Books

[harryh]

I read Bringing Down The House this weekend. It was awful and full of lies. I'm not sure why I wasted my time. Probably because reading it required no brainpower. I'm also a hundred pages into 2666 which is a lot better, but requires more concentration. I wish I had an English Professor on call that I could get to explain certain things to me

Comments

[candid]

I can see how the chemistry between Steve Martin and Queen Latifah wouldn't translate well to book form.

[herbaliser]

I was about to say that.

[queen_elvis]

Ugh. I just assume sentences like that are a result of not enough editing. I wouldn't ascribe any artistic intent to it other than maybe pretension. Though I am more inclined to be forgiving now that I see it's a translation.

[joshc]

that, and Bolaño died five years ago.

[queen_elvis]

? Assuming he wrote them himself, what does it matter if he died afterward?

[joshc]

Your original comment was about there not being enough editing. If he had been alive for the translation and final edits, maybe there could have been some give and take with the revisions? I haven't read it; so this is all idle speculation anyway.

[r_transpose_p]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bringing_Down_the_House_(film)

[monkey1976]

i read it as well. what parts were untrue? (not defending it, i'm totally neutral. didn't hate it. didn't love it. more curious than anything).

[harryh]

There's some stuff on the wikipedia page: the thing with the strippers cashing in their chips, the bit about the guy getting beat up in the Caribbean, some other things.

Also, a lot of the blackjack numbers don't really add up. The author clearly exaggerates their winnings.

[powkang]

i liked the movie, though. because i think jim sturgess is adorable. and that's pretty much the only reason. oh, and maybe the use of mgmt during the opening credits?