Comments for Books, Movies and Random Thoughts

Comment on The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler by Bird's eye view

Bird's eye view — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:49:25 +0000

I was really disappointed by this book too. i expect so much more to happen, and for a much richer interweaving of austen with the lives of the characters…I only finished it because I’m compulsive that way…wonder what they’ll do in the movie?

Comment on Mr Darcy's Diary and Captain Wentworth's Diary by Amanda Grange by Administrator

Administrator — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:15:37 +0000

I think I read Thrones, Dominations years ago. Is that the one that was partly written by Sayers, but then finished by someone else?

Comment on Mr Darcy's Diary and Captain Wentworth's Diary by Amanda Grange by Bird's eye view

Bird's eye view — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 05:26:23 +0000

The Austen diaries sound interesting, though years ago after reading Mrs. de Winter and Scarlett, I had vowed to never read this genre of fanfic. Though who am I to comment, given that I have perpetrated the same on the Chalet School series. I don’t know if you read Dorothy L Sayers, but someone had done a brilliant extension of her work with a book called Thrones and Dominations which reallly felt like part of the original Peter Wimsey stories.

Comment on Stardust by Neil Gaiman, and Stardust at Hoyts, Broadway by Di

Di — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 02:47:25 +0000

Hi Harriet, I haven’t seen the movie yet (it only lasted 2 weeks up here) but I believe the graphic novel with Charles Vess is the best version. Did you want to borrow it?

Comment on Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta by Administrator

Administrator — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 09:04:05 +0000

Not wanting to sound like your teacher, but … I think you should try and work out for yourself what the main plot is. Though for different readers, different aspects of the story are likely to be important. [Digression – at a work training course once, we had to summarise the plot of a movie in one or two sentences (can’t remember why) and my group chose Million Dollar Baby. My summary was compleletly different from everyone else’s, because I saw the story as being about Clint Eastwood’s character, and everyone else thought it was about Hilary Swank’s character. End of digression.]

But some things you might consider when trying to work out what is (for you) the main plot of Saving Francesca are … friendship, dealing with family crises, growing up, being true to yourself rather than being the person other people want you to be, coping when your support structures disappear, learning about yourself and your own strengths and weaknesses. And I’m sure there are lots of other things as well.

BTW, I agree that Will was pretty heartless. Actually, I really didn’t like him much at all. But maybe if the story had been told from his point of view, you might have seen that he was also confused about who he was, where he was going and who he wanted to be with. And maybe he would have come across as more sympathetic and understandable. Maybe.

Comment on Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta by Delilah

Delilah — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 03:50:06 +0000

Hey! What is the main plot of Saving Francesca? I have to know for an essay I am doing on Saving Francesca. I agreee… Will was the least interesting character who made his feelings very confusing. I think it was heartless when he pashed her at the party when he already had a girlfriend – leaving Francesca with false hopes, (at least for a while).

Comment on Maranello by Di

Di — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 04:20:23 +0000

Silly me, I spent several minutes trying to figure out which famous Italian painter had been omited from my education before I realised you were looking at cars!

Comment on Adventures in Ireland by Administrator

Administrator — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:32:23 +0000

Michael’s sister is flat-and-cat sitting while I am away. Apparently Mis is being very sooky! (Though she is probably enjoying the meals, since Susan gives her a lot more wet food than I do. So she’s a bit unimpressed when I get back and the regimen returns to mostly dry food, supplemented every couple of days with meat.)

Comment on Adventures in Ireland by Kathryn

Kathryn — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 14:27:21 +0000

Hi Harriet,

Good to see you’re having a good time. Looks like the wedding was beautiful, how amazing to have a reception in a real castle! Glad you liked David, it was one of the highlights of my long ago trip to Florence as well. And it doesn’t look like much changes, the queue to the Uffizi was huge in 1992!

I’m extremely envious of your travels, but it gives me a little respite from Uni work, to follow your exploits. By the way, who is looking after Miss whilst you’re away?

Cheers,

Kathryn

Comment on Adventures in Ireland by Maureen

Maureen — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 23:53:36 +0000

Hey,

Thanks for the reminders of Rome and for the parts I missed! Did you chuck any coins in the fountain?

How beautiful the wedding looks. The church and castle must have been so romantic. Sounds like the wedding went off without a hitch and no dark hansome stranger rode in on his stallion and kidnapped the bride (or groom these days!)

Well I always thought Paris Hilton was a bit of a nag; seems like she’s also got a horse’s need to put her exploits on film!

Maureen