Subject
Re: LOLITA: Film & novel (fwd)
Date
Body
Tim Henderson<thenders@mail.lanline.com> wrote:
I agree wholeheartedly with Tom Bolt, and I've never heard it put so well
before.In my days as a film critic I had a theory that only second-rate books
make first-rate movies, because they tend to be a little vague about
thoughts and spend a lot of time trying to establish a certain
atmosphere, which makes for dull reading but phenomenal film.
The best example I can think of is 'Heart of Darkness' and 'Apocalypse
Now'.
|
:
> Thomas Bolt bolt@spacelab.net
>
> I agree with Mr. Justice (and many others)
> that the novel-to-film business is a problem;
> and in the case of a book like LOLITA, the
> best to be hoped for is publicity for the
> novel that might bring it new readers.
>
> Samuel Beckett felt so strongly about medium-
> hopping that he refused many times to allow
> film versions of his *plays* to be made. And
> I'm not sure I would want to read a novelization
> of, say, Goddard's ALPHAVILLE.
>
> I would, however, love to see a movie version
> of PNIN! With the right actor and director,
> of course.
>
> The crux in this case seems to be: LOLITA
> puts its readers in Humbert's *head*. It
> is quite another thing to be watching over
> his shoulder.
>
> Tom
>
> PS: a **non-Movie** query:
>
> What did Nabokov think of Samuel Beckett?
> The usual indices have yielded no answer.
> aFor that matter, what did Beckett think
> of Nabokov?
I agree wholeheartedly with Tom Bolt, and I've never heard it put so well
before.In my days as a film critic I had a theory that only second-rate books
make first-rate movies, because they tend to be a little vague about
thoughts and spend a lot of time trying to establish a certain
atmosphere, which makes for dull reading but phenomenal film.
The best example I can think of is 'Heart of Darkness' and 'Apocalypse
Now'.
|
:
> Thomas Bolt bolt@spacelab.net
>
> I agree with Mr. Justice (and many others)
> that the novel-to-film business is a problem;
> and in the case of a book like LOLITA, the
> best to be hoped for is publicity for the
> novel that might bring it new readers.
>
> Samuel Beckett felt so strongly about medium-
> hopping that he refused many times to allow
> film versions of his *plays* to be made. And
> I'm not sure I would want to read a novelization
> of, say, Goddard's ALPHAVILLE.
>
> I would, however, love to see a movie version
> of PNIN! With the right actor and director,
> of course.
>
> The crux in this case seems to be: LOLITA
> puts its readers in Humbert's *head*. It
> is quite another thing to be watching over
> his shoulder.
>
> Tom
>
> PS: a **non-Movie** query:
>
> What did Nabokov think of Samuel Beckett?
> The usual indices have yielded no answer.
> aFor that matter, what did Beckett think
> of Nabokov?