Books, Movies, Musings

[revena]

I watched Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story this week. The experience of watching the film was strikingly like that of reading the book. I'm not sure whether that's a recommendation or not, plotwise - but the acting is really fabulous, and I think anyone who enjoys Tristram Shandy on any level would get something out of the movie.

Tonight, I finished reading The Long, Dark Teatime of the Soul (for the second or third time), and I keep thinking that there should be a class or a bookclub or something where everyone reads that, and American Gods, and Who's Afraid of Beowulf, and maybe like Eaters of the Dead, or something, and then there's discussion and comparison-contrast, and essays about modern retellings of Norse myth in English.

So that's what's going on in my head! How about yours?

Comments

[raghnaid.livejournal.com]

i'm game.

[revena.livejournal.com]

*grin* Have you read Who's Afraid of Beowulf? before? I think you might really like it.

[raghnaid.livejournal.com]

no, I haven't.

okay, then. i'll get back to you. :D

[dievalkyrie-99.livejournal.com]

OH! - OH! - author request for American Gods? - Beowulf (Holt) and Teatime (Adams) being a couple of my all time favorites..... *grin*

Bringing the Edda's/Saga's to life is.... difficult? - putting them into a context that the 'modern' American can even comprehend is um..... - there's a tendency to either leave the writing much too close too the epic poem type style - or to bring it WAY too far into modern sensibilities. (I have an entire shelf dediated to Beowulf 'out-takes' as 'twere)

I LOVE Eaters of the Dead - it splits the difference perfectly! (The 13th Warrior (movie of same) isn't bad either, they actually tried to keep some accuracy in it? LOL....)

I'm still waiting to get the movie Beowulf and Grendel... considering the trailers I've seen I'm not real hopeful - but.... hey.

[revena.livejournal.com]

American Gods is by Neil Gaiman. It's very different in tone from the Holt and Adams works (Serious Fantasy rather than Funny Fantasy), but it's got a background concept about gods and myth that's strikingly similar to the one in The Long, Dark Teatime of the Soul.

I bet you and I would have fun in each other's libraries. ;-)

[betacandy.livejournal.com]

How did I miss this post? Anyway...

I WOULD SO TOTALLY JOIN THAT CLUB!

You may already be aware of my mild obsession with Tea Time. :D I firmly believe American Gods was... well, not derivative in any negative sense at all, but the result of reading Tea Time and thinking of a different direction to take the premise. The others I haven't read, but I'd be happy to. I adore both of the others.

BTW, I think of my icon as the tea of the long dark tea time of the soul. :D And you think you're strange.

[revena.livejournal.com]

Tea Time and American Gods do have strikingly similar premises, don't they? They've got a fair amount in common with a Forgotten Realms series I can't remember the name of, too - avatar something, I think. But that was with D&D gods, rather than Norse and assorted other real-world mythology.