Ah ok, so it's part of a continuous and directional style change? Thanks for that, that's interesting, couldn't have realised that from my limited reading."Cormac McCarthy's writing style has become steadily more pared ever since Blood Meridian really, starting with the Borders trilogy (of which 'The Crossing' is definitely the best IMHO) through to 'No country for old men' and 'The Road'. "
Looking forward to the Coen's adaptation of NCFOM though. It seems like a natural choice for them after Fargo and Blood Simple.
"There's been talk for years now about filming Blood Meridian, but it'll probably never happen."
"I'd like to see Eastwood film Blood Meridian..."
"A film adaptation written by William Monahan is scheduled for release in 2009, to be directed by Ridley Scott."
I've just started reading Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, seems like fun so far.
Never read Libra but I preferred White Noise to Underworld for what it's worth (though Cosmopolis was definitely weaker than either)."i just finished Don DeLillo's Libra, a fictionalized account of lee harvey oswald's life leading up to the JFK assassination. i had given up on it once before and resolved to give it another go after an interval of a couple years. great book. the event seems both inevitable and aleatory. the morning after finishing the novel, i watched the murder of LHO by jack ruby, and the numerous videos of JFK's assassination (i hadn't realized there were so many). chilling stuff. i would rate this above Cosmopolis and White Noise, but just short of Underworld."
Certainly permitted but don't expect anything worthwhile on the subject from me."also reading Charles Olson's Maximus. discussion of poetry is permitted here, i hope?"
Watched this over the holidays (the film not the play) and I was really disappointed having heard so much about it. I just couldn't see what all the fuss was about. Some have suggested that a lot is lost in the translation to the screen though. What was it I missed?"..partly on the back of a nice moment in The History Boys where they analyse Drummer Hodge."
It's due out mid-January.
Watched this over the holidays (the film not the play) and I was really disappointed having heard so much about it. I just couldn't see what all the fuss was about. Some have suggested that a lot is lost in the translation to the screen though. What was it I missed?
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Yeah, but it seemed like a bad play in front of a camera - what is that everyone loves about it? How does it compare to seeing the actual stage production?"The film isn't really worth seeing as a film - it is really a play in front of a camera, if that makes sense."
No, me neither."I am not averse to mini essays appearing in the middle of writing and i think the Drummer Hodge moment is a case in point. i think it reveals soemthing of the characters, as well as allowing the writer his moment of erudition."
I don't think that this is necessarily a problem. 12 Angry Men all takes place in one scene and Glengarry Glen Ross is obviously a play adapted to the screen but they are both brilliant. It was the story that I couldn't get into in The History Boys, what was the point of it? When I finished I thought... "oh"."Also we expect plays to take place in a relatively small number of locations and whilst films can do this I think it can make it appear very static and that is death to filmic success."