March diversions

[veggiesu]

Films: Six! SIX! Oh yeah, finally got the act together and saw some films :-)

Bullitt - iconic Sixties cop movie. Steve McQueen on top form.
Surveillance - Dark, violent, ever-so-slightly surreal, twisted, slow-burning and brilliant.
The International - Run of the mill paranoia thriller, enlivened by the presence of Clive Owen.
The Oxford

Comments

[lackofgravitas]

I want to see Watchmen. I'm struggling to find someone to go with, and may just have to go alone. *grump* Things like this make me realise quite how un-girly I still am, despite my apparent conversion to the pink side.

I've just got my copy of The Great Stink back from my dad - he started to tell me about it, quite forgetting he'd borrowed it from me! It was the first book that all my book group not only finished but LIKED. There is clearly hope for my book group yet.

[veggiesu]

I was much amused by the family of four who were sitting in front of us - the youngest child was definitely *not* eighteen, and there was much uncomfortable fidgeting from both the teen and the Mum during the explicit sex scene :-p

I probably should have made it more clear that I did *really* like The Great Stink :-)

[immortalradical]

he prefers books that use stories to describe the world, and I like books that use the world to tell stories.

Not entirely true - I like books that use the world to tell stories, too, and if I were going to criticise Crusaders it would be on the grounds that its story never really exists on its own terms. But I think I also appreciate the qualities that gives the novel - different perhaps to a good yarn well told, but not without their pleasures.

FWIW, I couldn't really tell you what the plot was now (though it does pick up steam in the final third). To some extent, it doesn't matter. YMMV. :P

[veggiesu]

Oh, I knew you wouldn't be able to accept that at face value, but would feel the need to argue the point instead :-p

I think the thing I'm trying to convey is, I'm nearly a third of the way through the book, and so far it doesn't appear to be telling a story (except "vicar goes back north to plant a church in the mid-nineties", which, let's face it, isn't much of a story at all). It's telling lots of small, individual stories, and is using them to say something about the world, and it's my impression that that's what you liked about the book. Whereas it's what's making me consider giving up and moving on to the next one.

Or, to put it another way, my mileage does indeed seem to vary :-p

xoxoxoxoxo

[sofvckinghot]

I think the opening titles of Bullitt have yet to be surpassed, all these years later.

Re: xoxoxoxoxo

[veggiesu]

I will admit to having been mightily impressed at the opening titles, yes :-)