(no subject)

[ealgylden]

Guy on Jeopardy just called the Alhambra "a house." A house? Dude, where do you live that that fits your standard for a house?


Also, Charles Taylor thumbs his nose at A.S. Byatt's disdainful Op-Ed piece on Harry Potter (vague Potter spoilers in the Taylor piece). I'm with him, but then no one who's read as much Stout, Chandler, Scott, Sabatini, du Maurier or any of a hundred children's book authors over the years as I have can afford to be a literary snob. And really, I thought Possession was rather dull. Sorry, Ms. Byatt.

Comments

[reginaspina.livejournal.com]

Heh! Well, Possession is one of my favorite books ever but I still disagree with Byatt about Potter ;)

[ealgylden.livejournal.com]

I just couldn't get into it, and I'm not sure why. On the surface, it's exactly the sort of book I love- a literary mystery (of sorts), interwoven timelines, scholars as the heroes (always a favorite of mine), cleverly worked pastiche running through the text... and I just thought it was interminable. It makes no sense to me- I really should have liked it! I'm tempted to watch the movie just because everyone I know who loves the book hates it so much. Maybe I'll like that version more.

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

Oh, I loved the book and liked the movie, but Taylor is right - the poetry? So skippable. *g*

[ealgylden.livejournal.com]

Hee! I could just see him rolling his eyes every time he hit "damn poem about fairies or something." Yeah, me too, Chuck.

Re:

[reginaspina.livejournal.com]

Heh! Well, part of why I LOATHE the movie is the way that they completely changed Roland from being this nebbishy English grad student into a studly American one. Feh! Also, I'm not a fan (to put it mildly) of Gwyneth Paltrow.

I actually love all of Byatt's "Victoriana" - her short novel Angels & Insects (also made into a wonderful film with Kristin Scott Thomas and Patsy Kensit and amazing costumes) and a lot of her short stories are big faves of mine too. I first read Possession while I was in grad school and the entire opening sequence just struck such a chord in me ;)

[ealgylden.livejournal.com]

they completely changed Roland from being this nebbishy English grad student into a studly American one.

I'll never understand why they do that sort of thing. The audience for Possession and movies like it loves nebbishy English actors! If any audience would prefer pale, scholarly, English and accurate-to-the-book to tanned, athletic, Midwestern and "pretty", it's the art-house fans. Sheesh. Really I'm more interested in the Jeremy Northam/Jennifer Ehle scenes, though. And I know Toby Stephens and Trevor Eve are in it, which is always a plus.

I first read Possession while I was in grad school and the entire opening sequence just struck such a chord in me.

Well, I was still an undergrad, but otherwise, me too. I kept my copy and I've reread the opening bit (and a few others) a number of times, but overall... Oh well.

But (perhaps oddly) I love hearing that you love the book. It always makes me happy seeing other people's powerful enthusiasm for books/movies/songs/whatever, whether I agree or not. For example, I love cinzia's posts on the Iliad, like this one I saved (http://www.livejournal.com/talkread.bml?journal=cinzia&itemid=66806), just because she so obviously loves it madly. I love the Iliad myself, but not like she does. Beowulf, on the other hand... That's my Iliad. Anyway, I love seeing a little bit of other people's literary and artistic passions. It's fascinating.

I did enjoy Angels & Insects quite a bit, and the movie was just gorgeous. Those costumes! Absolutely stunning.

Re:

[reginaspina.livejournal.com]

And I know Toby Stephens and Trevor Eve are in it, which is always a plus.]

Toby Stephens? I LURVE him - I am DYING for them to release the Trevor Nunn "Twelfth Night" on DVD because he's so fabulous in that. But I don't remember him in "Possession" - maybe because I was fast-forwarding like mad through the modern-day stuff because yes, the Jeremy Northam/Jennifer Ehle scenes were the only keepers in that film...

Anyway, I love seeing a little bit of other people's literary and artistic passions. It's fascinating.

Oh, yes, it is indeed! And of course, I see that we are both quite interested in LOTR ;) Hee! However, despite my love of some of Byatt's novels, I do rather disagree with her about Harry Potter.

My passions waver in intensity but usually with books I tend to remain fairly true - I'll always come back to books that I love (although books that I love often tend to be more on the middle- or lowbrow side whereas highbrow books are mostly books that I respect ;))

I did enjoy Angels & Insects quite a bit, and the movie was just gorgeous. Those costumes! Absolutely stunning.

I love the scene where Patsy Kensit looks like a big old bumblebee ...

[ealgylden.livejournal.com]

I am DYING for them to release the Trevor Nunn "Twelfth Night" on DVD because he's so fabulous in that.

Oh, me too. He was wonderful in that, wasn't he? I really like that version (except the Belch/Aguecheek scenes, but then I never like those)- it's full of actors I love, it has some great gowns (I always go for costumes), and it has a really nice score. I was surprised that Ben Kingsley has such a pleasant voice.

The bumblebee outfit was my favorite. When I first saw that movie, I wanted nothing so much as a Halloween party at hand, or some other excuse to wear a costume. I mean, I certainly couldn't duplicate it, but once upon a time my mother was a designer (and sometime fashion historian) and I have great faith in her abilities.