Terence Johnson's Blog - Posts Tagged "hamlet"
The October blog.
Having recently posted a joint, bonus double month, August and September blog. (Yeah, I'm fooling no one with that.)
Welcome to the actual promised, October Blog.
I'm a huge fan of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Since first reading, I’ve declared it my favorite Sci-fi novel ever. Now, let's reflect on that fact. I've not read hundreds of Sci-fi books and I know there is a wealth of them out there, that I haven't read yet. If I ever do.
I must confess, I have tried to read a bit wider than just the genre I have loved since a boy. Early Sci-fi memories of the 1968 Film, Planet of the Apes, seen on a black and white TV. Logan's Run, Silent Running, Woody Allen's Sleeper. Wonderful films for a young boy. As you may well guess from the above and other clues available, I'm no Millennial or Gen Z.
Considering I didn't really start reading novels till I left school. I've managed to read a few, some more than once. I need to add somewhere in this post, I find writing is the enemy of reading. That and thankfully having a full time job. My spare time nowadays is focused upon my writing, drafts, edits, re-reads. I promise myself one day to take a bit of time to read regularly again.
From the books I have read, my favorite story of all time is, 'Hamlet,' by Bill from down the road. Local lad done good.
With my love of great books and films, I drop regular little references to these, within my own writing. I always view these hints, clues, homages, to other people's work as an advertisement for that other book, play, etc. If you have read, watched, these works of genius already then I hope you smile at my nod to the work of far better writers.
If you have not read Fahrenheit 451 or Hamlet, or Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Pride and Prejudice, or Brave New World, 1984, or more than three H.G. Wells books or American Gods, or A Handmaid's Tale, or Asimov's Foundation series. (Not read the robot ones myself. But I'm certain the point will stand with them too.) Or read, The Earth Abides, The Road, The Godfather, or watched, the 1968 Film, Planet of the Apes, or Logan's Run, Silent Running, Woody Allen's Sleeper, Soylent Green, Blade Runner, Children of men, Arrival, Ex Machina, Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind... Oh too many to remember. Also, not sure 100% of people would view this as Sci-fi but I will include it here just because it's a great movie. 'Sorry to bother you, by Boots Riley.'
If you did not say yes, I've read, watched each of those, then stop messing about here and go watch or read some great films and books. So maybe, your favorite book, film, play isn’t in the above list. Maybe, I’ve not read/seen it, or maybe our tastes are different.
I was considering mentioning some of the times I alluded to any of those films and books from the list above in my writing, but… But, just to clarify, in ‘When First we learn to Question,’ I purposely spell Montag’s name wrong. In my yet to be published Robot novel, on character describes Mr Bradbury as “an author, an authority, a man of poetry, a fellow of infinite jest, most excellent fancy.” I couldn’t have put it better myself.
Personally I find HG Wells War of the Worlds funny when the cavalry comes riding in. Actual cavalry but then the book was first published in 1898. Maybe the world Ray Bradbury predicted in F451 seems out of date to younger readers. I understand that but nothing takes away from the prose, the style. I have seen TVs get larger, yet the content hasn’t improved and I’ve seen the development of headphones that sit in your ear. These did not exist in 1954 when Mr Bradbury wrote his book.
Maybe some of the work of some of these people will not pass the modern standards of CGI and/or moral values. Please try to forgive the lack of future knowledge many of these people display.
I hope this blog about the greats; who I chase after; always in their shadow, happy in their presence. Makes a nice change from any of my trips down Ego Lane.
As ever if you got this far, thank you for your time. I hope you enjoy the works I've suggested if you seek them out.
Welcome to the actual promised, October Blog.
I'm a huge fan of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Since first reading, I’ve declared it my favorite Sci-fi novel ever. Now, let's reflect on that fact. I've not read hundreds of Sci-fi books and I know there is a wealth of them out there, that I haven't read yet. If I ever do.
I must confess, I have tried to read a bit wider than just the genre I have loved since a boy. Early Sci-fi memories of the 1968 Film, Planet of the Apes, seen on a black and white TV. Logan's Run, Silent Running, Woody Allen's Sleeper. Wonderful films for a young boy. As you may well guess from the above and other clues available, I'm no Millennial or Gen Z.
Considering I didn't really start reading novels till I left school. I've managed to read a few, some more than once. I need to add somewhere in this post, I find writing is the enemy of reading. That and thankfully having a full time job. My spare time nowadays is focused upon my writing, drafts, edits, re-reads. I promise myself one day to take a bit of time to read regularly again.
From the books I have read, my favorite story of all time is, 'Hamlet,' by Bill from down the road. Local lad done good.
With my love of great books and films, I drop regular little references to these, within my own writing. I always view these hints, clues, homages, to other people's work as an advertisement for that other book, play, etc. If you have read, watched, these works of genius already then I hope you smile at my nod to the work of far better writers.
If you have not read Fahrenheit 451 or Hamlet, or Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Pride and Prejudice, or Brave New World, 1984, or more than three H.G. Wells books or American Gods, or A Handmaid's Tale, or Asimov's Foundation series. (Not read the robot ones myself. But I'm certain the point will stand with them too.) Or read, The Earth Abides, The Road, The Godfather, or watched, the 1968 Film, Planet of the Apes, or Logan's Run, Silent Running, Woody Allen's Sleeper, Soylent Green, Blade Runner, Children of men, Arrival, Ex Machina, Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind... Oh too many to remember. Also, not sure 100% of people would view this as Sci-fi but I will include it here just because it's a great movie. 'Sorry to bother you, by Boots Riley.'
If you did not say yes, I've read, watched each of those, then stop messing about here and go watch or read some great films and books. So maybe, your favorite book, film, play isn’t in the above list. Maybe, I’ve not read/seen it, or maybe our tastes are different.
I was considering mentioning some of the times I alluded to any of those films and books from the list above in my writing, but… But, just to clarify, in ‘When First we learn to Question,’ I purposely spell Montag’s name wrong. In my yet to be published Robot novel, on character describes Mr Bradbury as “an author, an authority, a man of poetry, a fellow of infinite jest, most excellent fancy.” I couldn’t have put it better myself.
Personally I find HG Wells War of the Worlds funny when the cavalry comes riding in. Actual cavalry but then the book was first published in 1898. Maybe the world Ray Bradbury predicted in F451 seems out of date to younger readers. I understand that but nothing takes away from the prose, the style. I have seen TVs get larger, yet the content hasn’t improved and I’ve seen the development of headphones that sit in your ear. These did not exist in 1954 when Mr Bradbury wrote his book.
Maybe some of the work of some of these people will not pass the modern standards of CGI and/or moral values. Please try to forgive the lack of future knowledge many of these people display.
I hope this blog about the greats; who I chase after; always in their shadow, happy in their presence. Makes a nice change from any of my trips down Ego Lane.
As ever if you got this far, thank you for your time. I hope you enjoy the works I've suggested if you seek them out.
Rom Coms, why not?
I’ve read this blog so I know this goes off on a tangent.
Anyway, Rom Coms why not? I’m not the target audience but the Com, bit does stand for comedy so… Since often the examples in this genre owe a debt to the works of Jayne Austin and given Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite reads; Rom Coms, why not?
A quick tangent about age. Age of the books, that is. Many people will criticise Jayne Austin’s work for being cliché, overdone. I’ve heard similar criticism of H.G. wells too, how the science doesn’t quite work or somesuch. Can we please cut the classics a little slack, given the authors were not gifted with our level of hindsight.
On a similar point, the language of a Jayne Austin novel can be a little difficult to understand. Personally, like a good John Wyndham book, I love the phrases, and platitudes of days long gone. But that’s a personal choice, might not work for everyone.
Back to Pride and Prejudice, I enjoy the plot, the individual characterisation of the cast, the binds and obligations these people of polite society find themselves trapped in. We would cut through a lot of this stuff nowadays with a few foul words. But this is a more gentile age.
The protagonist of the novel is Elizabeth Bennet, one of five daughters, the offspring of the amusing Mr Bennet. Two of my favourite characters right there. Elizabeth is witty, clever, wrong, mistaken rather, stubborn; being too clever to endure the follies of her times. And Mr Bennet is a source of amusement throughout.
Another point other characters are rendered brilliantly, all the Bennet girls and their leader, Mrs Bennet. The selection of male characters, each flawed, each different. The beautiful ladies of the high society, maybe only externally beautiful
There appears a confusion, the idea of an enjoyable Rom Com and the knowledge that stories need conflict. I mean, it’s Romance meets Comedy, where’s the conflict in that?
This idea got me thinking about, important, intelligent books with small conflicts. With limited fight scenes, hopefully, no explosions. Conflicts where the fate of the world or the universe, maybe only half the universe, does not hang in the balance. I am so bored with helicopter explosions and car chases. Let’s have conflict nearer home, a more local, personal level.
Let’s free flow a list of small scale conflict books, then put it in alphabetical order in the edit.
As a small disclaimer, I’ve not read all these books.
Think of the scale of conflict in each tale.
Hamlet, my favourite story of all time. The fate of all Denmark. Granted a couple of cannons get let off, Boom!
Fahrenheit 451, my favourite novel of all time. Some Guy looking for a good read.
Animal Farm, all the action of a small English country farm. But yes, the Windmill. Boom!
A Christmas carol, one man’s overnight fight with indigestion.
Don Quixote, one man and his friend’s crusade against the terror of windmills. (No I’ve never read this one.)
Frankenstein, man makes, rejects and chases after a monster.
Good Omens, averting Armageddon with humour.
The grapes of wrath, the effects of the American depression on a poor family.
The handmaid's tale, female victims of a mad world.
Lord of the Flies, a group of boys left alone for too long.
Moby Dick. A man battles the great white whale.
The old man and the sea. An old man’s fishing trip.
One flew over the cuckoo’s nest, events in a hospital.
Othello, jealously. Try swapping the characters of Hamlet and Othello around, there’s two new plays, straight away.
Romeo and Juliet, a couple of young lovers falling for the wrong person.
Watership Down, the stress of Rabbits moving home.
Hey, suggest more in the comments. That was a bit of fun.
Hope the above reinforces, the idea, your story doesn’t have to have huge stakes to make it worthwhile.
Enjoy what you like and if the end of the world is your thing, or it’s last-minute salvation, I’m sure you are not alone.
Hopefully, if you got this far you enjoyed today’s ramblings. Thank you for your time.
TJ.
Anyway, Rom Coms why not? I’m not the target audience but the Com, bit does stand for comedy so… Since often the examples in this genre owe a debt to the works of Jayne Austin and given Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite reads; Rom Coms, why not?
A quick tangent about age. Age of the books, that is. Many people will criticise Jayne Austin’s work for being cliché, overdone. I’ve heard similar criticism of H.G. wells too, how the science doesn’t quite work or somesuch. Can we please cut the classics a little slack, given the authors were not gifted with our level of hindsight.
On a similar point, the language of a Jayne Austin novel can be a little difficult to understand. Personally, like a good John Wyndham book, I love the phrases, and platitudes of days long gone. But that’s a personal choice, might not work for everyone.
Back to Pride and Prejudice, I enjoy the plot, the individual characterisation of the cast, the binds and obligations these people of polite society find themselves trapped in. We would cut through a lot of this stuff nowadays with a few foul words. But this is a more gentile age.
The protagonist of the novel is Elizabeth Bennet, one of five daughters, the offspring of the amusing Mr Bennet. Two of my favourite characters right there. Elizabeth is witty, clever, wrong, mistaken rather, stubborn; being too clever to endure the follies of her times. And Mr Bennet is a source of amusement throughout.
Another point other characters are rendered brilliantly, all the Bennet girls and their leader, Mrs Bennet. The selection of male characters, each flawed, each different. The beautiful ladies of the high society, maybe only externally beautiful
There appears a confusion, the idea of an enjoyable Rom Com and the knowledge that stories need conflict. I mean, it’s Romance meets Comedy, where’s the conflict in that?
This idea got me thinking about, important, intelligent books with small conflicts. With limited fight scenes, hopefully, no explosions. Conflicts where the fate of the world or the universe, maybe only half the universe, does not hang in the balance. I am so bored with helicopter explosions and car chases. Let’s have conflict nearer home, a more local, personal level.
Let’s free flow a list of small scale conflict books, then put it in alphabetical order in the edit.
As a small disclaimer, I’ve not read all these books.
Think of the scale of conflict in each tale.
Hamlet, my favourite story of all time. The fate of all Denmark. Granted a couple of cannons get let off, Boom!
Fahrenheit 451, my favourite novel of all time. Some Guy looking for a good read.
Animal Farm, all the action of a small English country farm. But yes, the Windmill. Boom!
A Christmas carol, one man’s overnight fight with indigestion.
Don Quixote, one man and his friend’s crusade against the terror of windmills. (No I’ve never read this one.)
Frankenstein, man makes, rejects and chases after a monster.
Good Omens, averting Armageddon with humour.
The grapes of wrath, the effects of the American depression on a poor family.
The handmaid's tale, female victims of a mad world.
Lord of the Flies, a group of boys left alone for too long.
Moby Dick. A man battles the great white whale.
The old man and the sea. An old man’s fishing trip.
One flew over the cuckoo’s nest, events in a hospital.
Othello, jealously. Try swapping the characters of Hamlet and Othello around, there’s two new plays, straight away.
Romeo and Juliet, a couple of young lovers falling for the wrong person.
Watership Down, the stress of Rabbits moving home.
Hey, suggest more in the comments. That was a bit of fun.
Hope the above reinforces, the idea, your story doesn’t have to have huge stakes to make it worthwhile.
Enjoy what you like and if the end of the world is your thing, or it’s last-minute salvation, I’m sure you are not alone.
Hopefully, if you got this far you enjoyed today’s ramblings. Thank you for your time.
TJ.
