GeeVee's 2012 Challenge

[Geevee]

He covers Pope Joan well in the book and concludes that she is a myth...pages 60-67.

I'd rather hoped she was to be proven as real, as having foxed the male clergy it would have been a real feat, but it seems from the info Norwich cites, especially her giving birth in the street having hidden the pregnancy, that it was neither feat nor real.

[Geevee]

...and there's something about watching a classic film (mostly B&W) on a cold, grey wintry day in front of an open fire.

[Dawn (& Ron)]

Since we are in central Florida we would have to change that to gray, rainy day and no fire but either way they are perfect days for watching good classic films, especially black and white. I don't know why so many people think B&W means it isn't good. That's their loss.
Tonight we are watching "The Razor's Edge" with Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) and it's raining!

[Geevee]

Central Florida watching classics - Passport to Pimlico, Roman Holiday or Rear Window (not B&W) - and then popping out to see a Shuttle launch with your relation who worked on the programme sounds perfect.

[Geevee]

I have finished Harold Larwood by Duncan Hamilton. It's a biography about a English cricketer from 1930s and the controversy surrounding a series of matches in Australia that changed and influenced his life. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The review is here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I should now be taking another book from my mountain but having visited the library (Doh!), and thanks also to Bettie I am reading other books now so the challenge has stalled a little.

[Jemidar]

Larwood was the bowler of the "bodyline" series, wasn't he?

ETA: Ooops, should've read your review first :-).

[Geevee]

Jemidar wrote: "Larwood was the bowler of the "bodyline" series, wasn't he?

ETA: Ooops, should've read your review first :-)."

Fair question and yes he was as I didn't make it plain here :)

[Geevee]

A curse on the Victorians and their quest for betterment of the masses that endows us with lending libraries, as they are making me slide down this mountain just as I was climbing nicely.

Another recommendation and just like a drug addict needing a fix I make a quick scan of the on-line catalogue, and there I am reserving another book as my TBR totters and grows ever higher with the arrival of 3 more books this weekend.

Pity my addiction :) and I hope I am not disappointed by this by Charles Cumming

[Dawn (& Ron)]

Geevee wrote: "Central Florida watching classics - Passport to Pimlico, Roman Holiday or Rear Window (not B&W) - and then popping out to see a Shuttle launch with your relation who worked on the programme sounds ..."

If only we could step outside for a shuttle launch again or feel the percussion of the sonic boom as it came in for a landing. I really miss the launches but of course not as much as my brother. It was the only job he ever had straight out of college.

I love Roman Holiday but have to admit Passport to Pimlico is one I don't recall, I'll have to check that out. BTW, Turner Classic Movies is dedicating every Monday night to British New Wave, I watched Billy Liar again and one I'd never heard of The Servant with Dirk Bogarde(sp). I'm so glad they are showing British films which I've never had the chance to see. I loved their recent celebration of cinematographer Jack Cardiff's work, Colonel Blimp (which I keep telling my husband he needs to watch) and several U.S. premieres like A Matter of Life and Death (need to see that one again) and they also did a wonderful tribute to Ealing Studios last summer. What classic British films would you recommend to those of us across the pond?

[Dawn (& Ron)]

BTW, I do agree that this Mount TBR challenge maybe increasing many a TBR pile. I'm trying real hard not to look at others list, really I am, no really.

[[deleted user]]

You and me both, Dawn (& Ron)!

[Geevee]

Dawn (& Ron) wrote: "What classic British films would you recommend to those of us across the pond?..."

Hmmm that's a tricky one, so I'll do this in two ways: a few of my favourites (B&W plus one colour) and the British Film Institute's top 100 films of 20th Century, meaning you should be busy for a while, especially if you watch the film and then decide to read the book :)

My suggestions: Passport to Pimlico, The 39 Steps, The Ladykillers, The Cruel Sea, Brief Encounter, In Which We Serve and Pygmalion.
Also Monty Python's Life of Brian (which is not B&W and I accept may not be to everyone's taste).

The BFI 100: http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/bfi100/

[[deleted user]]

The Ladykillers is brilliant, as is Kind Hearts and Coronets. I have a thing for Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple. Even though she is not at all right for the part, she is just perfect. Murder at the Gallop is the one that comes to mind, and I cant remember the titles to the others, but if you Google "Rutherford Marple" I'm sure the others will pop up.

And I love Life of Brian too, sick puppy that I am ;-)

ETA: Witness for the Prosecution!

[Geevee]

I did Google her and it brought up an interesting connection for Murder, She Said.
Alongside Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple, and the always superb James Robertson Justice, was a certain Joan Hickson playing Mrs Kidder.

Kind Hearts & Coronets is also a fine film.

Blessed are the Cheesemakers ;-)

[[deleted user]]

Always look on the bright side of life...... (get that one out of your head)

I'll have to peruse the list, GeeVee. I was a bit disappointed with The 39 Steps, especially as I have a crush on Robert Donat, after seeing him in Goodbye, Mr. Chips.

[Dawn (& Ron)]

Jeannette, I liked the 39 Steps, it showed a totally different Donat although he never seemed like he was quite comfortable in the role. There's a little known film of his and one of his last ones, a biopic where he plays a movie projector/camera inventor and his portrayal was so touching. Just found it The Magic Box.

I've seen all of those mentioned, a lot of them true classics. Just recently saw Witness for the Prosecution and Ron got to see it finally for the first time. Love the scene with Laughton and his monocle questioning Tyrone Power and the twist.

I agree Margaret Rutherford was a jewel as Marple, I recently saw her in a two film series where Glynnis Johns played a mermaid, late 40's I believe. Can't recall the titles but they were cute. Then there was the one, 40's again I think, Dead of Night, where a guy has a recurring dream and he meets all the people who each tell their own 'real' strange stories. Michael Redgrave plays the ventriloquist whose dummy comes to life, that last scene with the dummy.

[[deleted user]]

I have to keep telling people they need to watch the Michael Redgrave version of The Importance of Being Earnest, no matter how much they love Colin Firth!

[Dawn (& Ron)]

I have to admit I like both, but Redgrave's has a bit more bite for lack of a better term with the way the dialogue is delivered. Check him out in Dead of Night, it will creep you out. I'm getting to rewatch My man Godfrey, love that film!

[[deleted user]]

I think the Redgrave script is straight from the play, and the actors just played it to the limit.

I've seen Godfrey, but it's been a while.

[Geevee]

Thanks for the continuing adds to my TBW (to be watched) as I've not seen Dead of Night or My Man Godfrey - or at least I don't recall them. With this extensive film knowledge and all the reading I begin to wonder how you lot fit work and all the other parts in...but then being ladies I expect it's all multi-tasking eh?
Now what was I doing? :)

[[deleted user]]

Yep, that must be what it is. :)

[[deleted user]]

The joys of being unemployed (or underemployed), Geevee.

[[deleted user]]

That's me! :D

My husband is willing to overlook the unwashed dishes if it means watching a movie with me....

[Dawn (& Ron)]

Geevee, I thought you would appreciate seeing a couple of the photos my brother took of the last shuttle mission, hope you enjoy them. The second is a personal favorite of my brother and I because it just seemed fitting that the clouds just swallowed it up.

[Geevee]

Wow thank you, the second one is amazing as it just oozes power and noise in its imagery.

I once spend two hours in a hotel car park in the middle of the night in Florida waiting for a planned shuttle launch. The police came and asked what I was doing, so I told them and they politely bid me goodnight thinking I was mad as a box of frogs - about an hour later they pulled up again to tell me the launch had been postponed. I was disappointed but the guys in blue were decent to come and tell the mad Englishman :)

[Dawn (& Ron)]

I'm glad you liked them, my brother took them from outside his workplace and he also took shots of all the media vans from all over the world. What was really compelling was his words retelling his thoughts and the historical significance as he walked through and experienced these things for the last time. He was laid off 2 weeks later but had found out that week.

Trust me they didn't think you were mad, living along the coast they were accustomed to it. I wonder where you were that you were the only one there, it's very rare for there not to be some kind of crowd. I wonder if other shuttle watchers knew it was a "no go". Too bad you didn't get to experience one they were incredible, the beauty of a night launch simply indescribable, and the roar and rumbling of the earth, feeling all that power was just amazing.

I used to take friends out to the launches, my brother or dad would get launch passes that allowed us on to NASA property. I always told new people that there is always a chance of a postponement. This one time when it happened some friends got made at me for having their day wasted and this was after the Challenger disaster. I always thought that was rude and selfish of them.

[Geevee]

I was in Orlando so I knew I should be able to see the rocket trail well and so being in that location that's probably why I was alone.

I recall the Challenger and its affect on the Shuttle programme and the US public (and others), where we were all reminded that space travel was a very dangerous occupation.

Mentioning the Challenger loss, I have often wondered how different the Apollo programme would have been had Grissom, White and Chaffee not been killed, especially as it would have been highly unlikely that Armstrong would have been "first man". Of course what their deaths did do was make the whole programme better in terms of approach, reliability and design, but its interesting to think it may well have been Grissom who made those first steps into immortality.

[Bev]

You had me giggling with you Checkpoint post! The Library Catalogue Hurricane is a biggie...it keeps knocking me off course too. :-)

[Geevee]

Bev wrote: "You had me giggling with you Checkpoint post! The Library Catalogue Hurricane is a biggie...it keeps knocking me off course too. :-)"

There's no known course of action Bev except to hole up and read on until it subsides (hee hee) ...

[Geevee]

Just finished number 8: by Kate Colquhoun

My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...


Just started: by Joyce Butler

[Dawn (& Ron)]

Geevee, I just found your shuttle reply, sorry I never got the notification. Now that you say you were in Orlando it makes total sense why you were the only one out there. If there ever is a next time go due east on SR 50 into Titusville or meet me at my brother's, directly across the river from the launch pads.

My dad, who was a logistics specialist before, during and after the Challenger had a good friend who worked out at the cape during the Mercury and Apollo years. He told us about the day the capsule caught fire and the sounds of their voices. I often wonder how different things would have been. I actually have a lighter that was given to certain NASA employees for the 1st moon landing. He'd given it to my dad and I got most of my dad's Nasa stuff, including crew photos from the ill fated Challenger and other more unique stuff. My brother had the congressional report on the accident but it was lost when his house was struck by lightning and burned down 2 years ago this month.

BTW, it's always been a bit of a joke with my friends that my family was responsible for one shuttle delay of 24 hours.

[Geevee]

Hurrah another book down by Joyce Butler.

My review if people are interested: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I have started this: by Ken Tout

On up the mountain path to the next basecamp :)

[Geevee]

Finished by Ken Tout.

My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I now have two library books so the challenge will be paused while I try and crash through these:

by Charles Cumming

and by Anne Sebba

[Geevee]

Finished the two library books thereabouts (20 pages or so left with That Woman about Wallis Simpson).

My next read off my TBR is a book about Sir William Stephenson, a Canadian born whose World War II British Intelligence codename was Intrepid.

Although probably unknown today on both sides of the Atlantic his story is fascinating. Born in Winnipeg he was a highly decorated First World War pilot who then made his fortune between the wars by inventing and patenting a method of transmitting pictures via wireless.
He then played an instrumental part in Britain's intelligence war during WWII and helping the US develop it's own services that led from the OSS to the CIA later. He worked closely with J Edgar Hoover, William (Wild Bill) Donovan at OSS and was Britain's intelligence link to President Roosevelt. Stephenson was the first non-US citizen to be awarded the Medal for Merit and has been touted as a part model for James Bond.

The Quiet Canadian: The Secret Service Story Of Sir William Stephenson by H. Montgomery Hyde

[Dawn (& Ron)]

Geeve, I couldn't help but think of Hedy Lamarr and this new book Hedy's Folly: The Life And Breakthrough Inventions Of Hedy Lamarr, The Most Beautiful Woman In The World. Although she is finally getting some recognition in the last 10-20 years. She lived near by, so I've always been fascinated with her life.

I noticed that two historical fiction books are coming out with Wallis Simpson The Shadow Queen: A Novel of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor and Abdication: A Novel. Is there an anniversary of some sort, regarding Edward VIII and Simpson, this year? My grandmother would be so upset with me not knowing the answer myself (tsk, tsks myself).

[Geevee]

I'n not sure on anniversaries as 1936 is "the" date everyone associates with the couple. It is 40 years since the Duke died so may be that is something to do with it or perhaps availability of/accessibility to new information??

On the book about Hedy Lamarr thanks I have added to my TBR.

[Dawn (& Ron)]

The Hedy Lamarr book is on my TBR too, although not officially for the this years challenge. I also have Beautiful: The Life of Hedy Lamarr, a gift I got last Christmas. Let me know when you pick up a copy and maybe we can read it together.

I was wondering if it was an accessibility issue too, or maybe something in their will and trust stipulated guidelines. Maybe it is just a coincidence since 40 years isn't normally a celebrated anniversary, nor is 76 years or 26 years (since Simpson passed away) unless they were aiming for last year, ha-ha. Good to know I didn't let me grandmother down, too. BTW, how are they accepted today in the UK?

[Geevee]

I wondered wether there was any connection to the Queen's Diamond jubilee in that with more focus/interest this year a royal subject would pick up publicity.

As for acceptance I'm not sure. As a kid in I was young when he died but I was interested in him and his story, later reading the Ziegler biography. It was so popular when released in 1990 I reserved it in the library and was 12th on the list with everyone restricted to two weeks' - a challenge for a chunky boo). It's still a great love story and the jewels, scandal and family disownment all adds to a great story.

[Dawn (& Ron)]

When I grew up my grandmother told me of the story but only the romantic aspects, and those aspects are what draw people on this side, the whole love overcoming such huge obstacles. I didn't truly learn of the ramifications until a young adult and that's when I actually became more interested. There is so much to their story that if written as fiction it would be considered too far fetched. I just thought of another (long stretch) connection, you have the Olympics coming up (can't wait) and there were the infamous trips Edward took to Nazi Germany and he stepped down shortly after (I believe) the 1936 German Olympics. Told you it was a long stretch, your jubilee connection is more apropos.

[[deleted user]]

A lot of that comes out in the film "The King's Speech".

There was/is some question that Wallis was involved in serious sexual hanky panky with the Nazi leaders, perhaps Edward too. All very nasty stuff, with lots of opportunity for blackmail, and more.

That book looks really interesting. Thanks for the suggesting.

[Dawn (& Ron)]

Thanks for reminding me of that film, now I have more reason to watch it. I'd never heard those allegations with Wallace, I'd heard the ones of Edward being too friendly and some questionable decisions but never anything specifically with her. Was that new to you too?

Are you referring to Hedy's Folly or the other Lamarr book. If interested let me know when you might be reading it so I could read along with you, either book would be fun to chat about as we read it. Oh, I forget to mention I have an old hard cover copy of the pseudo-autobiography Ecstasy and Me: My Life as a Woman, which for decades was said to be written by her but actually wasn't, only sensationalized sex and romance written by a ghostwriter, all somehow related to that infamous film, Ecstasy, and its nude scene.

[[deleted user]]

Sorry, I meant the Wallis Simpson book. She has always intrigued me. My father once told me of the little ditty he heard after the war:

Hark, the Herald Angels sing:
Wallis Simpson stole the King!

And do see The King's Speech. Fabulous!

[Geevee]

Hedy's Folly is the one I'd go for but I have sooo many books already and so when is hard to suggest doh!

Another book that I'd recommend to both of you Dawn (& Ron) and Hayes is this:

The Last Dance 1936, the Year Our Lives Changed by Denys Blakeway

My review is here should you want to read more:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Hayes I will check out The King's Speech (film and book - my mum loved the film). This book also covers the involvement of Logue too and is a fine biog of George VI by Sarah Bradford

[[deleted user]]

The Bradford books looks good too...

The Queen Mum died 10 years ago, which might have something to do with the release of information too.

[[deleted user]]

I just recommended The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy to you last week, Geevee. The book is better than the film, as it is a fuller biography of both Bertie and Lionel. I loved the movie; Firth and Rush were both wonderful, and Bonham Carter was fun as the Queen Mum.

[Geevee]

Jeannette you did thank you and I will read it - you ladies just keep making my TBR grow and grow.

Are you like me that you normally prefer the book to a film? I think for me is that I get the benefit or more detail and have time to read and consider what is being said/portrayed.

[[deleted user]]

Often the book is better, but I try to see them as two separate entities. Otherwise I criticize the film for not being exactly like the book, and vice versa.

I adored the film of The King's Speech. HB Carter is such a good actress, and Firth is amazing too. I'm sure the book will be completely different and just as good.

[[deleted user]]

I can go either way, depending on how good the adaptation is. I saw the film "The King's Speech" before I read the book. Colin Firth does an amazing job, and puts this very human face on his portrayal of Bertie. But, the book gives a lot more detail, both about their individual lives, and the relationship that lasted until George VI died.

If I really enjoy a film, I am more likely to read the book, so I don't have any hard and fast rules about reading/watching in a particular order. I can think of several books where I enjoyed the ending in the film more than the ending in the book (North and South, The Painted Veil come to mind).

So, I enjoy the detail, and the leisure to consider and mull over the written word, but I also love the visuals of a movie.

[Dawn (& Ron)]

Nicely said Jeannette, you explained my feelings towards this so well I will just say ditto. Which version of The Painted Veil are you referring to? I have the book on my TBR pile and am looking forward to exploring Maugham's stories in their original format.

I've marked The King's Speech and am checking out The Last Dance for both Ron and I. Nice review Geevee, sounds like quite a lot packed into that year, a lot of which we colonists aren't that aware of.

[[deleted user]]

Is there more than one adaptation of The Painted Veil? I'll have to look that up. I was referring to the most recent version with Ed Norton and Naomi Watts. And Ron's favorite, Diana Rigg.