Normally I would detail the pros and cons of this show but because I've read the book and found it delightful (despite containing basically the same twist of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo), I will instead inform you of why the book is better and everything the show did wrong.
First of all, the band is supposed to have six members which is how they come up with that as a band name but the show eliminates one of the players substituting Camila (Camila Morrone) as the sixth. The show also glosses over or doesn't include the band's middle album which helps them get back on track after Billy's (Sam Claflin's) stint in rehab. The show eliminates Camila's and Billy's twins, though that can be explained because they move up the timeline by two years. The show has the band's last concert in October 1977 while the book has it in July/August 1979, so the timeline is more condensed for no particular reason or explanation.
However, the biggest and most disappointing difference is how this show portrays Billy's relationship with Daisy Jones (Riley Keough). Sure, there is a smoldering quality to their attraction in the book, combined with both of them having addiction issues and talent to spare but Billy doesn't go as far as he does in the series, and even their interviews in which they intend to destroy each other are done better in the book. In fact, basically all the scenes are done better in the book.
Here, Camila leaves Billy and he tries (and eventually succeeds) in winning her back while in the book, Camila tells Daisy she needs to leave the band as Billy would never leave Camila for Daisy. The book also kills Camila off from lupus not cancer as its implied in the show. Camila's a completely different character in the show than the book, the other characters less so.
Despite my numerous problems, there are actually a few parts the show gets right, including the essence of Graham's (Will Graham's) and Karen's (Suki Waterhouse's) relationship. The show may have introduced Caroline and done Karen's pregnancy reveal differently, but at least they dealt with the pregnancy's conclusions and reactions the same way, though it should have emphasized Karen's main reason for getting the abortion was Graham refusing to give up his life to raise a baby.
I know I'm largely bashing the show which is such a shame. I don't like doing this but the actors (and the show was well acted as the roles are juicy ones) deserve so much better and Taylor Jenkins Reid, the author, deserves so much better as do the readers who adored the book (of which I am including myself).
Still, the music is great and the acting is superb, with great chemistry among all of them, each actor filling the screen with natural performances and they largely capture the time period flawlessly, which Amazon has always excelled at; it's just a shame that they changed so much of the book and needlessly ruined parts of the story. Grade: B
Side Notes:
-Suki Waterhouse previously portrayed Sam Claflin's wife in 2014's Love, Rosie.
-The show also gives Daisy a daughter (of unknown origin) while the book mentions her a adopting a couple of boys.
-While Warren (Sebastian Chacon) does mention (at the end) that he misses signing tits but while mentioned in the book, the show doesn't describe the time that happened to him as he was thrilled to bits about whole thing.
-The show also has original member Chuck (Jack Romano) becoming a dentist while he actually dies in Vietnam.
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