FollowGetting sick of my 1/2 tissue box/day habit. I don’t think it’s allergies, but usually colds go away quicker.
Will have something interesting to say again soon I promise. For now, so it goes …
Days of Sleep and Kitties
Today a lazy, sleepy day. Filled with cute cats. Off to see “Cabin in the Woods” with Lanna, wooooo!
Movie was only ok, well made but not my thing. **
Why I Prefer Seeing the Movie First
People who follow me at all know I read a lot.
I read books now more than ever, used to read more newspapers and magazines.
But, I hear all the time, I want to see say “Hunger Games” but I need to read the book/books first. I personally prefer seeing the movie first.
Books are a totally different format, richer, longer, have subtext, a medium of words. Film is a medium of images and sounds, and quite a bit shorter at around 90-120 minutes. The average screenplay is 95-125 pages long, the average book is around 300 pages. It’s simply different.
For me a good example of this is Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo”. Although the book the “Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick is very cinematic, and the look is in the movie, Scorsese adds scenes, depth of character and a few other things I don’t see in the book. I did see “Hugo” before reading the book, and think if I read the book first I would have used my image of the book to cloud the movie and not loved the movie for what it did well but get trapped in comparisons.
An example of a book I did read first which clouded my judgment of the movie is “Jurassic Park.” I quite enjoyed Micheal Crichton’s novel, and I missed several scenes (especially the river scene) that were in the book in the movie. Although Spielberg does a good job with it, I find actually the monster movie “The Lost World” to be more fun. I think this is partially because my view of the book hurts the movie.
Another example for me from a recent movie is “The Hunger Games.” My wife has read through this series twice already, and I am still around 20% in the first book. I quite enjoyed the movie, and wonder if my judgement of the book would have clouded how I see the film.
Basically movies and books are entirely different mediums. If you try to make the movie just like the book you get boring movies like Chris Columbus’s Harry Potter 1 and 2, which although good and nowhere near as rich to me as Cauron’s version that shares the vision of the book but doesn’t feel the need to get everything in Harry Potter 3 (still the best of the series to me.
What do you think?
Edmund
National Library Week
This week from April 8th-April 14th is National Library Week. Regular readers of my #FridayReads post realize how much I lose Walker Library and Minerva, and how important libraries are too my life. They enrich the soul, enrich the mind and one of our most democratic institutions for growth. So if you haven’t been in a while, visit your library, it misses you. And it’s ok just find a shelf for your library books and you are less likely to lose them. Libraries are amazing, especially in states like Maine where libraries have an easy to use program like Minerva to get books from libraries across the state.
So come back to your library. Try some books out, reading begets more reading, as you can tell from my reading.
Books read this week:
Daytripper: My favorite book so far of 2012 and Wednesday’s post. ***** (5+ GR)
Dragonslippers by Rosalind Penfold: Well done graphic novel about abuse, the art felt very HS pamphlet. I am happy this book doesn’t resonate with me. But I have been lucky. *** (3 GR)
Words I Wish I Wrote: A Collection of Writing That Inspired My Ideas by Robert Fulghum: Very solid and cool book about quotes that inspire one of America’s favorite Unitarians. I enjoyed this but a slow read. It’s a cool way to learn about some great writers. *** (4 GR)
Maine in Four Seasons: 20 Poets Celebrate the Turning Year edited by Wesley McNair: Cool poetry book I read it the library, there are only 20 poems in it. Makes me realize I wish I could have went to Lowry’s Lodge tonight. Would go out for the after poetry, but today is a day to be home after a weeklong cold. And I had to work until 8 tonight when it starts at 7.
Sons of Liberty: Re-read the first book of this series again on Saturday. The fact I can do that is a week takes this book up to ****. (5 GR)
Pyongyang by Guy Delisle: One of my favorite books of all time. This is probably my 5th or 6th read. Been lending this to lots of people at work. If you ever wonder how bizarre North Korea is this lets you know. The sarcastic style of French Canadian animator Delisle is perfect for this book. ***** (5 GR)
Sons of Liberty: Death and Taxes: Re-read the 2nd book in the Sons of Liberty series today. Solid, not as good as book 1. Less about slavery, more about the rebellion about the Stamp Tax. Still looking forward to part 3. ***1/2 (4 GR)
Checked out a ton of books (7), a good celebration of National Library Week: (All Walker this time)
A Shoe for All Seasons by Jeff MacNelly: Shoe has been around a long time, as this collection from 1982 indicates. Journalism has been poor for a long time too, in both money and now ever too frequently content. **1/2 (3 GR) about 20% in. (Walker)
Making Comics : Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels / Scott McCloud: Saw Scott McCloud at MECA doing a lecture. “Understanding Comics” is a book I want to read. Just started this. Should be interesting to learn more about the art.
Blankets: An Illustrated Novel by Craig Thompson: I loved Habibi, heard this as good or better. Expected to get just this and Sons of Liberty 2 at the library.
Dragonslippers
Sons of Liberty 2
Wildness within walking distance : Poland Spring, Maine / Robert M. Chute: Cool book of poetry. The pictures are beautiful. The simple Maine woodlot is an underrated place of beauty. The pictures are stunning, the poetry nice. pg. 51 of 74 ***1/2 (4 GR)
The Flame Alphabet by Ben Marcus: The adult librarian put it in my hand so I checked it out. About 3 chapters in, reminds me a lot of “Children of Men.”
No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July: Cool books of short stories, only 2 stories in.
Other books reading:
Quiet by Susan Cain: Slow read for me, already late from the library, because there are holds on it. on pg 190 of 271 so too far in to return on Wednesday. Interesting subject, I have gotten out of the habit of reading non-fiction, it’s much slower than fiction. Recommended, but definitely only doing a chapter or half chapter at a time. ***1/2 (4 GR)
Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware: Considered Ware’s best book. Definitely has his sense of hopelessness, about 15% in. (Rice PL/Minerva)
A Moxie and a Moon Pie: the Best of Moon Pie Press, Volume 1: On pg 58 of 176. 11 poets each with 16 pages. Liking Robin Merrill the best so far. And yes, have been skipping around. (Walker) ***
Diving into the Wreck: Poems 1971-1972 by Adrienne Rich: One of the major American poets of the 20th Century that doesn’t resonate with me, poetry is a most individual artform. *** (3 GR) pg. 48 of 62
Duncan the Wonder Dog by Adam Hines: pg 58 of 392. Crazily this entire book is available on the web for free. The author would rather have you give to animal rights organizations than pay for his book. I don’t know if I have that much attention span online. Need to get back to this one again. It is #1 on the GoodOkBad.com website. I guess I haven’t read this at all this week. So it goes.
Kindle:
Devil in the Kitchen by Marco Pierre White: Cool read about the challenges of being a chef in the late 80s in London. A driven, driven man. 67% ***1/2 (4 GR)
NIV Once a Day 31 Days of Wisdom: The 31 books of Proverbs, on Proverbs 12. Well done by Zondervan.
Half Way Home by Hugh Howey: Still liking the first third the most. Need give the finish of this some time. 73% ***
Even You Can Learn Statistics by David Levine and David Stephan: Free book on Kindle, think this will be a slow read, but a topic I want to know more about. 1%
Big Sex Little Death: A Memoir by Susie Bright: A book I think I want to like more than I do. 6% **1/2
The Mind Tree by Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay: Fascinating, really fascinating book written from a autistic child who can’t speak, very rich. Need to spend more time with it, reminds me of the Diving Bell and the Butterfly. **** (31%)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: I think I set the record for slowest read of this book everyone considers a super page-turner. Enjoying it but it’s one book of many for me. 16%
Wool 4 by Hugh Howey: Another book I need to get back to and spend some time on. Still around 50%. ****
So that’s it for now. This week’s lesson, maybe it is possible to read too many books at once. Naaah.
Day of cold, coughs and sleep
Not feeling good.
Have one of those annoying colds with a big cough.
So it goes.
Took the day off today from doing anything.
Did get to nap with the kitties which is nice.
Tomorrow will do my book post.
I suppose their is nothing wrong with a day of rest and music.
Considered talking about stand up vs. improv vs. poetry today, but my brain is just not wired to it. Was listening to Lounging with Lanna Lee with George Hamm and realized he got the addiction to stand up much more than I ever have. Poetry is just more fulfilling for me. But, it’s an excellent half-hour, look forward to next week’s half hour.
I hope this cold goes away with some slumber, not feeling too confident of that. So it goes …