking and blogging is always fun!
L8R,
S.
Excellent!!! I love your writing and your thought processes. I wish, as I am sure my friends do, that I had located this site sooner. It follows mine quite accurately. Thanks for voicing and seconding my thinking. Keep up the great work! BTW…don’t apologize for expletives. Sometimes you just have to let it rip. I look forward to upcoming posts.
Melissa
You made me laugh out loud today.
I was a HUGE Six Feet Under fan but not a huge vampire story fan (I too posted on the HBO site back in the SFU days). Still missing Brenda and Nate desperately I tuned into TrueBlood because of Alan Ball. Was NOT impressed!!!! Series jumped the shark during the first episode. I hated the chemistry between Anna and Stephen (especially since Sam was so sweet and loved her dumb arse). On the other hand, I loved Lafayette and kinda snickered at Jason screwing everything in site. So, I continued watching…
Then came Eric… I was captivated on sight (Peter is lovely and mysterious). Finally, some spicy Louisiana red-hot sauce that Ms SS ought to consider swapping fluids with on TB! I’m definitely in the E/S camp of HEA. Although, I forgave Bill his sins after stepping up for Sookie in book 9.
Shortly thereafter, I stopped into Target and saw the CH SS books. I read in the store literally for hours! Then bought every damned one (except book 9, I had to go to Borders the next day and pony up $$$$$ for that one since it wasn’t in paperback yet). My teen daughter wanted to read them…they are a little sexy but I let her. She read each at least three times, and me, well I’m still counting. I skimmed only for the Eric parts the first three or four or five times. Then I started reading the “details” and “subplots” as needed to understand why Sookie can’t see the love of her life right in front of her face. Why she gets into trouble so much, and why the Bon Temps folks either love her or think she’s just plain spooky weird wacko (not to mention an idiot for not jumping Eric’s bones at that orgy…but I digress…hehehe)! I’m captivated.
What I love most about the books is how this human has inspired these two vamp-boys to discover how human(emotionally that is) they still are. I don’t see Eric having put himself at risk for a human in his long vamp past, but with Sookie he’s done so several times. Love changed him. Can’t wait for the next book. I hope to go to the book signing at The Grove on May 10th just so I can tell the author how hot the E/S storyline has been for me.
I am joining in thanks! Love your blog, and in a fever of anticipation for Book 10 check it all the time. I love your language- I feel you write how I think, only expressing it better. Then of course, I read a lot at night while drunk, so the freedom of expression fits right in.
Many thanks and I look forward to more!
i love this blog too, as does my husband for other reasons.
i love the honesty and the genius ideas that keep us on our toes. the wonderful obsessiveness over alexander skarsgard, and full metal defense of the lovely charlaine harris.
my husbands loves your site cos it stops me asking him random questions about books he’s never likely to read.
i haven’t had this much fun with my obsessions in ages!!
Hi. I just stumbled upon your blog yesterday, and I’m so happy to find someone who shares in my obsession with TB and the Sookie Stackhouse books. I just bought & read the whole series within 3 weeks while I’ve been waiting for the next season of TB, and I literally couldn’t put them down (staying up all night, sneaking a page or 2 at work…) Anyway, I’ve been enjoying reading all of your blogs, theories, & speculations, and I will continue to get my Sookie fix here! Thanks!
Discovered this blog last week and have devoured it over the past week (since I live in the UK I’m STILL waiting for DITF to turn up!). Thanks so much for sharing all your insights and thoughts – I’m now as addicted to this site as I am to the books and the show!
Love your blog! I thought you might enjoy this post from http://www.tangler.com/forum/sookie-stackhouse-series/topic/62901 from Erictodalavida:
“Well, of course this is NOT a real Photo, but I founded in a Spanish forum and I wanted to share it. I wish they didn’t eliminate this scene in the TV Show. I would love to watch it. Eric/Alex is hot even in pink spandex.
28 Jan 10, 5:37 AM”
I just discovered this site today and favorited it IMMEDIATELY!! you’ve done an outstanding job anf i can’t wait to explore everything it has to offer 🙂
p.s. i’m rooting for a certain tall, blonde, and handsome viking king myself 😉
Oooh viking KING. I like you already 😀
SVB, I love the little change you made – adding the photo of E/S holding hands (from the roof scene). 🙂
I got bored. 🙂
after lurking on here for the last weeks in anticipation for season 3 I just wanted to say what a very great blog this is! everyone’s got such amazing theories I never would have thought of and all the dicussions are really interesting! and the general obsession with a certain viking doesn’t bother me one bit 😀
Oooh new About Me!!
Just a quick post to tell you I’ve been sniffing around here lately like Franklin Mott and enjoy your blog bunches. As a sookieverse fan I appreciate your labor of love. (which is time consuming for one with many reaping the rewards)
I bounce around to many different places in the fandom (as a vampwich, a bookie and a truebie that both enjoys and doesn’t enjoy parts of it all, it’s hard to find a place without either my panties getting bunched up or my doing the same to someone else) I know y’all are Viking fans, I am too – a big one – and I like your ‘warning’ on the front door.
I also love Bill, but I absolutely lament the tragic loss of Bill from books 1 – 3, the one with the cool voice and the dark eyes that was all vampire and said ‘Sookie, this will hurt’ before hitting it home 🙂 The vampire Bill that hooked me on SVM.
(Still scratching my head over why so many people prefer the TB version, in my mind True Blood has butchered Bill’s character as thoroughly as Eric’s, but what can you do?)
Lots of cool and intriguing theories being tossed around here, two thumbs up there since that’s my favorite part of the series, the politics.
Anyway, not making a proper introduction and saying thanks was making me feel like someone that crashed a party, drank the last of the rum and then left through the back door, but since my quick note has turned into something else, I’ll make like a banana now.
Cheers
~K