Using Actual Book Plots in D&D

[prufock]

So it appears the premise has changed from "follow the plot of the book" to "start at the opening of the book and see what happens."

This is very much a good thing. Plot depends heavily on what the characters do. This means if he wants to follow the plot, he's expecting your characters to behave as they do in the book, which isn't a role-playing game, it's a group retelling of the same story.

The new approach is more like an alternate history. Things in the background may be happening the same way, but your characters can make new decisions that alter the plot.