popwatch.ew.com:

EW: Did you read the Vampire Diaries books?

ND: I have read the first three books. I’ve been told not to read any further because the creator, Kevin [Williamson], asked us to get the feel for it, read the first couple, but then he wants us to take our own interpretation. My character especially has been changed the most out of anyone because, on a superficial level, I’m not blond and blue-eyed. But other than that, my character, they made her a little more relatable and a little more vulnerable, because they want the audience to feel and relate to her, whereas in the book, she has a little harder edge. She’s a little bit more of a mean girl.

EW: Will the series deviate from the book?

ND: It will and it won’t. We’re using it as a guideline, and a lot of the storylines, we’re going to take from it. But we’re making little changes that just will make more sense for a TV show and will be more effective. We want to stay as true to the books as possible. I think there are lots of other books that are made into movies. Everybody wants them to be as close as possible. But at the same time, every single person has their own interpretation of a book. You have your own imagination. Even if we did it exactly like the book, one person’s interpretation is very different from another, so it would be very difficult to appeal to every single person out there.

More here

I watched the premiere episode tonight and I really like it. It’s dark and fun and the soundtrack was perfect.

That said, I’m glad Nina Dobrev chose to read the first couple of books. I don’t like that they were told not to read them. I think it’s insulting to L.J. Smith.

What do you think? Did you like tonight’s episode? Why or why not?