Books!
So, I just found out that Elizabeth Enright, the author of some of my absolute favorite children's books, was the neice of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Never had any idea, but that's very cool.
Anyway, I'm thinking about Enright today because I decided I wanted bookshelves for my birthday this year, and I'm ridiculously excited about them. Yay! This means that books that have been boxed up for ages will finally see the light of day again. Plus, my second bedroom will start to look more like a bedroom and less like a storage unit.
I'm not sure why my thoughts have settled on the childhood books. But man, I have such a soft spot for Enright's works, especially the four titles involving the Melendy family: The Saturdays, The Four-Story Mistake, Then There Were Five, and Spiderweb for Two. My sister was a fan of these, and she got me hooked. Both of us tore through a large volume from the library that contained the first three of the books. The titles were out of print for a while, so the library copy was a treasure. Thankfully, all of the books have been reissued. I'll be glad to see my copies again; even thumbing through Enright's illustrations (not what's on the current covers!) will be a pleasure. The protagonists, children and young teens who take an interest in art, music, dance, and acting, do things like spend allowance money on trips to the opera and art museums. Heh. (I should point out that these books were written in the 40s and early 50s.) In the course of the stories, the family moves from New York City to the country—many wonderful adventures are had in both locations. These characters and their experiences just felt magical to me when I was growing up. Now, as trite as this sounds, these books are like old friends.
As I peruse my book collection, I'll no doubt weed out some of the lesser-loved titles (or, let's face it, those books that I bought on the cheap at the library bookstore and now wonder why I even bothered). This will create room for the parts of my collection that I'd love to grow. One such part would be film commentary. My friend Doug has previously recommended the Time Out Film Guide and 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die as quick references. I still need to pick up those. Other film-book recommendations would be most welcome.
And then, someday, I need to get to the great Russian writers, who have somehow managed to elude me, on the whole. Dostoevsky. Tolstoy. Chekhov. Got a favorite here? I'm all ears.
posted by Diane @ 1:04 PM
32 comments
32 Comments:
Knowing your love for Tarkovsky, I'd definitely consider his new installment in the Conversations with Filmmakers series. Lots of interviews translated into English for the first time, and revealing, even inspiring, reading.
(And I stand by those other two recommendations! Cineliterate, pithy, and cast a wider net than most books of their type.)
Ah yes! Thanks for the reminder, Doug. I certainly want to get that interview book.
OK, I just ordered the interview book. While I was at Amazon, I noticed that they carry a Mirror companion book. I wonder how good it is...? Ever seen it, Doug?
It's quite good; it draws a lot of parallels between tarkovsy's biography and the images/events in the movie in a way that's really informative.
That sounds like it would be helpful. I'll have to add that one to my wish list.
I need to see Mirror again (it's been over a year since my first viewing).
First off Diane, thanks for the writing about the children's books. I try to take note of these kinds of recommendations as often as I can, in the attempt to build up our meager library for our son. He's not yet 18 months old, but I'm definitely writing these Enright titles down.
As for the Russians, I love them. Dostoevsky is my favorite, though I also love Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. I've read quite a bit more of the former though, and The Idiot is my favorite of his novels (though C&P, Karamazov, and Demons are all well worth it). Also, he's got some great novellas and short stories -Notes from Underground, and a bizarre short story called Bobok that is probably the funniest (in a dark comic kind of way) thing of his that I've read.
I've got a stack of his short stories and shorter novels that I've yet to read. I need to get on that. And I've been wanting to check out Chekhov and Gogol, among others, yet time is so short!
Thanks for the great comments, John, and for the Dostoevsky recommendations. I'll have to check those out. Speaking of his short stories, I watched Viscounti's "Le Notti Bianche" over the weekend, which was based on Dostoevsky's "White Nights." The Criterion disc contained an audio version of his story, but I figured I'd just read it.
Last week, I went to the library and checked out a couple of volumes of Chekhov's short stories, and I'm certainly enjoying them. I started with "The Lady with the Dog" because I recently watched the film version.
And John, I may be tempted to reread those Enright books during my Christmas vacation. :) (They're actually quite sophisticated, with references to various artistic, cultural, and historical events. I guess I started reading them somewhere around 11 or 12 or so. But I do think adults would love them, too.)
You're so right about so little time!
I'll have to put that Visconti film in my queue. It's been awhile since I've read White Nights. Doesn't Bresson have a version of this story?
Yes, I often find myself enjoying children's books as much as my son or the kids I'm reading to. But with a child of my own now, I have a convenient, built-in excuse to read "younger" books.
I'm off to DC tomorrow for a conference, and all this talk about enjoyable books has caused me to pack a couple of Dostoevsky novellas. I had intended to only bring work stuff. Hmm, I wonder which books will be finished when I return??
Bresson's verion, Four Nights of a Dreamer (1971), has never been released on video and is mired in rights issues, which is unfortunate because, as you might expect, it's a really beautiful film and a thoughtful and compelling take on Dostoevsky's story. You can find terrible quality bootleg versions if you poke around on the internet, but that's likely the only way you'll see the film in the forseeable future.
Doug's done a nice write-up of both films.
Have a nice trip, John, and happy reading! BTW, I like your new blog location (just updated the link on my homepage).
Thanks guys for the info. I've added the Visconti to my queue.
John, I was just checking out some of WordPress's features, and wow, there are some very nice things there. Hmm. I'll have to look into this.
Indeed, I really like being able to easily mess with the template without messing with it (wow, that's a terrible sentence). I like that I can change the header without messing up everything else. My understanding is that it doesn't have the flexibility of being able to manipulate the fundamentals of the template, but I don't really care about all that. I'm no designer, nor will I be one in this lifetime, so it seemed to suit me a bit better than old blogger. Plus, I liked that I could transfer all my info over with a simple click.
Sorry for the delay in answering, John. I've been away from my computer for over a week.
Yeah, what you mention about WordPress and being able to mess with the template does seem like a bonus. But it seems like neither Blogger nor WordPress is fully compatible with my Safari browser. That's a shame. I'll have to look into it more, but I'll stay put for now.
OK, over my holiday, I bought both Anna Karenina and 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. I'm about 60 pages into the former and have just met the title character. Loving the book so far! I've only read bits and pieces of the latter but am very happy with my purchase and am looking forward to reading more. It does seem to be a pretty terrific film book.
Ah, Anna Karenina...what a fantastic novel. It's another of those on my to re-read list. Glad to hear you're enjoying it, and I look forward to hearing more about it. FYI, the movie version from the late 90's is horrendous.
I enjoy the 1001 Movies book as well. I've noticed they seem to update it sometimes, as there are newer versions than the one I have. I always wonder what older film I love they jettison in favor of this or that new movie.
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I'm glad you brought it up, John, because I meant to ask you if you'd ever seen any of the film versions of AK. Looks like there are quite a few of them out there. Thanks for the warning about the one from the late 90s!
Do you have the 1001 Movies copy with Janet Leigh on the cover? Mine seems to be the newer version--the one with Jack Nicholson. What an ugly cover. Out of all the films, they chose a shot from The Shining? But I guess they wanted to catch the viewer's eye.
Oh, and I wondered the same exact thing about what films the editors tossed when they updated the book!
I do have the one with Janet Leigh, and the last film in it is Chicago, though I suppose its too much to hope that was one of the titles axed from the new version. :)
Heh. I'll have to check, John. Good grief, Chicago?! That one belongs on the chopping block, for sure.
I just had a profitable lunch hour.
Right after I bought the book, I looked it up at Amazon, and, of course, it was on sale there (like, $11 off). I packed up my copy and finally returned it to the bookstore today. My sister, who has a book club discount card, bought my original copy, and I had paid her. Today, the store manager told me he didn't want to bother with the discount when he gave me a refund. He said he'd get reimbursed, and taking the discount into consideration was just too much trouble. Anyway, since he didn't deduct the discount from the original price, I ended up *making* about $7 on my return. So, with that money, I was able to buy both the book and a Sufjan Stevens CD from Amazon. :)
(Sorry, that was rather long-winded.)
Anyway, John, before I returned it, I checked, and it does look like Chicago is history. Of course, the last film now is Million Dollar Baby, and from your Netflix rating of that one, I'd say that's not much of an improvement.
Other recent entries I noticed:
- All of the Lord of the Rings films--listed separately, so those grab three spots right there
- Kill Bill: Vol. 1
- Oldboy
- Hero
- Goodbye Lenin!
Nice deal on the book. Which Sufjan disc did you go for?
Thanks for listing those, Diane. I have a friend who tried very hard to persuade me to embrace MDB. I just can't do it. Ironically, he also tried the same thing with Kill Bill. Same result.
I got the Illinois disc, John. I was torn, but I'll probably end up with them all someday. (And yes, this will be my first Sufjan disc--for whatever reason, I'm always late to everything.) Are you a fan, John? If so, what's your favorite album?
You know, considering how squeamish I am, I still can't really believe that I've actually seen both volumes Kill Bill. Like you, I can't say I embraced them. Never did see MDB, though, and I really don't have plans to.
Oh I love Sufjan, though asking which is my favorite is difficult. Generally speaking, it's probably Illinois for the sheer scope of the thing - it has a little of everything. But Seven Swans is a close second - it's primarily a more quiet and delicate album, which is a great part of its charm. Sometimes that's what I need.
Of course, this time of year, it's all about his Christmas music, which is in heavy rotation, much to my 18 month old son's delight. He loves dancing to Sufjan, and last week he pulled off a spin move for the ages. With that, how can anyone not love Sufjan??
Your son sounds adorable, and I can see that you're bringing him up to have good taste in music. :)
I saw Sufjan performing "To Be Alone with You" in the Danielson film I caught back in September. I believe that's on Seven Swans. I still remember the song, even after only hearing it once, and I recall it as being very tender, moving, and beautiful. I'm sure I'll get that album someday. I really can't wait to dive into Illinois.
All the more reason to see the Danielson film. I'm not really acquainted their music. From previous posts here, I surmise your a fan, although maybe a new one? Is the film a helpful intro to their music? Is there a disc you'd recommend starting with?
Oh, and I definitely think my son's adorable, but, well, I'm a bit biased. :)
Wow, John, anybody who knows me really well knows that I can go on and on and on about music that I love. I'll have to at least try to reign myself in here. :)
I'm absolutely a Danielson fan, though I've only been listening for a couple of months or so. If you've read the thread about the film at A&F, you've seen how Danielson can be either a love-them or hate-them band. I'm firmly in the former camp, but I do understand that Danielson's sound is not for everybody. Daniel Smith's voice is unconventional (understatement)--his famous falsetto is sort of like Frank Black back in his days with the Pixies, only *higher*. The movie intrigued me enough to want to hear more of the music. Ron at A&F had the opposite reaction to the film. It's just a matter of taste. I found the film to be interesting in its own right as an exploration of an artist/musician who is a Christian but who doesn't fit in with (or really want to be any part of) the "Christian music" industry. Actually, it's hard to think of exactly what musical genre Danielson would fit into, especially the earlier albums.
I'd recommend that any newcomer start with this year's Ships, which I think is a totally fantastic album (their best, in my opinion) and the most accessible for newbies. The songs are consistently strong, and Dan's voice has never sounded better. For pure fun, the song "Did I Step on Your Trumpet?" (from Ships) just can't be beat. You can download the mp3 here. This is one of their catchiest songs; I bet your son would dance to it. :) I think over 30 people worked with Dan on this album--including Sufjan. It's very near and dear to my heart.
Oops. I knew I would end up posting a lengthy response.
I should have said the CD is near and dear to MY heart, but it still won't be everyone's cup of tea. If you're thinking of purchasing, John, I'd try to hear some samples first. :)
Diane, are you familiar with the "companion" music book, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die ? (There's also one on books themselves.) The film one is solid and thoughtful enough that I'm tempted to get the other two. Hmm...
And yeah, I'm all for dumping the newer films at the end each year. :) I mean, doesn't it take a certain amount of time to ascertain whether or not a work of art really has lasting power?
I've seen that one, Doug, but I'm actually more interested in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. I need to flip through the albums book next time I visit a bookstore. I wonder if it's more slanted towards popular taste, i.e. radio's current darlings? Hmm...I'm not sure why I'm more suspicious about the music book. Maybe it's because I'm very picky about the music I listen to. :)
Well, I had no idea my blog post would generate so many comments and such fun discussion. Thanks, guys. By the way, if you post a comment and I'm slow to respond, it's only because I'm away from work (and my computer) so much these days. I'll get back when I can, though.
Alright, here's comment #30!
Thanks for including that mp3, Diane. Quite a catchy little tune. I ended up on their myspace page and played a couple of their songs, some good stuff there. And as predicted, my son was into it. Usually his dancing is more sway-oriented, with the occasional spin. But with the trumpet song, it started with the sway, and quickly moved into a hip-swinging thing with an occasional bounce I've not seen before. Impressive. Also, the backup singers on the trumpet song reminded me of some of the arrangements (and voices) that Sufjan uses, especially on Seven Swans. But since these guys have been around longer, I'm guessing I'll need to reverse that - Sufjan reminds me of Danielson.
On this set of "1001" books, I had no idea there was anything beyond the film book. How great is that? I too would be more interested in the Books book rather than the Albums book, probably because while I enjoy music (what I like I really like), I'm not much for listening widely. I'm sure lots of it is great, I just don't have the drive. However, I do have that for film, and for reading, so it sounds good. Thanks for pointing that out Doug!
John, I love the story about your son and "Trumpet." How adorable is that?
What you're saying about comparisons to Sufjan is very interesting. It's especially intriguing that you pointed out Seven Swans. Daniel Smith actually produced that album. :)
I'm not sure exactly how or when Daniel and Sufjan met, but all this makes me curious. I knew they were friends with sister record labels, but the Danielson film surprised me by showing how Sufjan actually filled in for one of the younger Smith brothers during a Danielson Famile European tour. I wonder how many albums Sufjan had made prior to that. That was back before he really broke through, anyway.
John, I'm glad you liked the music. If you want to hear more, you can go to the record label's page. Sufjan contributed his banjo and voice to a lot of songs on Brother Is to Son, and two songs from that album are available there.
Got the Illinois CD yesterday and got to listen to a few songs. Some very random initial thoughts:
1. Man, those are some awesome titles.
2. Some very lovely and moving music here. Whoa, "John Wayne Gacy, Jr."--that one hits you HARD.
3. As I could have predicted, Sufjan puts me in a reflective mood. Tears came to my eyes last night, and I think this album will do that to me a lot.
4. Nice album artwork. Clever Danielson Famile reference on the cop car's tag ("A No No" is a Famile song).
5. I wish I could play so many musical instruments. Heck, I wish I could play ONE musical instrument. My poor guitar sits covered with dust.
John, I'd love to get a list of your favorite songs from this album sometime.
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