‘The Perfect Lie’: Five key differences between the Netflix series and the book
Netflix just breathed new life into Saskia Noort’s bestselling novel The Dinner Club with a thrilling series adaptation titled The Perfect Lie, and fans cannot stop raving about it.
Created by Dorien Goertzen, the seven-episode adaptation follows Karen, who relocates to the affluent town of Bergen with her family, seeking a new start. Although she initially struggles to fit in, she soon warms up to the Dinner Club, a circle of elite friends who seem to have it all: palatial villas, successful careers, expensive taste and, of course, picture-perfect families.
But when a villa suddenly goes up in flames, and a member of their group dies, Karen discovers that the seemingly tight-knit group of friends is actually held together by extramarital affairs, hidden secrets, deception, and deep-seated betrayal.
While the adaptation keeps the shell, The Perfect Lie introduces a different narrative structure to reinvent the novel for the screen. In one way or another, these shifts preserve crucial elements of surprise for seasoned readers. So for those wondering, here are five key differences between the series and the novel.
Five important changes between The Perfect Lie Netflix series and the book
The Dinner Club
One of the most visible differences between Saskia Noort’s The Dinner Club, AKA De Eetclub and The Perfect Lie on Netflix is the circle of the titular dinner club. The exclusive group comprises four main couples in the series: Karen and Michel, Evert and Babette, Hanneke and Ivo, and Simon and Patricia.
Meanwhile, the book has a larger group, also including Angela and Kees, focusing on a broader network of secrets, affairs, and enmities. Moreover, Kees shares a divisive history with Babette, and Angela is one of the many people who make Karen raise her eyebrows.
Hanneke’s fate and Babette’s crimes
Impactful changes are also seen in Hanneke and Babette’s respective character arcs. In The Perfect Lie on Netflix, Hanneke survives the balcony fall and is comatose. In fact, the series pulls the curtains just in time for her to regain consciousness. The killer remains masked, at least one of them, and that alone has fans convinced about a follow-up season.
On the contrary, Hanneke is initially comatose after her fall in Saskia Noort’s novel. However, she’s not lucky enough to recover since Ivo decides to pull the plug on the life support. Karen eventually discovers that Hanneke had been probing into Evert’s death because the suicide story simply didn’t sit well with her.
While the Netflix adaptation leaves fans on a cliffhanger about Hanneke’s fate, that mystery is solved in the novel. Babette is responsible not only for Evert’s death but also for pushing Hanneke through the pages. However, with Babette behind bars in the Netflix series, Hanneke’s attacker remains shrouded in mystery.
Karen and Simon’s affair
Karen and Simon’s affair takes place in both versions of The Perfect Lie. However, the intensity differs by a great deal. In the novel, Simon is too deep down the rabbit hole of financial corruption, and Karen uses the affair to lure information. Simultaneously, Officer Dorien Jager plays an important role in helping her understand the bigger picture around Evert and Hanneke’s deaths.
Although Simon from the Netflix show retains his checkered arc of illegalities, Patricia and Ivo have their fair share of secrets that are not always tied to Simon’s fraud network. That said, the affair does happen, but the consequences are not exactly the same.
Karen and Michel’s relationship arc
Karen reveals her affair with Simon to Michel in Saskia Noort’s The Dinner Club book, and somehow their marriage survives the storm, but they ultimately leave the community and start anew.
Although Karen and Michel are seen going on a date in the Netflix version, the sense of finality is not so easily drawn in this case.
The hooded figure at the hospital
Lastly, the final piece of the puzzle, which is not mentioned in the book, is the hooded entity that enters the hospital room where Hanneke regains consciousness and locks the door behind them. The Perfect Lie doesn’t reveal who it is or who it could be, leaving viewers with several questions burning in their minds.
The novel doesn’t need a cliffhanger because Hanneke dies and Babette is revealed as the culprit for both crimes, but here, there’s more to that ending than meets the eye.