Pontalba's comments
(member since Oct 27, 2009)
Pontalba's comments from the Constant Reader group.
(showing 1-20 of 299)
Auster is a mixed bag as far as I can tell, I've read several of his, The Book of Illusions, Man in the Dark, Moon Palace, In the Country of Last Things and the first of his New York Trilogy, City of Glass. . . .the last being the only one I didn't like at all. I find him to do best [for my taste:] when he moves slowly and then twists around the middle. City of Glass was just too-too cute for my taste.
I've purchased his new one Invisible and it waits up there with the rest of my Austers, patiently, or, maybe not so patiently. :)
Congratulations on your accomplishment Russ! :) 50,000 words! Wowee!
One of these days I might be brave enough to try it, but I'm afraid I'd freeze.
I loved Fawlty Towers, and seeing Cleese in The Out of Towners as the officious Front Desk Manager with a secret was beyond hilarious. He certainly is a talented fellow, I'd love to see his one man show!
Baxter wrote: "I'm currently reading it right now actually, and so far I am loving it. One of the most interesting things to me is that (so far at least) I can actually sympathize with Humbert. I think he's a t..."Baxter, you have hit the exact conundrum right on the head! That's the genius of Nabokov, making such a nasty piece of work sympathetic.
Of course, you must take into account what an unreliable narrator HH actually is.
Beej wrote: "Carol, I thought of Taxi Driver, too. Do you think Lolita was a factor in either of those movies having been made? Did Lolita open a really dark door? I think thats very possible."You know, I've seen some of the old Shirley Temple films from the 1930's on television and if they were not provocative, I don't know what would be.
The teeny dresses, even lingerie she wore, sitting on grown men's laps, singing love songs to them were way beyond the pale in my opinion.
Some of the lyrics were downright embarrassing.
Beej wrote: "Pretty Baby?? I thought it came out in the late 70s. I know with that movie, the public was horrified but I think it was because there was frontal nudity. I don't think that would even be legal tod..."Did you mean my post #22? I meant the first Lolita film...sorry. :)
Plus the first film was made back in the early '60's...that made a difference too.
Beej wrote: "You know, I think of Brooke Shields in Pretty Baby..she was 11 years old! "You know, I'd forgotten about that...but Shields just wouldn't have made a good Lolita as far as I can see. Plus, it was a kid close to her age in the film, wasn't it?
carol (akittykat) wrote: "Now I will have to order this from netflix. I fell in love with Jeremy Irons in The French Lieutenants Womansizzle sizzle"
...and...dare I mention? :) Irons intoned the CD for Lolita. /sigh/
carol (akittykat) wrote: "I haven't, but I think James Mason was a good choice for Humberto.I don't recall who played Lo-lee-ta."Sue Lyon played her, and was far too old for the role, but of course Hollywood couldn't put a real 12 year old in.
A girl Dominic Swain...I think that is the correct spelling played her in the new version...Jeremy Irons played HH and did a fine job, but I'll always love James Mason in the role.
The scene of Mason in the bathtub with a glass of Scotch on his chest talking to that other couple after Charlotte [played by the inimitable Shelly Winters:] was one of the best scenes in my opinion, I have to laugh every time I see a still of it.
Ruth wrote: "We read this as a CR selection quite a few years back. I wonder why we don't have it in the archives.Am I the only one who found this book funnier than heck?"
No, you're not alone Ruth, there were parts that were hilarious. VN had a wonderful sense of humor and a sense of play that perhaps is underrated.
The section about Rita nearing the end was truly roll on the floor laugh worthy. Plus of course the descriptions of people and places you mention Carol.
I found Lolita very difficult to get through the first time. I've read it in full twice now, and reread sections several more times. Something new pops up every time I reread.
Have any of y'all seen either film version?
I'd have to recommend Vladimir Nabokov first and foremost. Then John Banville and Paul Auster. Also I don't know how Taylor Caldwell ranks as far as literary, but I've always enjoyed her writing very much, she researches her subjects most thoroughly and has always been, to my knowledge historically accurate.
To only say thank you for sharing this doesn't cover how I feel Wilhelmina. I had no idea of the effects of CFS. You are a courageous woman, and have my admiration.
Barbara wrote: "This is such a personal subject. I've just never been able to get my brain around killing someone because they've killed someone. It doesn't work for me. And, when I read about the numbers of pe..."I can see your point Barbara, however how fair or correct or humane would it be to allow a murderer loose on the population? How humane would it be to keep them in a cage for the rest of their life? Without law and appropriate punishments for criminals, we'd all descend into chaos.
Mary Ellen wrote: If John Allen Muhammad had not been executed today, this day would have held no heaviness for you or anyone else victimized by his madness. The death penalty is not the mark of a civilized society, when life imprisonment without parole would equally protect its members from actions of convicted murderers. We do not take a stand against violence by perpetrating needless violence ourselves.As far as the heaviness of the day, what about the grief and unending sorrow of the families of the horrifically slain innocents? Their grief has to count.
Regarding the propriety of the death penalty, is it better to keep someone in prison for the rest of their lives? Is that form of torture more humane? Not to mention supporting them for the rest of their lives on taxpayers money.
Society was not the instigator of the senseless violence, society is the brake on said violence. Society has done it's job, it has protected it's members from what I consider a mad dog.
On the other hand...I hate the violence of the entire thing, but society as a whole cannot and should not put up with this sort behavior, the execution of this man will only serve as a reminder to ones that would attempt the same thing. I hope.
If it prevents one murder, it is worth it.
I don't think we even got any rain out of it, but it's still pretty overcast. The sun keeps trying to come out, and it's still breezy here.Like every weather caster has said....thank goodness this didn't arrive in August or September!
carol (akittykat) wrote: "WHERE Y'ALL BEEN."shuuucksss! :)
Very nice link Beej, printing...printing... :)
Milk Duds. :)
Writer & Reader wrote: "I believe Michael to have been pointing out the likelihood that members left or simply stopped participating before the moderators took action, and I agree with him. That was not my impression. Michael, correct me if I am wrong, but the thought I took away from that post was that posters stopped participating after the booting.
I see now in my rereading of that paragraph, it could be taken either way.
Michael wrote: How many thoughtful people had already left this site? Or reduced their reading and posting? We have no way of knowing, since those people probably did not announce their decisions. But I can tell you that I, though still a relative newbie, have reduced my reading and posting here. And also have become a little more discriminating about threads I follow.
