I have, those are the two books by him that I've read. Interesting how FP handes such a long time span while tnotR only covers seven days. FP doesn't have as much a quality ending as his magnum opus in my opinion, though I did enjoy the theatrical absurdness of it ^^.
I've watched the musical twice - the film version the first time in English and the musical version second in Czech (I went for the music - don't speak Czech). I found both experiences to be quite dull. There's quite literally no story. Anyway, currently trying to read All the Light We Cannot See, a Pulitzer prize winner, while being distracted by Story by Robert McKee, a book on structure and principles behind screenwriting that is supposed to be applicable to novel-writing too, or so my friend who recommended it tells me.
I loathe the musical, as I loathe most Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals I've seen. I'm just reading the book to humor my roomie; he just won't shut up about it. I tried to read Story by McKee. I found it needlessly pedantic as well as boring. I think if I'd finished it, it would have killed my desire to write. Maybe even my desire to live, too. They'd find my dead body with a suicide note that said, "I just read Story by Robert McKee. Goodbye, cruel world!"
I'm only on Chapter One but it isn't that bad! How far did you get? McKee is needlessly repetitive - but I find a lot of these How to Write books are. The authors of these books just love to hear their own voice. I was left wondering why can't these writers be more concise, cut to the chase? No one cares about your philosophies on what is writing and the meaning of the art or your life story - I only care about the nuts and bolts. Just how much fat must I cut through before I get something useful here!!? Why do you hate Webber? I was dismayed by Jesus Christ Superstar - I don't know what I was expecting, but I didn't expect such an anti-Jesus sentiment. Like, why make an entire musical about someone you don't believe in and don't seem to like, and whose mission you deemed futile and apparently pointless? I guess bottom line is I was pretty offended by it. I understand the interpretation - but I'd rather not have paid good money to watch something like that.
I'm not Christian, so I wasn't offended. I like JC Superstar best of the Webber musicals I've seen / heard. It's the most rock'n'roll, for one thing, and it has several songs I really like. The reason I'm down on Webber is that so many of his other musicals contain one decent song and two hours of boring filler. I think the guy's a hack.
It's true i was impressed by the music in JC Superstar too. Lool one decent song and two hours of boring filler sounds about right for Phantom of the Opera! I don't really know enough of his stuff to say - I only know Phantom, JC Superstar and Joseph, and I have never seen the last one. Only know one song!
I'm attempting to get through The Haunting of Toby Jugg by Dennis Wheatley and my god, it's bad. I'm sticking with it in case it suddenly improves but... how on earth is this author so respected? :/
Futile and pointless? That's not the impression I got from it. Although I probably saw a different version than you, the one I saw had Tim Minchin. (Fangirls uncontrollably ) It was not exactly the same but it seemed fairly faithful except for the prominent music and in this production a modern touch.
Faithful to what? One of the Gospels? The version I watched was in Czech with English subs (on stage, not a film). Essentially the point I took away from it was this: Jesus was a human man who wanted to help everybody, but he's one man and he cannot help everybody. Ultimately the mission he sought to accomplish resulted in his downfall - he was overwhelmed by it, burdened by it, and ultimately failed when he died on the cross. I think I got that from one of the songs where the poor kept coming to Jesus and Jesus began to flee, wanting to be left alone. And of course he died and did not raise to life again in the musical. There was no heroism in his death - it wasn't even portrayed as being martyred for the cause - it was portrayed as defeat. I googled Minchin - haha totally not my type, sorry!
Oh, it's not a romantic thing, he's straight, quite a bit older than me, and taken. I just think he's a super talented celebrity who actually deserves it, singer, songwriter, pianist, comedian, actor, playwright what can't this guy do dammit?!
Found out a coworker of mine is, quite unexpectedly, a huge Terry Pratchett fan, so I borrowed a pile of Discworld books. I'm on "Guards, Guards!" now.
Re-reading "The Cult of Alien Gods: HP Lovecraft and extraterrestrial pop culture" by Jason Colavito, a book dedicated to one of my favourite things: people getting the wrong end of the stick and refusing to let go of it. I can imagine few greater compliments to an author than large numbers of people (no matter how fringe) mistaking something you made up for reality. A great exploration of the weird places fictional ideas can go. (Also reading a recent edited collection of HPL to go alongside it.) Reading Rousell's New Impressions of Africa (because I'm a pretentious wanker) in English translation (because I'm a lazy pretentious wanker.) I like the idea of torturing language just for kicks. He didn't ask, 'Why should I write a series of poems about almost nothing (including many digressions ((and sub-digressions)) to even more trivial topics)?', he asked, 'How can I do that in 14-syllable rhyming couplets?' God bless 'im. Also enjoying the ways people have chosen to present this poem online, with helpful colour coding and expandable brackets.
I'm currently reading through Mossflower, by Brian Jacques. One of my long term reading projects, though, is The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon (Hans-Friedrich Mueller abridgment).
Gave up on this one. A lesson in How Not To Do a Main Character IMO. Now I'm reading The Exorcist. If you've seen the film, don't bother. It's a very accurate rendition of the book. Frustratingly distant POV that doesn't allow me to give a crap about any of the characters, which is a shame because nothing remotely interesting happens plot-wise for about 50% of the book. A lesson in How Not To Do POV. The only trouble is that I want to read for pleasure, not for lessons.
The Exorcist = how not to do it* *Unless what you want to do is sell millions of copies around the world, spend over 50 weeks on the NY Times Bestseller list, and get royalties for a movie that made over $400 million in worldwide box office receipts (who knows what the video and TV licensing has brought in?).
I am currently reading When a Lioness Snarls by Eve Langlais (this one by myself), and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (with my kiddos )
I was reading 'Flowers for Algernon' but it got too sad. A very clever idea and so well done, but just too upsetting (for me).
I googled 'sea stories' - bought the first Penguin Book of Sea Stories for 1p, then John Masefield's 'Bird Of Dawning,' 1p also - clippers/19c/Cape Horn stuff, and a matchbox model of the Mary Rose, odd, wife didn't mind. During this 'google' for sea stories, I found Guardian [Thaa Gaardien] had an article 'Best Sea Stories' - and among regulars 'Something something Before The Mast,' 'Moby Dick' was a Norwegian writer called Knut Hamsun, so I bought his anthology book for no reason, thrill of pressing buttons on payday, watching money disappear, you know. The book arrived today, A4, looks like somebody's photocopied their draft, massive book in a huge box, too big for any lavatory, certainly - a table size book, quite posh, and appropriate.
Have you seen the movie adaption? I liked it although I haven't read the novel so I should put it on my reading list. A new adventure awaits! I've just started The Covenant of Genesis by Andy McDermott, it's the 4th installment in a series.
Got the following from Books-A-Million: #1- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling #2- Pride+Prejudice + Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith #3- The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin ---> Yeah, this was a stark surprise for me. I had to examine the book and make sure this wasn't Paolini's Inheritance series.
Currently, re-reading Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it. Some of these stories are brilliant. I'm not usually a huge fan of short story collections, but this one is worth the time. The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac. And a few others that I can't think of off the top of my head.
