LAURA, I read years ago and it is one of my favorite noir movies. I don't think it was this copy I read though because it is very fragile. I really love Grace Paley stories. I think I have another collection somewhere.
THE MALTESE FALCON-I saw the film recently on a big screen and wondered again if I had read the book. Not sure. (Maybe I am more of a movie person than a book person) Liked Wilkie Collins' THE WOMAN IN WHITE more, but THE MOONSTONE is the one I own. I read both when Masterpiece Theater did them way back when. They have done them again since.
Love THE THIN MAN and because I saw the movie first, of course, I picture them as William Powell and Myrna Loy. Asta is pretty much the same in either version. You can see what horrible shape this one is in. When they are this bad it is because I saw them in a used bookstore and couldn't resist. I am not that hard on books although I do eat lunch reading so there is often mustard on them.
THREE BY FLANNERY O'CONNOR include WISE BLOOD and THE VIOLENT BEAR IT AWAY but also my two favorite shorts by her: "A Good Man is Hard To Find' and "The River." Have read everything in this collection at least once.
THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY, Charles Willeford. This is my least favorite Willeford and set in the world of art. I think there is a recent film made of it. Not sure why it didn't work for me. Maybe because it wasn't funny like the Hokes or scary like some of the rest.
DREAM STORY is apparently the novel from which Stanley Kubrick drew inspiration for EYES WIDE SHUT. I can't remember if I found that to be true. But since my interest in the work of both Cruise and Kubrick faded, I don't much care now.
I had a friend that loved the works of Orwell and he kept after me until I bought these two books. I am sure they are great but I never read them. But since my friend is gone and I miss him I feel like I might need to try these some day.
THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, James Cain. One on my favorites, for sure. Seen both movie versions too, but the book is far and away the best. There is a coldness the movies couldn't capture, I think.
What's on your shelf this week? Which of these have you read?
15 comments:
Read it, read it...
Actually, I have read a number of these - the giant HARD-BOILED anthology, LAURA (which I read after seeing the movie for the first time), the Grace Paley stories (I think I've read all of her collections), the Hammetts (MALTESE FALCON twice, THIN MAN once), THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE (I agree, way better than both movies), the O'Connor short stories. If you do read the FALCON, you'll find much of it is very close to the 1941 movie version (other than the "blond Satan" line).
A very impressive stack of books, Patti.
A copy of HARD-Boiled sits on my bedside table. Like you, I much prefer THE LADY IN WHITE to THE MOONSTONE. The Hammett, Cain, and Caspary are all part of the foundation for a decent library of mystery stories. Willeford is one of those writers whom you either love or don't. Orwell has never done much for me, although "On Shooting an Elephant" is a powerful essay that has stayed with me over the years. Paley and O'Connor are two of the many writers I have read far less of than I should. No interest in DREAM STORY or EYES WIDE SHUT.
Looking at your stack of books created a deja vu moment for me. Yes, all the books in your pile (although in other editions) reside in my basement. Like Jeff and Jerry, I'm a proud owner of that HARD-BOILED anthology. Love reading George Orwell! I'm with you on the Willeford: weak. I have not read DREAM STORY. I have a Blu-ray of EYES WIDE SHUT around here somewhere, but I haven't watched it. Grace Paley and O'Connor are wonderful writers. I should read some of their other works in the LIBRARY OF AMERICA volumes (I know where they are in the basement). Cain's THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE is an underrated classic.
Twenty years ago, I thought I would be a collector and purchased some of these raggedy books to fill out my base. Now I am thinking I should donate any book I know I will not read (or read again) and have a smaller amount. I have done that with a lot of books I have no attachment to but not these yet,
Always nice to see what's on other people's shelves, Patti. And your 'photo reminds me that I should read more Flannery O'Conner than I have. Also that Dashiell Hammett wrote some fantastic stuff. Isn't it interesting how too such different authors can be on the same person's shelves? I like the variety.
Patti, as Diane continually reminds me, "You have too many books!" Like you, I'm tending to box up books that I know I'll never read again. I've found a lot of books that I used when I was teaching, but now that I'm retired I can give them away. Some books I have an attachment to, but I have hundreds of books I could live without. The problem is the Library and local used bookstores are still closed so I have piles of boxes of books, but nowhere to donate them...yet.
I couldn't help but fixate on the adorable little plane on top. I'm going to have to get one of those for my pilot-hubster. :-)
I think I got it at MOMA. But definitely some museum gift shop.
George, some day I have to approach Phil's books. He got rid of a lot when he retired but there are many more left. No point in keeping them.
I have a hard cover copy of Hard Boiled. I have read all of Cain and Hammett. I have read all of Flannery O'Connor and should reread her short stories. I just read Orwell's Down and out In Paris and London last fall. I liked the first half but got bored by the last half. No interest in Dream Story. I like most of Kubrick but not Eyes Wide Shut.
I have gotten rid of a lot of books either thru reselling them on Ebay or giving them to the library (if it ever reopens). I still have a ton of stuff but not like it used to be. My kids would have no idea what to do with most of my books and cd's and Blu rays.
Too true re: cds especially. Both of my kids read so they might want the books. I have no DVDs or even a player. So it's mostly books to pass on.
I have not read THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, but plan to. I loved THE THIN MAN, and have read it several times. I liked THE MALTESE FALCON when I read it, it seemed just like the movie to me. (Same for THE BIG SLEEP by Chandler, almost word for word like the movie.)
I liked LAURA and did not watch the movie until I had read the book. And liked the book better, but both are good.
My husband is a big fan of Kubrick, but we haven't seen EYES WIDE SHUT. His favorite is Barry Lyndon, next is probably DR. STRANGELOVE. We watched FULL METAL JACKET when we got a set of the movies and I was surprised that I enjoyed it.
I also love that little airplane on top of the books.
Loved FULL METAL JACKET especially. And liked EYES WIDE SHUT at the time. But on watching it again found it disappointing.
Very nice, Patti, and thanks for the larger picture.
I have seen LAURA but not read the book, and probably ought to. I have read the Hammett books (and all of Chandler, too). That is one of the few Willeford novels I read, and liked it pretty well, but don't really have much to compare it too. I have, but have not read the Collins. Now I'm thinking WOMAN IN WHITE would be the one, not MOONSTONE.
I know everyone loves Cain, but I have never been able to warm up to his work. I tried POSTMAN and another and a sort story (I think) but no go.
I too like FULL METAL JACKET and have seen it at least twice.
I have a ton of books and should weed out half or more. I have many hundreds of CDs and should also weed those. DVDs, not so much. It saddens me that the current generations don't care about any of that media because they think they can "just stream it". Well, no, not if you're not aware of it, and not if it's popular enough. The ones who don't care about the media are often the ones who give you a blank stare when you mention a book, band or film.
As you know, I put mu shelf shot up Monday on www.tipthewink.
I never did read THE MOONSTONE or THE WOMAN IN WHITE, though I have seen television adaptations of both. I read a shorter Collins book, and I have a collection of a bunch of his books on the Kindle, which I got very cheaply, I believe for 99 cents. Many of his books are available for free.
I am not likely to read that sort of book (WiW) now. Too long for my attention span. I do read longer non-fiction books. Right now I am reading non-fiction about movies. City of Nets just now.
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