I've made 3 new additions yesterday during my Quebec city one day visit. The catcher in the rye by J.D. Salinger, Animal farm by George Orwell and The road by Cormac McCarthy.
The catcher in the rye was on my "to buy list" for quite some times. A book so claimed, with all the controversy around it was sure to draw my attention. I was planning to get it from Amazon the next time I would place an order but when I saw a copy in the small English book section of Renaud Bray I couldn't help myself. Luckily for me, I paid the same price I would on Amazon.
A few weeks ago I was drinking a beer with a friend after my first golf practice of the year at a driving range near where I live and we talked about books. He went to a private high school and he told me that he loved most of the mandatory reads he had. He talked much more of the Animal Farm than the others and it caught my interest. For 9$ it was an easy grab for me. The book's about communism and the abuse of political power and I think using animals to picture it was very clever. My hopes are, beyond the caricature of the fear of communism, to see absurd contradictions with the animal world and ours.
As for The road, I won't lie to you. I had no intention of buying or reading it before seeing it on the book display. It was among James Patterson, Nora Roberts and Dan Brown's books. Although I know little of McCarthy (shame on me), I've heard his name enough to have the desire of reading him one day. I didn't see the movie made from this book and I'm glad I didn't. For some unknown reasons I don't see books that I saw the movie with the same appetite for reading it. My friend from Dead end follies praise a lot about Lehane's Mystic River and Palahniuk's Fight Club and believe me I have Ben's opinion in high esteem. But I can't understand why I always have this strange feeling about the books that I've seen the movie. My reason suggest me books that are good enough to be brought to the big screen are certainly good enough to read but I don't know, it's not working for me. I always choose something else over the two books I just mentioned. I know it's stupid but it is the way it is. I guess I've heard too much the proverbial "but the book is so much better" that I fear I would end up saying it too because it's probably and arguably true 99% (if not 100%) of the time. As for The road, I simply took it impulsively because it was McCarthy's. I'm glad to read this morning that the book was such a success even if the Pulitzer prize award winner tag on the cover had provided a hint it was. I hope The road is a good choice for my first McCarthy.
I haven't read The Road, but I have read a lot of McCarthys. He has a very unique way with emotions. You will get him or you won't. I have a hunch you will love him though. Whatever you do though, keep Blood Meridian for last. It's his best, but it's also his most complex. You will need a good understanding of his writing in order to fully appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteAs for Fight Club, you can probably skip the book. It has more to offer than the movie, but David Fincher made a great job of adapting. Mystic River is another ball game. I'm currently listening to the audiobook (different perspective, you know?)and no matter how good the movie is, it's impossible to translate this kind of writing to the screen. He names too many emotions and details too many difficult moments to make sense from pure images. You need your mind for those.
But for Lehane, start with Darkness, Take My Hand. I'm sure it's going to light the fire just right.
Alright, I will ( for Darkness, Take My Hand ).
ReplyDeleteHow do you approach books from whom you saw the movie first? Am I as stupid as I think I am for overlooking them?