Friday 30 July 2010

I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don't notice it.

I watched The Color Purple (it feels so wrong spelling it that way) again the other day and was shocked after watching Precious a couple of months ago by how much the latter is based on the former. Both have obviously been adapted from novels, however, Precious (from the novel Push by Sapphire) is such a blatant re-writing of Color Purple (Alice Walker) it makes me quite angry.

I have no problem with re-writings, especially if they are done well. Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea is a brilliant re-imagining of Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) and Margaret Attwood's The Penelopiad is an outstanding sing-song version of Homer's Odyssey. Thing is, Precious is not a re-writing. It's a simple copy of a much better and much more poignant novel. If you're going to use a novel like Walker's as inspiration, at least have the decency to change the plot a little and to credit the original.

I loved Push when I read it and though Precious was a great adaptation. Now that I've watched Color Purple again (I read the book about three years ago as well) I'm just disappointed that Sapphire chose to rip off a great novel. She's an exquisite writer and the character Precious is excellently portrayed, but Celie and herself are such similar characters, even down to having the same amount of children by their fathers. Both uneducated, underprivileged, black women who overcome their oppressive parental figures (In my mind, Mr. in Color Purple still constitutes a father figure - he treats Celie just as her father treated her) and become better people for it.

Both novels are worth a read, however, I am going to have to take back any brilliant things I previously said about Push in other blogs. It is well written and an important novel to read but I think it is unjust of the writer to plagiarise Walker and receive so much credit for it.

All that said and done, Walker wrote an amazing novel and Whoopi Goldberg's debut performance as Celie in the film version (directed by Spielberg!)is really brilliant. Read and watch them both.

Sunday 25 July 2010

You can live your whole life not realising what you're looking for is right in front of you.

Having just finished (as of about one hour ago) One Day by David Nicholls, I felt a strong desire to let everyone know just how bloody brilliant it is. Nicholls is an amazing writer - I'm debating whether to borrow Starter for Ten from the library - and the format of the novel is unique and interesting. Told in short excerpts, each one the same day - 15th July - of each consecutive year, the two main characters, Dexter and Emma are revealed to us.

Dexter and Emma meet on the night of their graduation from Edinburgh University on 15th July 1988. This date takes on no significant meaning to the characters, however, Nicholls chooses to focus on it as the moment in which their lives were forever defined. However they live their lives, whoever they become, and whether they realise it or not, they remain the most important person is each others lives.

The book was chosen for the Richard and Judy Book Club and has had outstanding reviews from just about everyone, all of which are richly deserved. I was openly sobbing in the street as I finished the novel! The quote from the Mirror on the back cover sums it up perfectly, stating that it is "destined to be a modern classic".

I urge people to read the novel (it's my book club choice for this month) and to recommend it to everyone they know, as I will certainly be doing.

Sunday 18 July 2010

Trashy Fun

So I've finally managed to get all my stuff out of storage, which means I have, for the first time in a year, seen all the books and dvds I own. It's a lot, but nowhere near as much as I thought. I do, however, have about twenty books that I have started but never finished, most of which are classics from University. An English student that hasn't read Pride and Prejudice?? Or Great Expectations?? Poor Show. I am making a vow to read them...it's just when that's the issue.

Anyway, because of all these books I have found, I haven't really read anything new. Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger was the most recent finished novel. A cheesy, trashy read by the author of Devil Wears Prada. And although it was the simplest thing I've read in a long time, it was extremely enjoyable, possibly because of that fact. It isn't clever and it isn't fancy but that's what makes it brilliant. We all need a little trashy fun every now and then.

Saturday 17 July 2010

Blogging is an art, same as any other method of self-expression. Some are better at it than others.

I am ashamed to say I am not good at it. As witnessed by the two-and-a-half month absence from the blogosphere, I have obviously been a little lax in my postings.

After watching Julia and Julia again, I am going to step it up. Julie Powell had a full time job, a husband, and 547 recipes to complete in a year. I have a lot more time on my hands and no deadline. Maybe that's the problem. So since I have just turned 22, I'll make a promise.

Before my 23rd birthday there must be 50 full posts on this blog. I must evaluate over 100 books, films and websites. And during that time, I must find one list to begin the next year with. Whether it's 1001 Books Before You Die, BBC Big Read or the longlist to one of the many prestigious book awards out there.

So here we go, wish me luck.

Until next time.