James Clavell, who died in 1994, was a screenwriter, director, producer, and novelist born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Although he wrote the screenplays for a number of acclaimed films, including The Fly (1958), The Great Escape (1963), and To Sir With Love (1967), he is best known for his epic novels in his Asian Saga.
Also memorable was Thornbirds and Roots ... I like the Michner books, but I haven't made it a point to read all his books ... yet.
Those books have in common ... scale ... each are big stories.
My husband tells me that the shades of grey trilogy is the ... well, he said 20% of all books sold right now are the grey books. I haven't read them. Nor did I read the, ummm, those werewolf/vampire books. One and I saw part of one of the movies and I thought, wow, an entire generation of young women spoon fed the idea that this is love ... he may kiss me or he may drain my life force ... on second thought ... lol, ouch.
Recently finished reading the book, Picture Perfect, by Jodi Pichoult ... from the back cover:
"... a cycle of hurt, denial, and promises ... torn between fear and something that resembled love ... how could she leave ... how could she stay?"
The Library Journal says this is an important book from a talented writer. I don't disagree with the fact that she is a talented writer with a formidable imagination. The characters in this book resolved their physical issues by creating physical distance ... the emotional/spiritual aspects remained entangled within a tragic love net which ensnared others as well. I'm trying to think of why the book might be important, and I guess an answer (for me) is that it illuminates how individuals find their way in to abusive relationships, why they stay there, and how those relationships may play out. Ms. Picoult, educated at both Princeton and Harvard, has successfully sold a ton of books. A third story of hers is sitting on my bedside table right now. Last night it sat un-opened while I searched the Internet for something that would make me laugh. I wound up looking at a You-tube video tutorial on how to create a cowboy hat from an empty beer case box ... big USMC ink and a twang. Life seems to be full of tragedies.
Two had a thought for a book. How about you take the Disney princesses and re-write their stories. Yeah, the prince can tell Snow White that he just can't get around that whole running away and living with seven men thing ... he loves her but ... . Or with Aladdin ... the princess "loves" him, but realizes he is a compulsive liar, a thief, homeless, totally unreliable ... not the life mate she needs. Mulan's guy falls in love with her while she is masquerading as a man ... uhhh, possibly some bromance issues there. Or this ... Sleeping Beauty's prince kisses a corpse... ugh ... and his kiss re-animates her! Little Mermaid's prince comes upon her when she is naked and without a voice ... that's some kind of beginning for true love story. Sounds like a good beginning for a Master's thesis.
Important stories ... hmmm. Love is important. I've seen a couple of epic real life love stories this year. I'm living a complicated love story ... aren't we all? Aren't all our very important connections about love?
Different topic ... Neil Armstrong ... a face on an epic story.
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| Galileo's pendulum clock Galileo: the Cosmos through a telescope |
Or this very good thought ... interesting on a human level.
Interesting as we relate to each other
interesting within the concept of how/where we relate to God.
How do we discover who we are and how we might most successfully interact with others?
I think that may be Ms. Picoult's genius. She seems to explore the psychological aspects of human connections.
well ... back to re-finishing doors! Hand work is pretty easy stuff ... stick with the check list!
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