Saturday, November 18, 2006

Thomson-King-Bloggers

Since we're approaching gift giving season let me recommend the trade paper edition of David Thomson's Biographical History of Film, a book I quote here frequently. This isn't because I agree with every one of his evaluations of various stars and directors. Some of his opinions infuriate me. I'd throw the damned thing across the room if it wasn't so heavy. But all in all it's the best book on film I've ever read--more breadth and depth even in the shortest of the pieces.

I'm half way through Lisey's Story and really enjoying and admring it. A lot of genre readers tired of King early on. They wanted him to be less expansive and stay stritcly to plot. And sometimes he certainly sprawls.. But in his sprawling he changed popular fiction forever, made it (despite the opinion of the snobs) much closer to literary fiction in its reality of place and character.

I'm hoping some of the old gang from my previous blogs write a few pieces for us again, that means you Richard Wheeler and Terrill Lankford and several others.

1 comment:

Sandra Scoppettone said...

As I left on your blog ten days ago or so I bought the Thomson book and I love it. I just wish it wasn't so heavy so I could read it in bed. Thanks for the tip.