Virgin River is a success. But the series of books that gave rise to
the program, not so much. Fans gathered to criticize the work.
Virgin River has already given us three seasons, which means
viewers have already watched their fair share of drama on Netflix. Whether it’s generational feuds, an accidental murder, a complicated love triangle or even a car accident, Virgin River residents have seen more than enough. And yet, the most dramatic event to occur within the Virgin River universe may not have happened on screen. Fans of the show who apparently came together over an unpopular opinion about the show.
At first glance, it’s hard to believe that Virgin River could arouse unpopular opinion. Created by Sue Tenney and adapted from the 22-book Virgin River series written by Robyn Carr, the Netflix series focuses on Mel. She is a nurse who lives in Los Angeles and, after a tragedy, moves to Virgin River. Mel quickly becomes involved in the daily melodramas unfolding in the village as she heals her broken heart. There’s a new love interest for Mel, local restaurant owner Jack (Martin Henderson). There are new friends to be made through your work at the local doctor’s office and plenty of room to heal.
Plot is light, but origin causes outrage among fans
The plots of Virgin River never seem so dire as to break the spell of what is generally an enjoyable, if somewhat unrealistic, show. In fact, problems are resolved as quickly as they arise, and while some of these problems are genuinely surprising, the characters always find a solution. The result is a lighthearted show that feels easy to watch and has minimal complaints.
Fans rallied around not caring at all about Carr’s book series. It all started when Reddit user thesugarsoul first posted the unpopular opinion in July. He began by stating that although many Reddit users discuss the books in relation to the show, they don’t care about the books. The Redditor explained that, “I got into this show because it seemed like a light-hearted series that resembled a Hallmark movie.” He continued later in the post with: “I don’t care how the show is different from the books. I even caught spoilers in threads that discuss what happened in the books and what eventually happens in the series.”
Surprisingly, commenters on TheSugarSoul’s post were in agreement. For many, it appears that reading or even being familiar with Carr’s book series was not a factor in their enjoyment of the Netflix adaptation. In fact, several commentators have found common ground over their belief that the books were not well written. Therefore, investing time in reading the books to better appreciate or understand the program was not a priority. In fact, Reddit user ChocChipBananaMuffin responded to the original post. “I tried reading the first one after season 1 and stopped after the first chapter because the writing was poor and there were too many clichés.”
Criticisms of the Virgin River books are constant
Another Redditor, itsmegeez, added, “My unpopular opinion is that you’re not missing anything by not caring about them. They are bad, they are poorly written novels. They are mediocre at best. “
In an equally revealing comment, user Flutegarden expressed agreement while also pragmatically pointing out that “shows and movies often vary drastically and people are disappointed. If you expect it to be like the books, you will always be disappointed.”
While Virgin River fans’ opinions may be shocking, they may actually be right. As we saw in the first few seasons, the Netflix adaptation of Carr’s books made some drastic changes to heighten the drama with many of its main characters. Among the most notable changes made by the series are the circumstances surrounding Mel’s husband’s death and the removal of all sexual content from the books. Furthermore, as the other comments on TheSugarSoul’s post correctly point out, the nature of adapting a book into a show mea
