Hi everyone. It's been a little over a week since my last post. My intention has been to write every three days so as not to disappoint my fans! Ha! But the fall semester is fast approaching, and I've been spending tons of time prepping for my 7 classes this semester. This requires reading a LOT of textbooks, particularly in classes where I'm using a new book this semester. Because of all the reading I've been doing, I haven't taken as much time for leisure reading as I'd like. Thankfully, that should remedy itself when my schedule normalizes in the next couple weeks.
However, I need to remind myself that reading textbooks is still reading. I read mostly non-fiction anyway, so reading a textbook isn't always too much of a deviation from that. I enjoy getting new textbooks, and if it wouldn't frustrate the hell out of the students and the bookstore, I'd probably switch books way more often just for the fun of it. There's not much out there that beats a brand new book (I used to love brand new notebooks too, so I admit to being a little odd in this regard), even if it is a textbook. It's right up there with new car smell. No, I don't smell my textbooks. That's a whole other story that only my law school classmates would appreciate!
17 August 2010
05 August 2010
Making good books into miniseries
Some of my favorite books have been successfully made into miniseries: Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"; Alex Haley's "Roots"; John Jakes' "North and South"; David McCullough's "John Adams." These miniseries brought these books to life. However, I've recently found that it doesn't always work out that way.
I am a big fan of Alexander McCall Smith's "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series. There are 10 books so far in the series, and I've read each of them. They are wonderful books and I'd recommend them to anyone. I was excited when I found out HBO was going to make them into a series. HBO did an excellent job with "John Adams" (even if I wasn't overly thrilled with the casting choice for John Adams himself), and was looking forward to something similar with Smith's books. Unfortunately, for me at least, it just didn't work. I think there are two reasons for this.
First, I love the way Smith writes his characters in the series. I was able to form a very clear image in my head of each of the characters and the locale in Botswana where the series takes place. I didn't think the HBO series lived up to my impressions. I don't know if it was the casting, the writing, or the acting, but it just didn't work for me. One example is the character of Mma Makutsi, who is an assistant detective/secretary. My impression of her from the book was that she was quite opinionated and often judgmental, but still a likeable character. In the HBO series she was still opinionated and judgmental, but came off bitchy rather than likeable. I was turned off by her, and that was unsettling for me.
Second, the books are very character-driven, not action-driven. You keep reading because you become attached to the characters and care what happens to them. It's not suspenseful really, and not particularly exciting; but it's not at all boring. However, when translated into a TV series, it became boring because nothing really happens amd there's not the character development to make up for it.
As a result of these observations, I watched only one episode and returned the DVD to Netflix. I was worried that if I watched any more, the images on the screen would replace the images in my head. That's not a risk I'm willing to take, and I can't wait for more books to come out in this series so I can continue reading about the wonderful characters.
Do you have a favorite book that was made into a movie or TV series? Maybe "Harry Potter" or the "Twighlight" series? How about "The DaVinci Code"? Please comment below and let me know!
I am a big fan of Alexander McCall Smith's "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series. There are 10 books so far in the series, and I've read each of them. They are wonderful books and I'd recommend them to anyone. I was excited when I found out HBO was going to make them into a series. HBO did an excellent job with "John Adams" (even if I wasn't overly thrilled with the casting choice for John Adams himself), and was looking forward to something similar with Smith's books. Unfortunately, for me at least, it just didn't work. I think there are two reasons for this.
First, I love the way Smith writes his characters in the series. I was able to form a very clear image in my head of each of the characters and the locale in Botswana where the series takes place. I didn't think the HBO series lived up to my impressions. I don't know if it was the casting, the writing, or the acting, but it just didn't work for me. One example is the character of Mma Makutsi, who is an assistant detective/secretary. My impression of her from the book was that she was quite opinionated and often judgmental, but still a likeable character. In the HBO series she was still opinionated and judgmental, but came off bitchy rather than likeable. I was turned off by her, and that was unsettling for me.
Second, the books are very character-driven, not action-driven. You keep reading because you become attached to the characters and care what happens to them. It's not suspenseful really, and not particularly exciting; but it's not at all boring. However, when translated into a TV series, it became boring because nothing really happens amd there's not the character development to make up for it.
As a result of these observations, I watched only one episode and returned the DVD to Netflix. I was worried that if I watched any more, the images on the screen would replace the images in my head. That's not a risk I'm willing to take, and I can't wait for more books to come out in this series so I can continue reading about the wonderful characters.
Do you have a favorite book that was made into a movie or TV series? Maybe "Harry Potter" or the "Twighlight" series? How about "The DaVinci Code"? Please comment below and let me know!
02 August 2010
Do I want an e-reader?
I am not what they call an early adapter of technology. I don't have an i-phone, and I'm not even considering getting an i-pad. My mp3 player is an off-brand, not an i-pod. I just don't like to spend money on technology. However, I have been considering getting an e-reader, like a Kindle or a Nook. The problem is that I just don't know if it would be worth the expense for me.I love to read; but more than that, I love books. I like the feel of a new book. I like holding it in my hand and turning the pages. I have heard that reading an e-reader is very much like a book. I don't buy it, at least not yet. If I travelled more, either for work or pleasure, then I think it would be a good thing. Lugging a bunch of books on a plane is not fun. But my work is about 2 miles from my house, and I only go on vacation once or twice a year. I can't imagine choosing to read from an e-reader when I could just as easily read an actual book. But my curiousity might be getting the best of me, and I'm sure I'll end up with an e-reader sooner rather than later. If nothing else, I can download books for cheaper than I could buy them, which is a great option for books I'm less certain about.
There are people who worry books will become obsolete eventually as technology progresses. I don't think that will ever happen. There are too many people out there who, like me, need actual books in their lives. At least, I hope that's the case!
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