[lit-ideas] Re: a book suggestion
- From: John McCreery <john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:19:00 +0900
Lovely message, Paul. I will have to check out Gilmour and the movies book
sounds like a good place to start. I'd also like to second Geary's advice
but amend it to read "unconditional love and firm boundaries." Does it work
for every kid? I don't know. My daughter, who is now out of the Navy and
applying for graduate programs in public policy, called this morning to say
that she has been accepted by the Kennedy School at Harvard, this on top of
Georgetown and Columbia yesterday.
John
On Tue, Mar 24, 2009 at 12:01 AM, Paul Stone <pastone@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I've mentioned the Canadian novelist David Gilmour a few times in the
> past (How Boys See Girls, Sparrow Nights, Lost between Houses, Back on
> Tuesday, A Perfect Night to Go to China) on this list and on Phil-Lit.
> He's a favourite of mine, being Canadian (not that I like most
> Canadian novelists, but he's MY type of Canadian) and male, into
> movies and just a bit older than I am.
>
> Yesterday, I read his latest offering, called " The Film Club: A True
> Story Of A Father And A Son" which is a autobiographical look at three
> precious years that he spent with his son (from 16-19 years of age)
> watching movies together. He was fortuitously (although he didn't
> think so at the time) without work for a protracted period and his son
> had decided to quit school because he didn't like it. He took a risk
> and agreed to let him quit as long as he watched at least three movies
> a week with him. This was Gilmour's version of home-schooling.
>
> But, this book is not only a loving tribute to his son (and various
> wives, ex-wives etc) but it's a really interesting book about movies
> and Gilmour's obvious deep knowledge (he was a film critic for quite a
> while in a previous life) and love of them. In describing their days
> together, Gilmour effortlessly, and without force, mentions dozens of
> movies from the whole history of the medium and gives enough
> background -- by way of introducing them to his son, he introduces
> them to us -- without spoiling the movies for those of us who haven't
> seen them, but at the same time, giving us loads of ideas of "I think
> I'll rent that some day soon" as we go along.
>
> I remember Mike Geary's (best yet) advice to me upon the birth of my
> son a couple of years ago was something like "Just love him". And
> that's what comes through here. Gilmour just loved his son and did his
> best and it all worked out, like it had to, in the end -- in a
> wherever you go, there you are sort of way. I would highly recommend
> this book to anyone who a) likes movies but hasn't seen enough, b) has
> had kids grow up or is looking forward to it and c) likes an easy read
> that is not easily written.
>
> My favourite exchange between father and son (paraphrasing from memory)
>
> Son: "Do you ever stop worrying?:
> Father "No, but the worries get better"
>
> Gilmour is not afraid to teach his son by way of example, but he's
> also, like any good teacher, not afraid to admit how much his son
> taught him right back.
>
> p
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--
John McCreery
The Word Works, Ltd., Yokohama, JAPAN
Tel. +81-45-314-9324
jlm@xxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.wordworks.jp/
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