What are you reading?

charliechaplinfan · September 28th, 2008, 1:57 pm

Both their lives are quite sad. I've enjoyed watching both in their silent films.

Another quite sad story is Jean Harlow's. A couple of months ago I finished David Stenn's book which was very good but was a little lacking on her films so I found a reasonably priced copy of Eve Golden's book off Amazon. It's absolutely fabulous, for anyone who hasn't got one of Eve's books, they are pleasures to own, well written and researched biographies filled with pictures on most pages, produced on good quality paper. To a book lover all these things elevate a book to greatness.

Jean's story is fimiliar, Eve isn't as hard on Mama Jean as other biographers have been (yes I read Irving Shuman's version years ago) the 'scandal' of Paul Bern's death is dealt with sensibly and popular rumours discounted. Jean was as much a victim and she obviously loved Paul. It struck me how young she was to have to face a tragedy like that but she faced it like a pro and with wisdom beyond her years. Jean's own death was so unnecessary but it brings home how lucky we are to have modern medicine.

After reading both David Stenn's book and Eve Golden's book, Jean comes across as one of the nicest Hollywood stars of any era.

CharlieT · Post by **CharlieT** » October 12th, 2008, 12:00 am

I just finished my fourth consecutive Robert Ludlum book and am (ambitiously) getting ready to start Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time and The Universe in a Nutshell. May take me until Spring.

feaito · Post by **feaito** » October 12th, 2008, 7:58 am

I'm reading a book on Hollywood's Romantic Comedy titled "The Runaway Bride", by Elizabeth Kendall.

MissGoddess · Post by **MissGoddess** » October 13th, 2008, 10:14 am

I'm reading Pieces of My Heart, the autobiography of Robert Wagner and the western short stories of Dorothy Johnson ("The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", "The Hanging Tree", "A Man Called Horse").

Synnove · Post by **Synnove** » October 13th, 2008, 12:23 pm

I just finished Border Crossing by Pat Barker, and now I'm trying to get into In Country.

TCM Movie Morlocks · Post by **moira finnie** » October 13th, 2008, 3:18 pm

Currently, I'm reading the biography, Eakins Revealed by Henry Adams about the talented American artist (and major squirrel), Thomas Eakins, culture-vulture author Peter Gay's Schnitzler's Century about the rise of middle class culture in Europe between roughly 1840 and 1929. I've also been reading a collection of Arthur Schnitzler's novellas called Night Games. All of these interesting books make me really happy I wasn't alive in the 19th century.

On the fun front, I'm devouring Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy, a wonderful collection of his interviews and pieces from the last 25 years. I have to make myself stop reading it so that it doesn't end too soon.

I'm also reading a bio called Dreams That Money Can Buy: The Tragic Life of Libby Holman by Jon Bradshaw. Brother, when that girl didn't have enough trouble in her gilded life, she went out and bought some more. Curiously, it's hard to feel much sympathy for her, despite a whole lot of truly bad luck.

ChiO · Post by **ChiO** » October 13th, 2008, 6:21 pm

Moirafinnie said:

I've also been reading a collection of Arthur Schnitzler's novellas called Night Games. All of these interesting books make me really happy I wasn't alive in the 19th century.

LA RONDE doesn't change your mind? Is the novella that is the basis of EYES WIDE SHUT in Night Games? I feel as if that is something I should read.

Having finally finished First You Dream, Then You Die, the biography of Cornell Woolrich by Francis Nevins, I'm now in the midst of The Road to Xanadu, the Simon Callow biography of Orson Welles.

TCM Movie Morlocks · Post by **moira finnie** » October 14th, 2008, 10:58 am

LA RONDE doesn't change your mind? Is the novella that is the basis of EYES WIDE SHUT in Night Games? I feel as if that is something I should read.

Oh No, ChiO, I'll take my chances with life in the 21st century, thank you very much! Especially since I'm not a fella.

Actually Ophüls set his version of La Ronde set just after 1900, so I could probably squeak by in that setting, though I can't think of a single woman character whose life was one I'd want in that lovely film. Schnitzler's play Reigen, the basis of La Ronde, was closer to the 1890s era and was an episodic story constructed to present his characters more as types rather than individuals, (this was particularly true of the women, who seemed to have been more of a mystery to Schnitzler than he could ever admit).

Stanley Kubrick's strangely sterile look at the borderline world in Eyes Wide Shut (1999) was based on Schnitzler's novella Traumnovelle, (published in English as "Dream Story"). This beautifully written book about a turn of the century Viennese couple, was seen entirely from the husband's consciously limited viewpoint. I found the movie very odd, in that it seemed to reflect allegedly "shocking" attitudes and events as if they were new, which may have been due to Kubrick's attempt to graft the story onto an alleged "contemporary" American setting after living as an expatriate for decades. Almost nothing seemed to catch what it was to be an American in the late '90s in that stillborn movie. Kubrick might have been better off setting the story in Vienna instead. It also didn't help me to appreciate the acting style of his two leads, Cruise and Kidman, whose work has always left me cold. I hated the movie, as you might have guessed, though I love Paths of Glory above all of Kubrick's movies. Hey, maybe it's just me.

The best adaptation of Schnitzler's stories that I've seen--other than La Ronde--may have been a BBC miniseries from the 70s called Vienna 1900: Games With Love and Death, though it probably has no chance of ever being issued on dvd in this country. It was wonderfully touching and realistic about human nature, blending four stories by Schnitzler, "Mother and Son", "The Man of Honour", "A Confirmed Bachelor" and "The Spring Sonata". I've read as much of Schnitzler as I can for now, and good translations seem to pop up every few years, (as do adaptations).

The cast featured British actor Robert Stephens in a leading role. At the time when I saw this, I was a naive teenager, but I do remember being just as wrapped up in the "secessionist" touches of the production design for the series, incorporating the artwork of architect Koloman Moser and Gustav Klimt, as I was by the storyline, (most of which probably went right over my head).

CharlieT · Post by **CharlieT** » October 31st, 2008, 11:04 pm

Finished Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time and The Universe in a Nutshell. Currently taking a little hiatus from reading while helping to organize my 40th year high school class reunion. May try to pick up something light to fill in the gaps.

charliechaplinfan · January 26th, 2009, 8:38 am

I've been on a reading bent since just before Christmas.

Mary Pickford Rediscovered by Kevin Brownlow is a top recommended read. This concentrates on her film roles and her importance in early film.

Mary Pickford by Eileen Whitfield gives the story of Mary Pickford, a woman who never really had a childhood and who suffered from alcoholism in he later years. She remains one of the most important female pioneers of the twentieth century.

Douglas Fairbanks by Jeffrey Vance, only recently published giving a great and respectful view of his life and an utterly engrossing view into his film work. A recommended work.

A Life Between Takes a book about the life of Joan Blondell. A real loveable lady came from the pages. Married three times George Barnes, Dick Powell and Mike Todd. Her character seemed to be very much like the Joan of her early films. Well written and recommended.

Birdy · Post by **Birdy** » January 26th, 2009, 2:53 pm

I really enjoyed A Life Between the Takes, by Matthew Kennedy, although somewhat sad. You should also look for Center Door Fancy, a work of fiction by Joan herself and see how closely it resembles the biography.
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charliechaplinfan · January 26th, 2009, 2:58 pm

Centre Door Fancy was mentioned in the book, I think the success of the book meant just as much as all her films.

silentscreen · Post by **silentscreen** » January 26th, 2009, 10:45 pm

I'm glad you liked the book Alison! I really enjoyed Matthew's guest host stint here!

melwalton · Post by **melwalton** » January 27th, 2009, 12:58 am

Pogo ...no, honestly.. I don't read much anymore because of failing eyesight. I did read a couple of O.Henry and Wodehouse on the computer . last novels I recall were Shaw's YOUNG LIONS for the umpteenth time )) it was so well written and Victor Canning's RAINBIRD PATTERN the latter being the inspiration for Hitvh's FAMILY PLOT though quite different .... mel

Birdy · Post by **Birdy** » January 27th, 2009, 2:41 am

Oh, I love Wodehouse.
I was on a jag of a Wodehouse a week but ran out and they are such a pain to order from work. I'd rather own them! Maybe I'll get a chance to buy some more. I don't know how you stand to read a book on line though, it tires my eyes too badly.

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