The adaptation was fantastic.

Small scale as it's almost all filmed on sets. No crowd scenes. But the acting is the absolute best of British theater acting and the writing is superb. Streamlined from the books as it always has to be. But all the important stuff is there. That they could adapt Claudius the God in only three episodes tells you everything you need to know about how much important stuff was in the book.

Quite honestly, I'd say for the casual reader who enjoyed the first book to skip the second book and just watch the last three episodes of the adaptation if you want to know what happens in it.