I googled "A Tangled Web," Emil, and I've got to say - I can't afford NOT to own this book. (4 bucks) I'm looking forward to reading it. It seems to me like you (or the publishers) are not asking enough for it. I mean, writing it was clearly a lot of work, and yet it costs less than a decent cheeseburger. Strange business, publishing.
Ah well, I'm off to watch the Oscars, then I'll get started.
Uhhhh...
Thanks for deciding to read it Sancho. Although the book's theme of plagiarism is a serious one, it does aim to be a satire on publishing and related pursuits. The reason the book is priced that low is because I was asked to quote within a given price range and I seem to remember pitching it at the lower end because I would rather people read it than shy away because of the price.Originally Posted by Sancho
Anyhow, I look forward to your opinion of it.
"L'art de la statistique est de tirer des conclusions erronèes a partir de chiffres exacts." Napoléon Bonaparte.
"Je crois que beaucoup de gens sont dans cet état d’esprit: au fond, ils ne sentent pas concernés par l’Histoire. Mais pourtant, de temps à autre, l’Histoire pose sa main sur eux." Michel Houellebecq.
Since I first posted this thing, "exceptions that prove the rule" keep popping up in my addled head. The one I thought about today was One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. I didn't really admire the book by Ken Kesey, but after finally watching the movie on TV one night, I thought it was a really fine film, well deserving of all the Oscars it won that year (I think it was 1975.)
Speaking of the Academy Awards, I saw the telecast of the ceremony the other night. I thought that the hostess, Ellen DeGeneres, presided over the activities with just the right touch. But overall, I was extremely disappointed, as I didn't win a single Oscar. In fact, I wasn't even nominated! --since, as we all know, "it's an honor just to be nominated."
I have beside me a DVD of A Streetcar Named Desire made in 1951 and the winner of 12 Academy Awards. It was loaned to me and I intend watching it tonight. The Los Angeles Times called it: 'The most thrilling display of ensemble acting in all of American film', so I'm definitely looking forward to watching it. It seems that this is one story that Hollywood didn't ruin.
"L'art de la statistique est de tirer des conclusions erronèes a partir de chiffres exacts." Napoléon Bonaparte.
"Je crois que beaucoup de gens sont dans cet état d’esprit: au fond, ils ne sentent pas concernés par l’Histoire. Mais pourtant, de temps à autre, l’Histoire pose sa main sur eux." Michel Houellebecq.
Typically I hate movies based on books that I enjoy. However, there are several very good movies made from mediocre books. I won't mention anything specific. There's no example I can give that wouldn't upset someone.
I also think it's true that good adaptations can be made when they are not direct adaptations. An example is Apocalypse Now. The story resembles Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. It becomes it's own entity despite the similarities.
One of my all time favorite books (Heart of Darkness), and also the movie that it inspired, Apocalypse Now. Thematically the two were similar enough, but after that not so much... but the movie just works!
I think both loose adaptions and faithful adaptions can work equally well. All depends on the director and cast of actors. One great example is the movie Stand By Me, based on Stephen King's novelette 'The Body'... the movie is actually the better of the two, which is rare.
I'd say novels ruin Hollywood myself.
it may never try
but when it does it sigh
it is just that
good
it fly
I can endure film adaptations as long as I haven't read the book in a month or so and I keep the word "Adaptation" at the front of my mind. For example, I didn't mind the rushed feeling of Ender's game because I knew they had a lot to pack into a short amount of time.
Unless it's Eragon. The Eragon movie was just terrible.
How so?
a dead account
well the more badly done a novel is the more bad reputation Hollywood accumulate.
it may never try
but when it does it sigh
it is just that
good
it fly
Sometimes films help novels.
...........
“All" human beings "by nature desire to know.” ― Aristotle
“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” ― Robert A. Heinlein
I know its not the typical order of things, but sometimes I won't know about a book until I see the film, and then yes, i'll go out and read it.
I also enjoy being able to see the movie characters in my minds eye as I read the books...
I recently saw a movie (on TV, of course) which is another exception to the "Hollywood ruins books" rule. Although I admire F. Scott Fitzgerald's original short story of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," I thought that the 2008 adaptation, which brings the title character up to the year 2005, was a fine film.
i think forest gump is a good example of a book being turned into a better movie---same with the lion, the witch and the wardrobe.
if you read forest gump and then watch the movie, you're left with a sense of that the movie wouldn't have been nearly as popular had it been truer to the book.
ive not seen the most recent hunger games movie yet but i thought the first two movies jibed really well with the books...no criticisms at all.
I understand that the next James Bond movie will have a formidable opponent for Bond. He has the cunning of Blofeld and physical strength of Oddjob. After careful consideration, the producers have decided to call him Oddfeld.
"L'art de la statistique est de tirer des conclusions erronèes a partir de chiffres exacts." Napoléon Bonaparte.
"Je crois que beaucoup de gens sont dans cet état d’esprit: au fond, ils ne sentent pas concernés par l’Histoire. Mais pourtant, de temps à autre, l’Histoire pose sa main sur eux." Michel Houellebecq.
Bram Stoker's Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola is a film that, for the most part, sticks to the book. There is the invention of Mina being the reincarnation of the Counts dead wife and the person who kills the Count at the end. The only scene missing from the book is the one where Jonathan Harker and the group confront the Count at another of his London residences. It makes sense to omit this scene as it shows Johnathans resolve to kill the Count, which is important in the book as it is Johnathan who kills the Count.
An example of a film being superior to the book is Razor's Edge starring Bill Murray. Unlike the book, by W. Somerset Maugham, it focus on the character of Larry. I was disappointed when I read the book, I'd seen the film first, to find Larry relegated to just one of many characters. I actually skimmed through the book until I saw Larry mentioned and would then read that bit properly.
Last edited by Number 34; 09-28-2015 at 08:56 PM.
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