classics

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Who’s Watching the Watchers Watching Watchmen?

March 24, 2009 in classics, film, graphic novels by Claire | 2 comments

When books become movies

I finally saw “Watchmen.”  The original plan was for me to run out and see the very first matinee on the very first day it opened–and by “plan,” of course I mean “fantasy.”  I didn’t even come close.  It had been out for a couple of weeks by the time Rob and I actually made it to the cinema. 

I was dying to see “Watchmen” because I read the book this year and was blown away by it.  I wanted to roll around inside that book forever–it was that kind of feeling.  I like reading graphic novels in general, but Watchmen is to its genre what “The Simpsons” is to prime time cartoons: it inverts and subverts convention and defies expectations and yet somehow stays true to its identity.   If you haven’t read Watchmen, I can’t explain it to you–just go read it.  (And, by the way, according to one of my husband’s colleagues, I haven’t actually read Watchmen, because I’ve only read it once.  For legions of fans, you only really get to say you’ve read the book if you’ve gone through it at least half a dozen times.  And it is true that I probably missed tons the first time around–I look forward to rereading it one day.)

So I went off to the movie with a fair amount of anticipation.   Almost three hours later, I walked out with a fair amount of a shrugging sort of  ”well, that was kind of fun.”  Was it faithful to the original?  It was.  Did it transcend the original?  No.  Was it as good as the book?  Not really.  Was the adaptation flawed?  I’m not sure.   Would I have liked it if I hadn’t read the book?  I doubt it. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar Turns Forty

March 18, 2009 in childrens, classics by Claire | 1 comment

He doesn’t look a day over twenty-five

Kim and I must have different calendars, because mine doesn’t have anything this week other than St. Patrick’s Day, but she recently informed me that this Friday, March 20, is the 40th Anniversary of the publication of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.  I checked around online and, sure enough, Friday is “Very Hungry Caterpillar Day,” with celebrations all over the world.  Check here for special events in your area.

Kim frequently runs special literary dates by me to see if I want to write anything, and I’m ashamed to say that many important authors’ birthdays have come and gone with my not having a thing to say about them, mostly because I read their books back in college and can’t remember them well enough to do them justice.  But when she said “Eric Carle,” my ears perked up.   (They do that sometimes.)

If you read my earlier post about reading out loud to kids, you’ll know that I didn’t enjoy it as much as most parents.  I did read picture books to my kids when they were babies and toddlers, but wading through most of them felt like punishment for transgressions I hadn’t known I’d committed.  Not Eric Carle, though.  I loved reading his books out loud.  Maybe it’s the paper cut-out artwork that looks almost three-dimensional and is never cloyingly cute but transcends children’s art to become something that appeals to all ages.  Maybe it was the simple repetitive storylines and words that meant my kids could recite most of it with me, so our voices could blend.  Maybe it was the little extras–the surprises–that Carle always puts in his picture book, from the textured web of the Very Busy Spider, to the actually cut-out holes the Very Hungry Caterpillar chews through, to–my personal favorite–the soft and gentle “chirp, chirp” of the Very Quiet Cricket at the end of that book. Read the rest of this entry »

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On Rereading old Favorites

March 9, 2009 in childrens, classics, film by Claire | 4 comments

The Joy of Rediscovery

Since my kids can tear through a middle reader book in about an hour, I find myself–despite my belief in supporting independent bookstores–frequently urging them to find the next volume in whatever series they’re reading at the school or local library.   They do, on occasion, but when it’s a book they’re particularly excited about or have reason to believe they’ll enjoy more than most, they’ll dig their heels in and say, “But, Mom, I have to own it–what if I want to reread it?”

Remember those days when you used to reread a book over and over again?  Before school got so hard and so busy that it was all you could do to keep up with your English lit and history reading?  Before you felt the weight of the hundreds of thousands of new books being constantly published and talked about and critiqued that you needed to catch up on?  Before you felt acquiring new knowledge was more important than simply lazing around, enjoying the adventure of a good book?

But maybe you still reread your favorite old books.  Do you?  This is a serious question, not a rhetorical one, by the way.  I’d love to know the answer. Read the rest of this entry »

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Can We Turn Over a New Leaf? The Jury is Out for Kitty Fane.

January 10, 2009 in book review, classics, Literary Event by Kim | 2 comments

Can We Change

I recently attended a literary lunch sponsored by Literary Affairs during which my favorite UCLA literature professor, Lynn Batten, deciphered The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham.  The book discussion became heated about whether or not the main character, Kitty Fane, actually changed over the course of the novel.  At the beginning of each year many of us take stock and try to tweak our lives, but how much do we need to modify before we feel like we’ve successfully changed?

img_04655th Avenue Books

I love discussing classics because I know the book, by definition, is a worthwhile read.  I carry a list of classics I’m going to read in the near future, so if I’m visiting a used bookstore I can look for it.  I found The Painted Veil at 5th Avenue Books in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego.  The store is huge, over 40,000 books, and designed to make it easy to meander around.  The staff had the right touch of leaving me alone to discover and helping me find books. 

Shallow Kitty

I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read of W. Somerset Maugham’s writing, now including The Painted Veil.  Kitty Fane, the main character, is a beautiful and shallow woman who expected to marry well.  In reaction to her younger sister’s engagement, Kitty hurriedly marries Walter Fane, a medical researcher working for the civil service in Hong Kong.  She doesn’t love him; she doesn’t even respect him.  When he discovers that she is having an affair with the biggest cad in the colony, his love for her changes to hatred.  Walter tells Kitty Read the rest of this entry »

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PBS Helps the Reader Create a Classics and Film Club

January 2, 2009 in book group, classics, film, Literary Event by Kim | No comments

PBS enhances Masterpiece Theatre by offering resources for a classic and film club.  The website offers guidelines for creating the club, tips for reading and viewing discussions, and additional resources to dig deeper on the topic.  This winter’s offerings include Tess of the d’Ubervilles  and Wuthering Heights in January, February starts with Sense and Sensibility, and then a Charles Dickens series runs from mid-February through to May.  The Dickens movies include Oliver Twist ( a new production that I’m assuming, thankfully, won’t include “more please”), David Copperfield, Little Dorrit and Old Curiosity Shop.  What better way to snuggle up through winter than with Dickens?  Gather your friends and some snacks, read the book, see the movie and discuss away!

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