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**Silktie** · (This post was last modified: 20-12-2009 01:25 PM by Silktie.)

Exactly. Also, too many factual inaccuracies when compared to the episodes.

**JHyde** · 20-12-2009, 01:44 PM

Yeah, that bothered me too. It was the main reason I started this thread. I wanted to rave about the really good stuff without giving it all away and bitch about what bothered me without putting people off buying it. The continuity still pesters me.

almh · 20-12-2009, 01:45 PM

The continuity is dodgy in places - I would have liked to see more about the recruitment of Tom

Tea Lady · 20-12-2009, 02:09 PM

I finished the book this morning and agree with you all that as soon as the diary hit the period that Spooks started, it sort of rushed through it. Too many lines copied from the show instead of being Harry's thoughts on a subject.

You often say things but really mean something else. I felt the R/H relationship was short-changed in the book. Only brief mentions and no great insight. I felt the whole Graham situation was very sad but it didnt look like Jane had much more success with him, so was it all Harry's fault?

I liked finding out about his relationship with Juliet. Actually Juliet got far more mentions in the diary than Ruth, by far. Couldnt quite see Harry punching the headmaster though but then again that green eyed monster is in all of us. (I really must get on with the Sunday hoovering...)

lwhite53 · 20-12-2009, 04:40 PM

It's interesting that the early story of H's life was so richly told while the part of his life that we knew from the show got short shrift. Wonder why? Maybe the thought was that the spooks writers had already told us what we needed to know about Harry? But that doesn't actually work as the "voice" we hear in the diary comes from a different perspective than the Harry presented on the screen.

HellsBells · 20-12-2009, 06:10 PM

I think the second half is rushed so that the writers can add things in the episodes which haven't been mentioned in the book. For example Lucas being captured in Russia is not in the diary because the diary was written before series 7. Or Ruth and Harry being in Baghdad, it has to be vague to allow the writers of the series to bring in these story lines.

almh · 20-12-2009, 06:11 PM

That's a good explanation Smile

Maybe that's why...

**JHyde** · 20-12-2009, 08:13 PM

But that just leaves gaps, which are fine. But it's more that sometimes it's less about how Harry feels about certain events than just recording his better lines of the episode. Sometimes incorrectly.

lwhite53 · (This post was last modified: 20-12-2009 11:22 PM by lwhite53.)

(20-12-2009 08:13 PM)JHyde Wrote: But that just leaves gaps, which are fine. But it's more that sometimes it's less about how Harry feels about certain events than just recording his better lines of the episode. Sometimes incorrectly.

Yes, that's what I meant by a different perspective in the later writing -- it's not really in the first-person voice anymore; he's just re-telling events rather than commenting on them or discussing his feelings about them.

Kirayuki · (This post was last modified: 02-01-2010 11:43 PM by Kirayuki.)

(06-12-2009 11:26 AM)JHyde Wrote: Plus if you look at the entry for the 7th August 2006, he definitely didn't identify Ruth on a different day from when she left the country. (It's also a bit weird that Harry enters two narratives on the 6th and 7th - how did he write his diary in prison? He would have just written the one entry and talked about yesterday.) So that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth as it's poor editing, and especially because so much of the book is really great.

Given my on adventures at the moment, one of my favourite stories is the organization and execution of the bucks weekend for Archie, which is truly hilarious. Possibly my favourite part of the book.

Definately agree with this. I think that was probably the biggest continuity issue i had with it.
The stag party was really funny. I was laughing aloud and my mother was staring at me like i'd grown another head. Tongue

Personally i would like them to release a second version. "Harry's diary revised" or something when the series has reached it's end. It would be nice to have them spend a little more time on it and fill in the holes that were left. Including Lucas' employment and capture, Bagdad, (possibly) Connie etc... (It did end with him saying he may write again so why not?)