Reading Roundup: October 2010
Books
When a Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Godwin
Mr. Fob looked at my book and said "That title sounds pretentious." It does, and I suppose some could argue that this book is a bit pretentious; it's a memoir written by a man who has grown up as a white person in an African country and is now watching both his country and his father die. Some of the circumstances of his life seem almost too incredible to believe, but the book remains deeply personal and not pretentious after all. I was mesmerized by his writing and his story--I think this is one of the best books I've read this year.
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
I've read this a few times before, but it was our book club pick for the month and I thought it would be great to read it again. This time I was struck by the nuances of the story; for some reason I had never noticed them in quite the same way before. Wharton is an amazing writer and I think I could easily read this book a few more times and enjoy it just as much.
The Tiger by John Vaillant
This was the second fascinating non-fiction book that I read this month. Vaillant doesn't just tell the story of a man-eating tiger who starts stalking people in Siberia, he discusses all the political, social, and economic circumstances that created the collision between man and animals in Russia. The story is compelling (man eating tigers!), but the writing really makes this an extraordinary book.
Movies
A Single Man
I'm somewhat curious to read the novel that this movie is based on, because the plot itself was not that interesting to me. Otherwise, I thought it was a well-done movie. The cinematography, costuming, and acting were excellent.
The Lovely Bones
I didn't have high expectations for this movie based on reviews I'd read, and based on the fact that I loved the book so much. I was pleasantly surprised; it did change a number of things from the book, but it still worked well. I particularly liked the casting choice for Susie Salmon--she was perfect.
Grizzly Man
It was fascinating to watch this movie while I was reading a book about the interaction between humans and animals. This is one of the best documentaries I've seen in a while; both the original footage as well as the scenes filmed by Timothy Treadwell were equally powerful. I expected the movie to be simply about animals and people, but it gets into issues of film, identity, and fame in unusual ways.
When a Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Godwin
Mr. Fob looked at my book and said "That title sounds pretentious." It does, and I suppose some could argue that this book is a bit pretentious; it's a memoir written by a man who has grown up as a white person in an African country and is now watching both his country and his father die. Some of the circumstances of his life seem almost too incredible to believe, but the book remains deeply personal and not pretentious after all. I was mesmerized by his writing and his story--I think this is one of the best books I've read this year.
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
I've read this a few times before, but it was our book club pick for the month and I thought it would be great to read it again. This time I was struck by the nuances of the story; for some reason I had never noticed them in quite the same way before. Wharton is an amazing writer and I think I could easily read this book a few more times and enjoy it just as much.
The Tiger by John Vaillant
This was the second fascinating non-fiction book that I read this month. Vaillant doesn't just tell the story of a man-eating tiger who starts stalking people in Siberia, he discusses all the political, social, and economic circumstances that created the collision between man and animals in Russia. The story is compelling (man eating tigers!), but the writing really makes this an extraordinary book.
Movies
A Single Man
I'm somewhat curious to read the novel that this movie is based on, because the plot itself was not that interesting to me. Otherwise, I thought it was a well-done movie. The cinematography, costuming, and acting were excellent.
The Lovely Bones
I didn't have high expectations for this movie based on reviews I'd read, and based on the fact that I loved the book so much. I was pleasantly surprised; it did change a number of things from the book, but it still worked well. I particularly liked the casting choice for Susie Salmon--she was perfect.
Grizzly Man
It was fascinating to watch this movie while I was reading a book about the interaction between humans and animals. This is one of the best documentaries I've seen in a while; both the original footage as well as the scenes filmed by Timothy Treadwell were equally powerful. I expected the movie to be simply about animals and people, but it gets into issues of film, identity, and fame in unusual ways.
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