‘House Of Cards’ Spoilers: Author Michael Dobbs Reveals Differences Between Book And Netflix Series

All of us have heard of “House of Cards,” but I’ll be surprised if you know the name Michael Dobbs. Dobbs life has been changed by “House of Cards” however it wasn’t always due to the newly premiered Netflix series, the hugely popular series is based off Dobbs book of the same which he published way back in 1989. The Netflix series that just celebrated the launch date of Season 2 wasn’t the first incarnation of Dobb’s literary prowess, BBC created a critically acclaimed television drama series in 1990. The “House of Cards” series by BBC was ranked 84^th in the British Film Institute list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programs in 2000. And while the Netflix series is also experiencing its fair share of success, with Netflix reporting unprecedented surges in subscribers, there are several things that differ in this version of the now infamous “House of Cards” story. And who better than Michael Dobbs to clear them, and sort them out, right? Well lucky for us the acclaimed author revealed the 4 major differences in the U.S. adaptations as opposed to the original book.

Francis J. “Frank” Underwood vs. Francis Urquhart

In the book, the protagonist is known as Francis Urquhart who is a Scottish aristocrat, however in the television series the title role portrayed by actor Kevin Spacey, is Francis J. “Frank” Underwood. Underwood is less royal than his novel’s counterpart, and instead of aristocracy, he is a kid from the back streets of South Carolina. The two characters do align in their search to get out of their current situations. According to Dobbs, “Francis is trying to regain his family's social position while Frank is trying to escape his.”

Washington vs. Westminster

Dobbs original story does not take place in the nation’s capital, contrastingly his story unfolds in Westminster following Britain's 1987 general election, which was won by Margaret Thatcher. While “House of Cards” on Netflix’s traverse’s Washington’s political landscape, the original story chronicles a plot to get rid of the a Prime Minister, where the main character “Francis” working amidst his conservative beliefs thinks he will be rewarded for his role.

Mattie vs. Zoe

The book introduces the character of Mattie, a journalist at “The Daily Telegraph” early on in the story. Her character was the inspiration behind Zoe Barnes, who unfortunately met her maker in the Season 2 premiere. However, while both journalists, these two characters differ greatly, in addition to being much more aggressive both professionally and sexually, Mattie has a conscience whereas Zoe has none. Dobbs explains that Mattie “would have had difficulty in surviving the 21st-century demands on a newspaper journalist.”

Robin Wright as Claire Underwood

There is no Claire in the book. How can that be you wonder? Well as Dobbs explains it, Francis could survive without a wife, but Frank could not have accomplished all that he has without Claire. “Their relationship becomes the central spine of the story,” says Dobbs who also admitting to loving the addition of Claire in the Netflix series.

Even though Season 2 of “House of Cards” only recently launched on Netflix, series creator Beau Willmon revealed that the Season 3 script is nearly compete. Providing fans with an expectation for a Season 3 release date of February 2015.