It's always a double-edged sword when your favorite book becomes a movie. You want to see it on the big screen, but you fear how much of the original story has been altered. Here are a few of my favorite and least favorite film adaptations of books I've read.
The Good
1. Sense & Sensibility- Ang Lee's version of this classic Jane Austen novel is one of my favorite film adaptations. The scenery is beautiful and exactly how I imagined it. The script didn't stray far from the original and the casting was perfect. Even Hugh Grant was well cast as Edward. The costumes were my favorite part of the film. They managed to capture the whimsy of that time and you felt like the novel had burst to life.
2. Charlotte Gray- While they altered aspects of the original book, I really liked the actors they hired and the cinematography was beautiful.
3. The English Patient- The film version is so starkly different that it works better than the novel ever did. They changed all the right aspects and the acting was spot-on. It's one of those oscar-nominated films I felt was worth all the hype.
The bad
1984- The acting was camping, the story had been cut to shreds that it lost any real sort of meaning and the directing was choppy at best. They should have just left it alone.
A hand-maiden's Tale- The movie was so bad that not even Robert Duvall could save it.
Monday 5 November 2012
Sunday 4 November 2012
So many books to read.
Books that I am currently reading:
City of Fallen Angels
Game of Thrones-Book 1
Harry Potter Book 4
Divergent
What about goodbye--Sarah Dessen
Books I want to read once I'm done with those:
DarkFever
Harry Potter Books 5-7
The rest of the Fever series (assuming book 1 is readable
City of Fallen Angels
Game of Thrones-Book 1
Harry Potter Book 4
Divergent
What about goodbye--Sarah Dessen
Books I want to read once I'm done with those:
DarkFever
Harry Potter Books 5-7
The rest of the Fever series (assuming book 1 is readable
I think my read-box will be so much longer this year primarily due to this blog.
Saturday 3 November 2012
NaBloPomo entry 3
My literary pet peeve: Abusive relationships that are glorified.
It didn't even register to me when I was younger, but as I've grown older this has become more and more troublesome to me. Who are the worst offenders imo:
1. Tolstoy- Anna Karenina is just rife with the dysfunction. It's hard for me to take the love story seriously because it just made me cringe the majority of the time.
2. Emily Bronte. Wuthering heights is a great example of a bad love story that is glorified to insane proportions. Kathy and Heathcliff are not a great love, they are not even a tortured love. They just don't belong together. They bring out he worst in each other. She's insufferable and He's a brooding asshole that needs to stay away from the female gender. His obsessive personality is also very off-putting.
3. The chick who wrote the Bronze Horsman. As I put in an earlier review, the relationship between Tania and pretty much everyone in her life is toxic and abusive to some extent. The physical violence that Alexander inflicts on her is not romantic. The parental abuse she suffers is not compelling. It's just a horrible message laced in OTT writing.
It didn't even register to me when I was younger, but as I've grown older this has become more and more troublesome to me. Who are the worst offenders imo:
1. Tolstoy- Anna Karenina is just rife with the dysfunction. It's hard for me to take the love story seriously because it just made me cringe the majority of the time.
2. Emily Bronte. Wuthering heights is a great example of a bad love story that is glorified to insane proportions. Kathy and Heathcliff are not a great love, they are not even a tortured love. They just don't belong together. They bring out he worst in each other. She's insufferable and He's a brooding asshole that needs to stay away from the female gender. His obsessive personality is also very off-putting.
3. The chick who wrote the Bronze Horsman. As I put in an earlier review, the relationship between Tania and pretty much everyone in her life is toxic and abusive to some extent. The physical violence that Alexander inflicts on her is not romantic. The parental abuse she suffers is not compelling. It's just a horrible message laced in OTT writing.
Friday 2 November 2012
NaBloPoMo post 2
I wouldn't be a book nerd if I didn't have an entire pile of books in every corner. There are titles that I want to get to and haven't. Titles haven't reread in ages. So, what is my most treasured book or books?
I can't really pick a favorite, but these are well-worn titles that hold a special place in my heart.
1. Charlotte's Web. I have had it for years and kept it so I could read to maya and soon they will be passed on to the boys
2. Mansfield Park- Ahh Fanny Price, how I love thee. I can never seem to get enough of this girl.
3. Jane Eyre- My favorite gothic novel. I've read it more than 10 times and when I'm feeling in the mood I pick it up and re-read. It's especially good on a rainy spring day.
4. Three Cups of Tea-this is pretty much who I want to be. This man learnt so much about being a teacher, being an outsider and learning to respect other cultures
5. No Logo- I have the original copy signed by Naomi Klein whom I met at her at a Book Signing. She's kind of my hipster-activist spirit animal. A girl who believed you can never be too young or too old to fight the Man. The only female journalist allowed into Fallujah and one of a few Jewish journalists respected by Palestinian and other Muslim activists. I can drown on about why I love these titles.
I can't really pick a favorite, but these are well-worn titles that hold a special place in my heart.
1. Charlotte's Web. I have had it for years and kept it so I could read to maya and soon they will be passed on to the boys
2. Mansfield Park- Ahh Fanny Price, how I love thee. I can never seem to get enough of this girl.
3. Jane Eyre- My favorite gothic novel. I've read it more than 10 times and when I'm feeling in the mood I pick it up and re-read. It's especially good on a rainy spring day.
4. Three Cups of Tea-this is pretty much who I want to be. This man learnt so much about being a teacher, being an outsider and learning to respect other cultures
5. No Logo- I have the original copy signed by Naomi Klein whom I met at her at a Book Signing. She's kind of my hipster-activist spirit animal. A girl who believed you can never be too young or too old to fight the Man. The only female journalist allowed into Fallujah and one of a few Jewish journalists respected by Palestinian and other Muslim activists. I can drown on about why I love these titles.
Thursday 1 November 2012
NaBloPoMo Entry 1
On the suggestion of http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/ I am going to participate in NaBloPoMo which is basically posting everyday on your blog. I know I'm kind of slack, but the literary nature of my blog sorta limits me, I'll try my best.
So, today I want to talk about my favorite childhood series: The Hardy Boys.
1. I think I read book 5--the original 1950s-- when I was 8 or 9. I loved the adventure that the boys would have. I am seriously thinking of trying to find the original series for a good reread.
2. Nancy Drew. How can one really be a fan of the Hardy Boys and not like the intrepid Nancy Drew. She was funny and awkward and so fucking annoying. I am convinced Veronica Mars is based on her
3. Sweet Valley High--Ahh Jessica and Elizabeth. Who hasn't read this series? It was so cheesy and full of soapy drama that kids shouldn't be reading this drama. Although, I found Jessica fun, I always felt for Elizabeth. She was my spirit animal for so long.
4. The Encyclopedia Brown Books. Although this wasn't really a series per se, just individual cases starring the same kid, I think it still counts. I just loved it. I blame my addiction to spoilers on these books because I loved the interactive nature of the books and how you got to make choices alongside him.
So, today I want to talk about my favorite childhood series: The Hardy Boys.
1. I think I read book 5--the original 1950s-- when I was 8 or 9. I loved the adventure that the boys would have. I am seriously thinking of trying to find the original series for a good reread.
2. Nancy Drew. How can one really be a fan of the Hardy Boys and not like the intrepid Nancy Drew. She was funny and awkward and so fucking annoying. I am convinced Veronica Mars is based on her
3. Sweet Valley High--Ahh Jessica and Elizabeth. Who hasn't read this series? It was so cheesy and full of soapy drama that kids shouldn't be reading this drama. Although, I found Jessica fun, I always felt for Elizabeth. She was my spirit animal for so long.
4. The Encyclopedia Brown Books. Although this wasn't really a series per se, just individual cases starring the same kid, I think it still counts. I just loved it. I blame my addiction to spoilers on these books because I loved the interactive nature of the books and how you got to make choices alongside him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)