I’ve begun looking for interesting material to hand out to the students in my novel-writing class, which begins in January. One of the first things I’ll pass along to them is this Nobel lecture by 2008 Literature Laureate Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio. There are some amazing passages in this speech for anyone interested in writing, what writing means to us, and living a writer’s life. Highly recommended.
I’ve always had an interest in novels-into-film. I saw Purple Noon recently (or Plein Soleil) the 1960 French film directed by Rene Clement. This movie is based on Patricia Highsmith’s classic 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley. The color and cinematography (by Henri Decae) are absolutely stunning and one of the reasons why the film is still notable today. The location shots in and around the Amalfi Coast in Italy are flat-out gorgeous. I was lucky enough to see it on the big screen. What I got was not only great eye-candy, but a terrific Highsmith mystery/suspense story and fantastic performances by everyone. Highsmith wrote five Ripley novels and several films have been made of them. It’s interesting to note, however, that Highsmith always maintained that she liked Alain Delon’s portrayal of Tom Ripley in Purple Noon best: Highly Recommended.
J.M. Coetzee is an amazing writer. One of my favorites of his is Waiting for the Barbarians, which still gives me chills when I think of it. His books are always deep and interesting and you’re never quite sure what you are going to get. So it is with Diary of a Bad Year, a New York Times Notable Book. Coetzee’s novel is experimental in the sense that it’s told horizontally, across the pages from beginning to end, from three separate viewpoints: Senor C, the old man and political writer; Anya, the beautiful young woman he hires as a typist; and Alan, Anya’s obnoxious lover who wants to separate Senor C from some of his considerable wealth. The method of storytelling here definitely adds to the reading experience. It becomes an intellectual game reading passages, sentences, and scenes across the pages and piecing the story together as you go along, eventually finding a rhythm in the way the story is told. None of the characters are irresistibly captivating, and Senor C seems to lecture a bit much, but eventually moments of true depth, honesty, and emotion emerge, and these moments make the novel an excellent read, even if it takes a bit too long for them to materialize. Recommended.
Of further interest…
Read a terrific Slate write-up of Coetzee’s novel.
Radio interview with Patricia Highsmith about language.
