Banned Books

Happy Monday, friends.

Last time I blogged I mentioned that I was reading the Watchmen Graphic Novel...well I have finished the book, and I am happy to report that it was very enjoyable! The only complaint I would have is that the ending in the film is much better than the ending in the novel...I'm not going to give it away, but you can judge for yourself. Personally, I thought it very odd.

Now, on to the subject of banned books. This is something that I strongly believe in. Everyone should make an effort to read books that are either currently banned (I can't really think of many in Europe or the US right now, but there are certainly some that have created backlash), or those that have been banned in the past. These are much easier to find (as there are quite a few), and thankfully most (or perhaps none) are currently banned in a number of countries. I admit that I know a number of books that have been banned, however I need to further research the list of these books, and find out where, when, and why they were banned. It is a subject of which I am very interested in.

I am currently reading Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence. The book was published in 1928 in Florence Italy. Lawrence knew that he would not be able to find a publisher for his book, so he had it published himself by a printer in Italy. The first printing was limited to 1000 copies, and were sent out by order only to Lawrences acquaintances through an Italian antiquarian bookseller named Giuseppe "Pino" Orioli. Once the book was in the hands of the readers, word quickly spread that it was shocking and filthy. Books began to be confiscated, and eventually a number of pirated copies began to circulate due to the curiosity of the outraged public. Lawrence (critically ill at this point with tuburculosis), was condemned for his novel, and soon died due to the stress.

I find it quite funny that society would publicy scorn such a great author, while at the same time seek out the novel to read hidden alone in the privacy of their own homes. I am not very far into the novel (I haven't reached any of the parts that created all the fuss), but I can already see what a talented writer Lawrence was, and what a pity it is that his final novel was viewed in such a harsh manner. I read that the printer of the novel spoke not a single word of English, and so in order to keep him from printing something that he may not agree with, Lawrence told him that the book contained descriptins of a sexual nature. To this the printer replied "O! ma! but we do it every day!" Apparently the Florentines were a society more comfortable with the filth that others condemned.

My point in discussing these types of books (and I don't just mean books of a sexual nature), is that because of a closed mindset, so many generations have missed out on some brilliant writing. I don't believe in censorship, and I certainly don't believe that books should be banned. If the material inside offends you, don't read it.

I owe a debt of gratitude to Ronald Friedland for supplying the history behind the publication of the novel. His introduction to the 1968 printing is very informative and enjoyable.

To conclude, read a banned book my friends. You just don't know what you may be missing out on.

Reading Into The Wee Hours of the Night

So I have been reading more since last I posted. I haven't read as much in that time, though, as Facebook has become a serious obsession, and is sucking up all my free time.

I managed to finish The Sound and the Fury. This time around, it was easier to digest. I still think it was extremely confusing. Two characters have the same name, and one is a man, the other a girl. Since the novel is not linear this made me feel as if I were going crazy. Also, the first chapter is very hard to wade through. It is told from the perspective of Benjy, a metally challenged man, and his thoughts are related with no concept of time...they literally jump all over the place, and the two characters with the same name are mentioned by him a number of times. By the end of the novel everything made sense, but it was hard going until then. Worth reading just because Faulkner is considered such a great American author. I wanted to know what all the fuss was about.

Next I read Orlando by Virginia Woolf. I enjoyed this book more than Faulkner's novel, however it is not considered to be one of Woolf's best. The book spans a very long period in history, and is told from the perspective of a boy who later becomes a woman. Woolf's prose is outstanding, as it always is, and her descriptions of London and the other places that Orlando visits are beautifully written. I recommend this, but read Woolf's other works first.

I am now changing things up a bit and reading the Watchmen graphic Novel. I'm on chapter three, and so far I am loving it. I have never read a comic before, and it is so much fun. Especially since I can compare the book to the movie. I will post more about it once I have completed it.

For now, enjoy a good read with a hot cup of coffee. The two go perfect together.

Watching Watchmen

Ok, so I saw Watchmen last night and loved it. Expectations have been pretty high for this film, and I went into it not really knowing what to expect. I knew a little about the story, (now I really want to read the graphic novel), and of course I had heard some of the hype, but I have to say I was surprised how much I liked it.

Firstly, it was visually stunning. The opening credits in particular were fabulous, and so many of the shots looked as if they were pulled directly from the panel of a comic book. The CGI was amazing...you never felt as if you were pulled out of the story due to poor CGI.

The characters were also wonderful, and I felt that most of the parts were perfectly cast. Matthew Goode would probably not been my first choice to play Adrian Veidt, but for the most part, everyone else seemed perfect for their roles.

The story was refreshing too. Much different from your typical Hollywood superhero movie, this one had it all. Lots of gratuitous violence and nudity, steamy sex scenes, and plenty of dark comedy laughs. What else could you ask for from a superhero movie? LOL

See the film. I enjoyed this one more than any I have seen in a while. And don't wait until it comes out on DVD. This one deserves to be enjoyed in the theater with a big tub of popcorn. ;)

I've Done A Lot of Reading Since I've Been Gone!

I'm back from a short leave, and in the time since I last blogged, I have read a few books that I have greatly enjoyed. They are the following:

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

Brave New World - So ahead of its time. I couldn't put it down. A very frightening and tragic story of the future that doesn't seem all that impossible in today's world. It's hard to believe that Huxley wrote this novel in 1932. I have been wanting to read this for so long, and now I'm glad I did. Definitely recommend this one.

The Maltese Falcon - What fun! A suspenseful and intriguing mystery...everything I have heard about Hammett is true. A master of mystery fiction, his Sam Spade character is exactly what a detective should be; rough around the edges, hard drinking, and cynical. This book was a delight, and all the better as I read the Franklin Mystery edition of it. A must read for lovers of mystery!

A Farewell to Arms - What can you say about Hemingway that hasn't alread been said? This is the second book of his that I have read, the first being For Whom the Bell Tolls, and both are wonderful and tragic accounts of war. I love Hemingway's no nonsense prose, and the story is gripping and hard to put down.

I am currently reading The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. I tried to read this book a couple of years ago, and the stream of consciousness was so confusing that I gave up. I enjoy stream of consciousness writing (Heny Miller being one of my favorite authors), but this was just too hard to follow. Much of it is told by a mentally challenged man who doesn't really understand the world around him, so you are left to try to understand his thought, which consequently jump all over the place. Plus, there are a number of narrators, and the author switches between them without warning. I'm reading it much more slowly this time, and I think I'm getting a lot more out of it. I will report back on this one again once I am finished.

Happy reading friends!