book vs Movie when you loved the movie and loved the book more

[beyelzu]

spinoff from the quote thread.


If you have read a book and seen the movie and liked the book more even when the movie kicked ass post your reasons here.


As I posted in the other thread concerning the princess bride,


the back story is all the more moving by not having been updated to modern times. in the book its the narrator's father reading it in broken english.

the sword fight between inigo and wesley has more depth in the book, such as inigo is better at using cover than wesley is and at the end of the fight inigo uses an offense that has never been beaten and wesley does.

the movie is actually very true to the book, but the extras in the book has a cumulative effect of making the book much better.

[Farren]

The Princess Bride sucked quite a lot. I must admit I never read the book.

Dune is it for me. Great movie, but it couldn't come close to capturing all the subtexts, both overt and implied, in the book. Herbert writes so much about what characters think, not just what they say, that its difficult to capture on film.

[Farren]

The Princess Bride sucked quite a lot. I must admit I never read the book.

After reading the thread this sprang from, I realise I may be thinking of a completely different movie.

[Dingfod]

The Princess Bride sucked quite a lot.Blasphemy!!!
Dune is it for me. Great movie, but it couldn't come close to capturing all the subtexts, both overt and implied, in the book. Herberts writes so much about what characters think, not just what they say, that its difficult to capture on film.I'll agree. Dune.

[Dingfod]

The Hunt for Red October was that way for me. The movie was good, but the book was better, more suspenseful, more detail (in the usual Tom Clancy overkill sort of way).

[livius drusus]

I loved The Neverending Story when I first saw it as a teenybopper with Duran Duran tastes. (Kinda hate it now, but it still resonates because it brings me back.) The book, however, was on a whole other scale entirely and is one of my favorite books ever.

Another close call is The Name of the Rose. I adore the movie (just got the special edition DVD, in fact), but the book was mind-blowing.

[Farren]

The Princess Bride sucked quite a lot. I must admit I never read the book.

After reading the thread this sprang from, I realise I may be thinking of a completely different movie.

Oh, wait, I just went and Googled The Princess Bride and it was, indeed, that movie that sucked so much ass it was like two hours of liposuction.

[godfry n. glad]

Dune? The movie? I'm assuming that you mean the made for cable movie, because the one that was released in theaters was a craptacular....a big crap, too. The cable TV movie was much better, but the book still rules.

For me, The Day of the Jackel was a decent movie, but the book was better by far. Again, it's the internal monologues that make all the difference.

And... I must admit that I think that although the books were better, Peter Jackson did justice to the original in his filming of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

godfry

[Dingfod]

[QUOTE=Farren]Oh, wait, I just went and Googled The Princess Bride and it was, indeed, that movie that sucked so much ass it was like two hours of liposuction.*sticks fingers in eyes* La la la la la la la, I can't read that, la la la la. Hmmm, that really doesn't work, does it?

I just gotta ask, what do you expect out of a movie? Education and enlightenment? Do you ever watch just for the sheer entertainment value of it? Or are you just saying it sucked because there are folks that still quote from a stupid fairy tale movie released 17 years ago?

[Dingfod]

And... I must admit that I think that although the books were better, Peter Jackson did justice to the original in his filming of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.For me, the movie was better. I just couldn't get into Tolkien when I was young and everyone else seemed to be reading it. I preferred the spaceship and futuristic type science fiction back then.

[godfry n. glad]

The Princess Bride sucked quite a lot. I must admit I never read the book.

Dune is it for me. Great movie, but it couldn't come close to capturing all the subtexts, both overt and implied, in the book. Herbert writes so much about what characters think, not just what they say, that its difficult to capture on film.

Again... To what movie Dune are your referring? There are two of them. Surely not that abominable travesty with Kyle McLachlan? Please, don't tell me that after you dissed one of my all-time favorites.

Farren's stock plummets.....

I will agree with you about the book, though.


godfry

[Dingfod]

For me, it would have to be the movie Dune, because I wasn't even aware of a made-for-cable version. I liked the movie, but I pretty much had to toss out what I'd read in the book. There are a lot of movies like that, it seems like screenwriters like to mess with what I view are perfect writings. However, it has been just about forever since I've read the book and nearly that long since I saw the movie Dune.

[godfry n. glad]

And... I must admit that I think that although the books were better, Peter Jackson did justice to the original in his filming of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.For me, the movie was better. I just couldn't get into Tolkien when I was young and everyone else seemed to be reading it. I preferred the spaceship and futuristic type science fiction back then.


Hmm... I can see that. That's how I was with Joseph Heller's Catch-22. I couldn't finish the book; it was just too confusing to me. When the movie came out, I reluctantly went to see it and enjoyed it greatly. In fact, it explained several things I didn't quite understand in the book.

godfry

[Farren]

The Princess Bride sucked quite a lot. I must admit I never read the book.

Dune is it for me. Great movie, but it couldn't come close to capturing all the subtexts, both overt and implied, in the book. Herbert writes so much about what characters think, not just what they say, that its difficult to capture on film.

Again... To what movie Dune are your referring? There are two of them. Surely not that abominable travesty with Kyle McLachlan? Please, don't tell me that after you dissed one of my all-time favorites.

Farren's stock plummets.....

I will agree with you about the book, though.

godfry

What? There are two Dunes? I quite enjoyed the abominable travesty version. Wait, I realise you're talking about the miniseries, which was, I admit, cooler.

And I must say that I only dissed one of your all time favourites because it sucked so bad my hair came off and stuck to the TV screen. :D

[godfry n. glad]

For me, it would have to be the movie Dune, because I wasn't even aware of a made-for-cable version. I liked the movie, but I pretty much had to toss out what I'd read in the book. There are a lot of movies like that, it seems like screenwriters like to mess with what I view are perfect writings. However, it has been just about forever since I've read the book and nearly that long since I saw the movie Dune.

I walked out of the movie Dune, 'cause I thought it such a botched abortion of the book. By all that is sacred, it was an unspeakable and heinous crime to release that piece of shit.

The cable version was much better; much truer to the original work of Frank Herbert. It still had its problems, the biggest one being that it's more than five hours in length.

godfry

[LadyShea]

Um, you guys realize the book The Princess Bride was written after the movie, don't you? All that nonsense about it being some old book by Morgenstern was made up by Goldman to add interest.

[livius drusus]

Um, you guys realize the book The Princess Bride was written after the movie, don't you? All that nonsense about it being some old book by Morgenstern was made up by Goldman to add interest.
Well, the old book by Morgenstern stuff was fiction, yes, but TPB book was first published in the 70s sometime. Rob Reiner even talks about how much he wanted to do justice to the book in the special edition DVD.

[Godless Dave]

Um, you guys realize the book The Princess Bride was written after the movie, don't you? All that nonsense about it being some old book by Morgenstern was made up by Goldman to add interest.
The Morgenstern part was made up, but the book The Princess Bride was published in 1975. The movie was based on it. But the book the grandfather reads to the kid is not the real Goldman novel from 1975, but the fictional Morgenstern book made up by Goldman for the real book.

[beyelzu]

Um, you guys realize the book The Princess Bride was written after the movie, don't you? All that nonsense about it being some old book by Morgenstern was made up by Goldman to add interest.my betters have beaten me to it.

[LadyShea]

Okay, didn't realize the book was written first. It is a great book and movie though

[livius drusus]

Tangentially relevant fun fact: Goldman is a very successful screenwriter as well, and in fact, won an Oscar for his Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid screenplay. Click here (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001279/) to see all the other great work he's done.

[LadyShea]

Tangentially relevant fun fact: Goldman is a very successful screenwriter as well, and in fact, won an Oscar for his Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid screenplay. Click here (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001279/) to see all the other great work he's done.

Look like he worked with Reiner more than once as well. Misery was a Reiner directed adaptation of a Stephen King book and Goldman wrote the screenplay. Hearts in Atlantis, another King novel, but not a Reiner film. And he wrote the Screenplay for The Princess Bride, and he didn't screw up his book as far as I can tell.

Interesting career for sure.

[viscousmemories]

I'll have to see the Princess Bride again. It's one of those films I know I've seen bits and pieces of several times, but I don't remember if I've ever seen the whole thing start to finish. I'll make a point to remedy that soon.

I was in jail when I read Dune, otherwise I never would have finished it. I thought it was the most heinously dreadful piece of crap I've ever read. I've seen no film adaptations of it, thank the gods. I wouldn't want to have to claw my eyes out.

[Farren]

I'll have to see the Princess Bride again. It's one of those films I know I've seen bits and pieces of several times, but I don't remember if I've ever seen the whole thing start to finish. I'll make a point to remedy that soon.

I was in jail when I read Dune, otherwise I never would have finished it. I thought it was the most heinously dreadful piece of crap I've ever read. I've seen no film adaptations of it, thank the gods. I wouldn't want to have to claw my eyes out.

Sounds like you should rather claw your brain out and replace it, or at least the bits responsible for literature appreciation.

[Dingfod]

Sounds like you should rather claw your brain out and replace it, or at least the bits responsible for literature appreciation.I was thinking the same thing about you and your movie appreciation. heh

[Farren]

Sounds like you should rather claw your brain out and replace it, or at least the bits responsible for literature appreciation.I was thinking the same thing about you and your movie appreciation. heh

Only there's a subtle difference here. I'm right, you see, because the Princess Bride sucks so badly that there's a very real danger the entire planet will become a black hole if too many people watch it, whereas vm is obviously suffering from some kind of dementia praecox that only becomes evident when he talks about the work of Frank Herbert.

[godfry n. glad]

Flame on!

[viscousmemories]

I'll have to see the Princess Bride again. It's one of those films I know I've seen bits and pieces of several times, but I don't remember if I've ever seen the whole thing start to finish. I'll make a point to remedy that soon.

I was in jail when I read Dune, otherwise I never would have finished it. I thought it was the most heinously dreadful piece of crap I've ever read. I've seen no film adaptations of it, thank the gods. I wouldn't want to have to claw my eyes out.

Sounds like you should rather claw your brain out and replace it, or at least the bits responsible for literature appreciation.
:roflmao:

Okay now that was a good one. I've never heard anyone refer to Dune as 'literature' before. :D

Seriously though, I did exaggerate a bit, I've read much worse books. Still I had heard about this 'classic' for years before I read it, so I was surprised by the mediocre quality of the writing. The story was good and engaging, I just thought it was poorly written. It may just be that I haven't read very much fluff fiction in my life. Most of the fiction I've read has had more of a focus on a strong ideological bent than just storytelling. :shrug:

[godfry n. glad]

Sounds like you should rather claw your brain out and replace it, or at least the bits responsible for literature appreciation.I was thinking the same thing about you and your movie appreciation. heh

Only there's a subtle difference here. I'm right, you see, because the Princess Bride sucks so badly that there's a very real danger the entire planet will become a black hole if too many people watch it, whereas vm is obviously suffering from some kind of dementia praecox that only becomes evident when he talks about the work of Frank Herbert.

Well... for my :twocents:, I think Frank shoulda stopped with Dune, 'cause everything he wrote thereafter was offal. I can see how having read the "works" of Frank Herbert would pose dementia as a potential problem.

godfry

[Farren]

Seriously though, I did exaggerate a bit, I've read much worse books. Still I had heard about this 'classic' for years before I read it, so I was surprised by the mediocre quality of the writing. The story was good and engaging, I just thought it was poorly written. It may just be that I haven't read very much fluff fiction in my life. Most of the fiction I've read has had more of a focus on a strong ideological bent than just storytelling. :shrug:

FLUFF FICTION??!!!
:buggin: :buggin: :buggin:

(head explodes}

[Shake]

For me, it would have to be the movie Dune, because I wasn't even aware of a made-for-cable version. I liked the movie, but I pretty much had to toss out what I'd read in the book. There are a lot of movies like that, it seems like screenwriters like to mess with what I view are perfect writings. However, it has been just about forever since I've read the book and nearly that long since I saw the movie Dune.
Well, there was the movie version, as discussed, with Kyle Maclachlan, of which they also released an extended version (approximately 45 min. extra, and some other changes), but it couldn't make up for the general suckitude. I've got this version on VHS somewhere, taped from HBO or something.

I actually didn't realize how bad it sucked until I saw the version which was aired on Sci-Fi (and which, btw, you can now rent at Blockbuster). That was far superior, although it's still exceptionally difficult to do such a book justice in film. Dune (2000), with William Hurt as Muad Dib (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0142032/)

[livius drusus]

Flame on!

Oh! I forget to tell you. Look what I got you, godfry: :flamer:

[viscousmemories]

Aha! I finally thought of something on topic to contribute.

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

Tom Robbins is one of my top 10 favorite authors, and Uma Thurman is high on my list of favorite actors, but that movie just plain stunk up the theatre. I am convinced through to the marrow of my bones that Robbins' art simply doesn't translate to film. I literally cringe at the thought of Jitterbug Perfume or Still Life with Woodpecker being made into movies.

In fact one of the times I went to see him read from his books at Borders in Ann Arbor, just before he read from Cowgirls he said:

(voice dripping with a disdain I might've only imagined)

"This next piece is from Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. The book. Not the movie."

[livius drusus]

Well... for my :twocents:, I think Frank shoulda stopped with Dune, 'cause everything he wrote thereafter was offal. I can see how having read the "works" of Frank Herbert would pose dementia as a potential problem.

I agree completely. I liked Dune a lot and hated the sequels, each of which was more dense, self-absorbed, pompous and boring than the one before it.

[Farren]

Well... for my :twocents:, I think Frank shoulda stopped with Dune, 'cause everything he wrote thereafter was offal. I can see how having read the "works" of Frank Herbert would pose dementia as a potential problem.

I agree completely. I liked Dune a lot and hated the sequels, each of which was more dense, self-absorbed, pompous and boring than the one before it.

Uh-uhhh. The only one that sucked was God Emperor of Dune. Chapter House was awesome and that was, IIRC, No. 5 in the series.

Then there's all Herbert's other work, like The White Plague, The Dosadi Experiment, The Lazarus Effect and The Jesus Incident. Prematurely senile he was not.

[godfry n. glad]

Well... for my :twocents:, I think Frank shoulda stopped with Dune, 'cause everything he wrote thereafter was offal. I can see how having read the "works" of Frank Herbert would pose dementia as a potential problem.

I agree completely. I liked Dune a lot and hated the sequels, each of which was more dense, self-absorbed, pompous and boring than the one before it.

Hear, hear! It was ever more awful offal as each came to market.

In a similar vein, I'm not much of a "fantasy" reader, but I truly, truly enjoyed Ursula LeGuin's "Hainish Trilogy" of sociological science fiction, The Lathe of Heaven, The Dispossessed, and Left Hand of Darkness. Only the first has been made into a film (as far as I know...I can be kinda clueless on this stuff), and it was made for PBS, and it was hoo-hum. I'd love to see Left Hand Darkness made into a great film, but doubt that it would be possible to do justice to The Dispossessed.

godfry

[viscousmemories]

FLUFF FICTION??!!!
:buggin: :buggin: :buggin:

(head explodes}
I've taken the fluff to a new thread (http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10808#post10808).

[xorbie]

The Count of Monte Cristo ... I found the movie pretty entertaining enough (wouldn't say I thought it kicked ass, though), but nowhere near as good as the book, which I lurved. :hearts:

[LadyShea]

The Harry Potter series. I loved the first two films so much (they made me happy dammit!), I bought the books and couldn't put them down....even better than the movies though I really adored both. I even liked the PS2 games, LOL

[viscousmemories]

The Harry Potter series. I loved the first two films so much (they made me happy dammit!), I bought the books and couldn't put them down....even better than the movies though I really adored both.
Oops. You just made me realize that my bold attempt at an on-topic post still wasn't on topic. :madrant: Okay, well. The truth is I usually do one or the other (read the book or see the movie) not both, so I don't have an answer.

[Dingfod]

The Count of Monte Cristo ... I found the movie pretty entertaining enough (wouldn't say I thought it kicked ass, though), but nowhere near as good as the book, which I lurved. :hearts:Which movie, the 1934 version, the 2002 version or the myriad French or several made-for-TV versions? I agree though, none of the movie versions were even as good as the Classic Comics version, let alone Dumas' novel.

[Ymir's blood]

I tried reading Dune years ago but just...couldn't ... go ... on.... :snore:

The same for the original movie actually.

I've got a copy of Princess Bride around here and I'm sure I've read it but can't remember much at all. The movie was great.

I love both the book and movie versions of The Lord of the Rings. I liked the animated Rankin Bass Hobbit and Return of the King as well. If nothing else, the songs, art and animation were enchanting.

Godfrey mentioned Ursula K. LeGuin. There is a mini series coming out based on her Wizard of Earthsea books this Winter. I'm not impressed with what I've seen so far from the producers.

[Adora]

The Count Of Monte Christo

Though the French teleseries with Gerade Depardieu in it came close, they have yet to really make a version of this show that remains really true to the original story (ie- retains the vampires, lesbians, attempted infantcide, Bertuccio's crimes etc etc).

[beyelzu]

Well... for my :twocents:, I think Frank shoulda stopped with Dune, 'cause everything he wrote thereafter was offal. I can see how having read the "works" of Frank Herbert would pose dementia as a potential problem.

I agree completely. I liked Dune a lot and hated the sequels, each of which was more dense, self-absorbed, pompous and boring than the one before it.

Uh-uhhh. The only one that sucked was God Emperor of Dune. Chapter House was awesome and that was, IIRC, No. 5 in the series.

Then there's all Herbert's other work, like The White Plague, The Dosadi Experiment, The Lazarus Effect and The Jesus Incident. Prematurely senile he was not.



farren I agree with you completely on dune, except that chapterhouse sucked and god emperor rocked. but I beliee that we have to agree that dune was the best in the series.

the lazarus effect and the jesus incident were also really good books.

I have always liked how herbert created universes that werent just vanilla.

but you are wrong about the princess bride, that movie just fucking rocked.

and may you burn in the fiery pits of xian hell for your heresy.:flamer:


what the fuck are you thinking, do you not like stories about love, revenge, betrayal, and giants?

[Farren]

I've just got an allergy to anything involving princes, princesses, castles, giants and all that other Brothers Grimm stuff on account of having read vast amounts of fantasy and celtic mythology in my youth before realising the entire frigging genre is anemic imagination-wise.

Its worse than the Western genre. Just the same friggin stories told with the same frigging cast over an over and over again. Even when there are charismatic characters and a few clever lines of dialog, its like a guilded poop for me.

[wade-w]

The Count Of Monte Christo

Though the French teleseries with Gerade Depardieu in it came close, they have yet to really make a version of this show that remains really true to the original story (ie- retains the vampires, lesbians, attempted infantcide, Bertuccio's crimes etc etc).

Umm... you must have read a very different Count of Monte Christo from the one I'm familiar with.

[Adora]

Penguin Classics version, translated by Robin Buss. With endnotes. Approx 1110 pages. Get it. Read it. Love it.

Honestly, until I read this version, I never knew there was any other because I had never read another version before this, only seen a few French series. It was so good, I couldn't understand why anyone would want to censor it and cut out all the wonderful parts, but apprently it happens a lot. 'Specially the lesbians and Vampa.

[livius drusus]

And ordered. Thanks for the good word, Adora. I can't wait to get to the vampire lesbians from Sodom parts.

[LadyShea]

I've just got an allergy to anything involving princes, princesses, castles, giants and all that other Brothers Grimm stuff on account of having read vast amounts of fantasy and celtic mythology in my youth before realising the entire frigging genre is anemic imagination-wise.

Its worse than the Western genre. Just the same friggin stories told with the same frigging cast over an over and over again. Even when there are charismatic characters and a few clever lines of dialog, its like a guilded poop for me.


Hmmm...I sorta watched/read The Princess Bride as a satire of the genre. I mean Buttercup and Humperdink as names?

[livius drusus]

Hmmm...I sorta watched/read The Princess Bride as a satire of the genre. I mean Buttercup and Humperdink as names?

Me too, Shea. Although I would say the movie treats itself a little more gently than the book.

[Farren]

I've just got an allergy to anything involving princes, princesses, castles, giants and all that other Brothers Grimm stuff on account of having read vast amounts of fantasy and celtic mythology in my youth before realising the entire frigging genre is anemic imagination-wise.

Its worse than the Western genre. Just the same friggin stories told with the same frigging cast over an over and over again. Even when there are charismatic characters and a few clever lines of dialog, its like a guilded poop for me.


Hmmm...I sorta watched/read The Princess Bride as a satire of the genre. I mean Buttercup and Humperdink as names?

Oh crap that never occured to me. Now I feel like a twit. Must be because I watched it when I was a lot younger and some kinds of subtlety just went right past me without registering.

[godfry n. glad]

I've just got an allergy to anything involving princes, princesses, castles, giants and all that other Brothers Grimm stuff on account of having read vast amounts of fantasy and celtic mythology in my youth before realising the entire frigging genre is anemic imagination-wise.

Its worse than the Western genre. Just the same friggin stories told with the same frigging cast over an over and over again. Even when there are charismatic characters and a few clever lines of dialog, its like a guilded poop for me.


Hmmm...I sorta watched/read The Princess Bride as a satire of the genre. I mean Buttercup and Humperdink as names?

Oh crap that never occured to me. Now I feel like a twit. Must be because I watched it when I was a lot younger and some kinds of subtlety just went right past me without registering.

And the hero is tortured with a monstrous hickey machine... while the evil killer of Inigo's nightmares has six fingers. The "evil genius" is a bombastic bumbling fool (Wallace Shawn in a truly inspired bit of casting)? The "Dread Pirate Roberts"?

Man....That film is filled with so many tongue in cheek satirical references it's like being hit with a bag of hammers. Either you were so young you didn't catch the references, or you're dumber than that bag of hammers.

godfry

[viscousmemories]

Man....That film is filled with so many tongue in cheek satirical references it's like being hit with a bag of hammers. Either you were so young you didn't catch the references, or you're dumber than that bag of hammers.
:biglaugh: Okay that was just mean, but in a really funny way.

Obviously he was too young, 'cause I don't think he's anywhere near as dumb as a bag of hammers. Of course as I said I only remember seeing parts of it here and there over the years and I knew it was a satire, so I don't know... :D

[godfry n. glad]

Man....That film is filled with so many tongue in cheek satirical references it's like being hit with a bag of hammers. Either you were so young you didn't catch the references, or you're dumber than that bag of hammers.
:biglaugh: Okay that was just mean, but in a really funny way.

Obviously he was too young, 'cause I don't think he's anywhere near as dumb as a bag of hammers. Of course as I said I only remember seeing parts of it here and there over the years and I knew it was a satire, so I don't know... :D

I don't think Farren is anywhere near as dumb as a bag of hammers... I just can't believe anyone didn't pick up on the satire of the genre. I re-view the thing every once in a while and am amazed that I'm still picking up lines, asides and "business" I missed in previous viewings. I think it's a masterpiece of humor.

[Farren]

:biglaugh: Okay that was just mean, but in a really funny way.

Obviously he was too young, 'cause I don't think he's anywhere near as dumb as a bag of hammers. Of course as I said I only remember seeing parts of it here and there over the years and I knew it was a satire, so I don't know... :D

I don't think Farren is anywhere near as dumb as a bag of hammers... I just can't believe anyone didn't pick up on the satire of the genre. I re-view the thing every once in a while and am amazed that I'm still picking up lines, asides and "business" I missed in previous viewings. I think it's a masterpiece of humor.

Well you lot have convinced me to get it out and watch it again some time. If I missed all that I deserve the ridicule, especially 'cause I know its meant in a lighthearted and affectionate manner.

Another defense I can offer is that it's quite possible I was high as a kite watching it considering the amount of dope I was smoking at the time.

But it was, nonetheless, enormously enjoyable finding various creative ways of describing the general suckiness of the movie, even if the criticisms were hopelessly off base, if only for the childish joy of :poke: -ing what appears to be a sacred cow.

[edit]
I never got to air this one, so please allow this one last snipe: I couldn't see what was going on because it sucked so much not even light could escape from the television.

[viscousmemories]

But it was, nonetheless, enormously enjoyable finding various creative ways of describing the general suckiness of the movie, even if the criticisms were hopelessly off base, if only for the childish joy of :poke: -ing what appears to be a sacred cow.
Well since we're being all confessional here I have to admit that perverse pleasure is exactly why I went after Dune as viciously as I did. I honestly didn't have that strong of a reaction to it when I read it 11 years ago, much less now. In fact my actual journal entry was:

9-28-93

“Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping… into the future.”

Dune is an entertaining novel, but I can’t help but notice that the literary quality of it isn’t great. One thing I’ve learned since coming to jail is that several books with reputations as “national bestsellers” and “classics” are written by mortals. Good morning! Here I am on this cloudy Tuesday morning at an unreasonable 7:30 a.m. trying to give a review of the books I’ve been reading. Hah! 18 days away is my sentencing day. Poetry in motion. I’m getting a radio today. This may just save my sanity. Actually, things aren’t so bad. Yesterday this loud, obnoxious guy who was in the cell next to me got released. That is what saved my sanity.

<snip>

I just finished dinner, and then called B. My curiosity was whether or not I could catch her at this time (to arrange another time to talk, ‘cause I knew I’d have to lock down right away). I did. She said she really liked my story and that she wanted me to write more. I will, but I’m wary. Perhaps I’ll write a short story next that isn’t at all auto-biographical. Imagination. Jesus, how could I have forgotten that this was what writing, for me, used to be. The really imaginative child I once was decided that seriousness needed consideration. True, but not at the cost of fantasy. Imagination, as “Dune” demonstrates, lessens the need for great writing skills in the pursuit of a very popular book.

Hey look, I even had something good to say about it a few days after that entry:


10-2-93

I know I’m not a literary genius, but I think I’ll make a good writer some day. I was talking to K last night about the books I’ve been reading, and I realized some interesting things in the process. Each of the books I’ve read and really enjoyed in here, I’ve enjoyed for different reasons: “The World According to Garp” for Irving’s sense of humor and capacity for lifting the imaginable into the realm of the surreal. “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” for Pirsig’s exceptional philosophical premise. “Dune” for Herbert’s vivid imagination and “Democracy” for Joan Didion’s extraordinary and beautiful poetic structure. And I think, “What if I could write a book that was all of that, and more?” Or is that the reason I haven’t written anything? Because I can’t do that?

[godfry n. glad]

:biglaugh: Okay that was just mean, but in a really funny way.

Obviously he was too young, 'cause I don't think he's anywhere near as dumb as a bag of hammers. Of course as I said I only remember seeing parts of it here and there over the years and I knew it was a satire, so I don't know... :D

I don't think Farren is anywhere near as dumb as a bag of hammers... I just can't believe anyone didn't pick up on the satire of the genre. I re-view the thing every once in a while and am amazed that I'm still picking up lines, asides and "business" I missed in previous viewings. I think it's a masterpiece of humor.

Well you lot have convinced me to get it out and watch it again some time. If I missed all that I deserve the ridicule, especially 'cause I know its meant in a lighthearted and affectionate manner.


Hey... I'm not saying it's not schmaltz. It is. It's got the same schmaltz and chutzpah that Shrek did. That's part of the gig.

Carol Kane and Billy Crystal were great, too.

godfry

[godfry n. glad]

Beware from whom you take visual entertainment advice.

I once convinced a friend to go with his wife, my wife and I (because I wanted male companionship on this gig) to see Howard's End, by telling him that "of course somebody dies in this movie, it's about Howard's end, after all. Howard dies." (My friend likes movies with a body count.) He has yet to let me live that down. What an abyssmal picture. A real estate soap opera. :scheisse: Gag me with a shovel. The best I could say was that somebody actually died. Crushed under a bookshelf...too bad the entire cast didn't go with him.

I never read the book, I saw that film first. Who would ever want to read that book after seeing that film? Inconceivable!

godfry

[Dingfod]

I never got to air this one, so please allow this one last snipe: I couldn't see what was going on because it sucked so much not even light could escape from the television.I had a car like that once.

[Maynard]

Kristin Lavransdatter & The Master of Hestviken are two of my favorite sets of books, both by Sigrid Undset.

I've seen the movie of Kristin and love this post on imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113576/#comment), though the movie has some great scenery of Norway:
The Undset novel made boring by norwegian diva Liv Ullmann

In Norway we have to go to the cinema during school, often to see heavy drama movies we wouldn't see at all otherwise. I mean what sane 15 year old would personally go to see a medieval drama directed by Liv Ullmann. Anyway, this movie can easily be summed up by one word: crying..

From scene one the main character Kristin is hit by tragedy and cries. And that continues for a looong time. So rather read the book than watch this movie, but it might be great to see with your girlfriend if you manage to act the correct way.

[livius drusus]

Okay well, to tell the truth, I would totally have gone to see a medieval drama directed by Liv Ullmann when I was 15. :blush2: Having said that, I'm a huge historical fiction fan (http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=408) so I'll definitely put Kristin Lavransdatter on the list.

Welcome to FF, Maynard. :hisign:

[Maynard]

Welcome to FF, Maynard
Thanks livius! :happywave: This is a great site, though I'm afraid it's already sucking me into being on the computer too much!
I'm a huge historical fiction fan so I'll definitely put Kristin Lavransdatter on the list.
Great! I'll have to give "Historical Fiction, Anyone?" a look.

[livius drusus]

Thanks livius! :happywave: This is a great site, though I'm afraid it's already sucking me into being on the computer too much!

Why, Maynard. There is no such thing as too much FF. :innocent2: In all seriousness, thank you for the kind words. I'm very glad you like it here.

Great! I'll have to give "Historical Fiction, Anyone?" a look.

Please do. It's a treasure trove of great recommendations. I'd love to see you add some of your own. :)

[John the Non-Baptist]

Once upon a time there was an OP about movies you love coming from books you love even more, and that immediately made me think of L.A. Confidential. James Ellroy's novel is cynical, complex, and utterly fascinating, and Curtis Hanson did an amazing job turning it into an intricate and equally fascinating movie.

[Farren]

Once upon a time there was an OP about movies you love coming from books you love even more, and that immediately made me think of L.A. Confidential. James Ellroy's novel is cynical, complex, and utterly fascinating, and Curtis Hanson did an amazing job turning it into an intricate and equally fascinating movie.

I never read Elroy's novel but the movie was superb.

[viscousmemories]

I never read Elroy's novel but the movie was superb.
Ditto. I had the pleasure of stumbling on this flick without knowing anything about it, and it was really extraordinary. It was also my introduction to Russell Crowe.