What are you currently reading?

[vers la flamme]

My gut feeling is that the movie will come to the States next year. It won Best Screenplay Award at Cannes this summer.

Definitely will be looking forward to it. I got a kick out of this bit from the review

Adapted by "Happy Hour" and "Asako I & II" auteur Ryûsuke Hamaguchi from a short story by Haruki Murakami, "Drive My Car" is a head-on collision between an emerging filmmaker fascinated by the interior lives of women, and a famous author who... is not (to say nothing of his other charms, Murakami is more into mysterious pixie dream girls).

While there are female characters in Murakami's work that I admire, it's true that writing women will never be his strong suit.

[SimonNZ]

Jfyi, an article about "Drive My Car," a movie adaptation of Haruki Murakami's work.

https://www.indiewire.com/2021/07/drive-my-car-movie-review-1234650289/

Have you seen the film they made of his short story "Tony Takitani"?

I thought it was fascinating, but it's very slow moving which might explain why it's been largely overlooked.

[vers la flamme]

Have you seen the film they made of his short story "Tony Takitani"?

I thought it was fascinating, but it's very slow moving which might explain why it's been largely overlooked.

Wow, with a soundtrack by Ryuichi Sakamoto. I must watch this.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Wow, with a soundtrack by Ryuichi Sakamoto. I must watch this.

+1. I must get a DVD of the movie.

[LKB]

Just started Into the Storm, by Tom Clancy and retired US Army General Fred Franks.

Fairly interesting thus far, and recommended for anyone interested in the nuts-and-bolts which held the Desert Storm ground campaign together.

[Artem]

Mostly shorter books this time.

Nadas' short story "Own death" is accompanied with photographs of a tree on each page. Carr's is a very English novel, reminded me of "Atonement". Kagge's essay was just OK. The book on Guston was my favourite. It's a short bio with great selection of his work and some photos from the studio.

[Brian]

I've read "A Month in the Country" twice. Easy to do because it's so short. But indeed it's very English, very beautiful, very full of unadmitted emotions.

[Karl Henning]

Waugh: The Loved One





Published in 1948 this short novel is a comic and biting satire on the shallow values of Californian life at the time.

Love that book. I've since learnt of, and also love, the movie.

[Karl Henning]

I don't know how true it is to the book, but this was made into a wonderfully quirky film in the '60s.  The screenplay was by Terry Southern and Christopher Isherwood.

"The film stars Robert Morse, Jonathan Winters, Anjanette Comer and Rod Steiger. Among those making appearances in smaller roles are John Gielgud, Robert Morley, Roddy McDowall, James Coburn, Milton Berle, Dana Andrews, Tab Hunter and Liberace."  -- Wikipedia

They missed that Paul Williams is in there as well.  Rod Steiger plays "Mr. Joyboy"!

The only thing I "missed" in the movie, Dave, was basically the closing line of the book: The anniversary card from the Happier Hunting Ground. It's mordantly funny in the book, but just wouldn't work on the screen, I suppose.

[vers la flamme]

Mostly shorter books this time.

Nadas' short story "Own death" is accompanied with photographs of a tree on each page. Carr's is a very English novel, reminded me of "Atonement". Kagge's essay was just OK. The book on Guston was my favourite. It's a short bio with great selection of his work and some photos from the studio.

Guston was a weird, challenging artist. I ought to check that out sometime.

[SimonNZ]

Finished:



Started:

[aligreto]

Love that book. I've since learnt of, and also love, the movie.

I have not found the film yet, Karl, but it is on the List.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

The Hotel New Hampshire, John Irving.

[vers la flamme]

The Hotel New Hampshire, John Irving.

What do you think? I haven't read anything of his but I'm curious about his work. I liked the film based on The Cider House Rules.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

What do you think? I haven't read anything of his but I'm curious about his work. I liked the film based on The Cider House Rules.

I like it a lot. This is my favorite Irving book followed by The Cider House Rules.
I read the book for the first time when I was a high school student. I was as young as the protagonist in the beginning of story.
Now I am older than him at the end of story.

Ps. Nice cover art of the book. This simplistic picture casts a sharp contrast to the chaos, violence, promiscuity, incest, etc. in the story.

[vers la flamme]

I like it a lot. This is my favorite Irving book followed by The Cider House Rules.
I read the book for the first time when I was a high school student. I was as young as the protagonist in the beginning of story.
Now I am older than him at the end of story.

Ps. Nice cover art of the book. This simplistic picture casts a sharp contrast to the chaos, violence, promiscuity, incest, etc. in the story.

Always a pleasure revisiting books throughout life as one changes.

[Artem]

Started:

It's been on my wish list for a while now.

[Bachtoven]

Excellent so far. Very dark.

[vers la flamme]

Been reading Adolfo Bioy Casares' The Invention of Morel



Eerily I'm finding myself relating a bit too much to the protagonist for my own comfort. An interesting short novel by a younger contemporary and compatriot of Borges, much in a similar vein to his work.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Been reading Adolfo Bioy Casares' The Invention of Morel



Eerily I'm finding myself relating a bit too much to the protagonist for my own comfort. An interesting short novel by a younger contemporary and compatriot of Borges, much in a similar vein to his work.

Cover art!