SUNDAY SALON AND A NEW FEATURE FOR MY BLOG

Good morning!  This week was a little bit better on the reading front. I finished The Pearl, and what a gem (ha ha!), and I have been reading a fantastic book called "Authentic Happiness" by Martin Seligman.   This is a great read by a hilarious Psychologist.  He has spent the last 30 years studying what happiness really means and how we can truly get it, all the while struggling with it himself.  One of the things I am going to do for my blog is cover other kinds of reading that I often do, a bit of self-help stuff, and I am also going to review knitting books and cookbooks! 

Today I am going to spend some quality time with Wolf Hall.  I love this one, but have not had some serious time with it.  I am also still reading A Lion Among Men, and I'll chip away at that one too.

Here is another new thing I'll be doing with my blog in the near future.  Some of you may or may not know that I work in the film business.  I have been a third assistant director for 14 years in Alberta, and my husband is a camera assistant.  This is how we have supported our family for all of these years, we do nothing else work-wise.  It occurred to me when I worked on my last movie, that it might be neat to do an insiders view on films that are adapted from books.  The last show I did was adapted from a book called, "Angels Crest" by Leslie Schwartz (working title of film "Waska").  Because it was a low budget feature I figured it would be filled with no name actors, but was thrilled to find out that I was working with Mira Sorvino, Jeremy Piven, Elizabeth McGovern, Kate Walsh and Thomas Dekker.  I had worked with Jeremy's Dad years ago on Jack Bull, so it was neat to chat with him about it.  I am going to read the book, and then compare it to the script and then share some insights into the shooting of the movie as well. 

Another thing you might be interested in is that a friend and collegue of mine was the first assistant director on the mini-series for Ken Follet's "Pillars of the Earth".  He returned from Europe last month, and I am going to ask him if he would agree to do a vlog interview so we can get all of the scoop about the filming of the show before anyone else!  It took 8 months of shooting and many countries, so I am sure he has a story or two he would be willing to share!

Other examples of books to films that I can provide an inside peek at were The Assassination of Jesse James by Ron Hansen which I was 3rd AD on in 2005.  Ron was present on set through most of the filming and even had a cameo in the film!  I have read the book, and the script was an EXCELLENT example of an adaptation, but the film itself was not as good as I had hoped.  I am also planning on vlog interviewing other people I know in the industry who would be interesting in sharing some of their experiences filming some of the books to film in our province, and in BC as well. 




Hopefully you will all enjoy this new feature as I begin implementing it in the weeks to come!  I will entitle these features "Books to Film: An Inside Peek" And then the name of the project. 

Here is a little promo about the stars and films that have been shot here over the years! 




Have a WONDERFUL Sunday!

STEINBECK IS A GENIUS! REVIEW OF "THE PEARL"

I am embarrassed to say that I have never read any of Steinbeck's novels.  Ever.  Despite buying this novella years ago, AND buying East of Eden back when it was an Oprah pick, I had not read either.  Until now.  A neighbor of ours (and our amazing teenage babysitter) had an English assignment to read The Pearl, so I told her I would read it with her as I had a copy.  At 87 pages, the book is small, but mighty.  The story is so beautifully told it breaks your heart. As you read, you feel as if you are watching a movie, the images are vivid and you can feel, smell, hear, and see everything that Steinbeck creates within the story. 

The Pearl is a story that everyone can relate to.  Kino is a poor man with a beautiful little family.  He has a wife, Juana and their precious little baby Coyotito.  The start of the book is very idealic as we see their familial bliss and quiet peaceful life.  They seem very happy and completely in love with their little baby and each other.  From the very beginning Steinbeck talks about the music that Kino hears in his mind/heart, that accompanies the storyline like a soundtrack. 

While they are gazing upon their baby in his little swinging box, they suddenly see a scorpian hanging from one of the ropes.  This is another of Steinbeck's many gifts, I believe, creating extremely tension filled suspenseful moments that have you holding your breath.  Before they can decide how to rid the rope of the scorpian, it falls into the crib and stings their son. 

What follows is their attempt to find help for their baby, and they seek to gain the expertise of a very corrupt local (and only) doctor.  Clearly they have no money, and therefore he has no interest in treating their son, whose arm is now swelling at an alarming rate. 

Kino is then determined to find a way to pay the doctor, and they take their little boat and begin harvesting oysters in the hopes that one will reveal a pearl with which to pay the doctor. 

Will they find a pearl to save their son? 

As usual I do not want to include a complete summary of the novella, so you can go in fresh.  There are PLENTY of places online to find a summary of the book if you want, as The Pearl is a classic and is many times chosen for classroom study. 

What I can tell you is that I loved it.  It completely enveloped me and carried me along this harrowing journey of innocence, despair, hope, greed and corruption. I felt my heart soar and sink with each passing page.  The power of Steinbeck's writing is incredible, and I plan on immediately reading East of Eden now, and it will fit nicely into 3 of my challenges as well! 

I hope you have a chance to read this, and anyone you love.  It is such a powerful story and a testament that a book does not have to be large to be masterful.

RATING:  5/5