(Credits: Netflix)

The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix is gaining steam by the minute. And once you’re done with it, you’ll probably start reasoning with why.

While it’s not exactly exclusive from the debates and discussions surrounding its faithfulness to the literary source, we get it if you’re troubled with the thoughts of whether to take a chance on it, if you’re yet to read the novel.

The thing about this Netflix adaptation is that it doesn’t make a compulsion out of its literary awareness. Viewers who have watched the film without the prior knowledge of Richard Osman’s best-selling novel haven’t found it difficult. In fact, they believe it’s complete on its own. So, indeed, if you’re hesitant to tune into the Netflix film because you haven’t read the book, you’ve no reason to worry.

However, it’s important to note that viewers who have read The Thursday Murder Club before viewing the film have shown a polarised response. This is true in cases of most showbiz adaptations, especially those with literary associations. To bring a story from the book to the screen, creators and writers often meet in the middle ground so that they can cater for the cinematic audience.

That way, The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix is no exception. Chris Columbus had plenty of creative agency to inculcate changes to the film version, including the elimination of characters and subplots. While many are in favour of these alterations, there are just as many opposed to them. In essence, the literary affiliation complicates the case.

But considering this is not a one-off phenomenon, the preference becomes subjective. Without reading the 2020 book, you are obviously oblivious to the familiarity of the plot. But that’s not essentially a bad thing.

The unfamiliarity allows you to enjoy the film without any preconceived notion of what-if and what-could-be. Most importantly, these discrepancies between the book and movie are unlikely to bother non-readers since they have no literary expectations to begin with. The film can easily appeal to first-time watchers as a standalone mystery if they have an appetite for crime dramas with a comedic twist.

But if you’re holding back on The Thursday Murder Club just because you’re out of the loop with its literary guardian, it’s perfectly fine to go ahead and watch it. And since the film takes liberty to alter key facts, the unfamiliarity with the novel doesn’t rob you of anything. Yet, if you’re an avid reader of Osman’s books, it’s best to adjust expectations and make room for your own judgment.