[ebooktalk] Re: Televising books.
- From: Ian Macrae <ian.macrae1@xxxxxxx>
- To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:02:20 +0100
One of the things I'm finding with the George R R Martin song of Ice and fire
series - now being televised under the title of the first book game Of Thrones
- is that there hasn't yet been one straightforwardly and genuinely nice
character in it. there are characters who engage me, however which is why I've
kept going with it. some time ago I scanned the then best seller The Slap
(Author's name not springing to mind). After about 30 pages I gave it up
because I hated all the characters. So there went several hours scanning time
which I'll never get back. There are characters whom you can dislike but still
have sympathy with, like the first person narrator in Derek Raymond's Factory
books, but if characters are so hateful that you end up thinking they deserve
not only each other but also everything they get, then that doesn't work for
me.
On 29 Apr 2013, at 08:48, Voldi Gailans wrote:
> Hi Elaine,
>
> I remember being quite shocked at how awful Morse could be in the books after
> having seen the TV series. I thought though that maybe the TV image of Morse
> is just a bit too cosy and isn't it rather more realistic to have a flawed
> man rather than an all-seeing, all knowing, nice cuddly inspector in charge?
> I don't really know how he looked on screen of course. The book's original
> must give the author more interesting plotting possibilities if he has a less
> cosy chief inspector. How do we all feel about liking our main characters?
> Does it spoil a book if we don't like the characters and particularly the
> main one? When I was growing up I liked to have my heros and felt very let
> down if they didn't act as I thought they should. My perception is that
> characters in modern books have got nastier and a part of me does yearn for
> the nicer gentler characters, but perhaps now I do like to see a balance and
> I like the characters to have both light and shade in their personalities -
> if they are too horrible then I lose interest in them and the book as a whole.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Voldi
>
> At 01:04 27/04/2013, you wrote:
>> I haven't seen the "Young Morse" series and will not do so.
>> Morse was one of the few times when I loved the series but didn't enjoy
>> Colin Dexter's original at all. Morse was rather more crude and in the books
>> and less likeable.
>>
>> Chris has just begun watching some of the Ngaio Marsh series and says Br'er
>> Fox isn't as good onscreen as in the books; I love Ngaio Marsh but have yet
>> to see the series; since we have just bought the DVDs there is no hurry.
>>
>> Now as you go to bed, here in Upside Down Land I am about to go into my
>> garden.
>>
>> Elaine
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
>> On Behalf Of David Russell
>> Sent: Saturday, 27 April 2013 8:20 AM
>> To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: [ebooktalk] Re: Televising books.
>>
>> Yes, occasionally televised books work very well, but very often characters
>> on tv are nothing like my imagination of the book equivalent. Reginald
>> Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe was fairly good in characterisation, but Pascoe
>> had to lose his wife on tv whereas she stayed married to him in the books.
>> Elizabeth George did not have much luck with her Inspector Lynley series.
>> His wife was killed on tv and in the books, but in a completely different
>> way. Inspector Morse was generally faithful to the books, but the young
>> Morse series is really dreadful. It does not work for me at all.
>>
>>
>> David
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
>> On Behalf Of Elaine Harris (Rivendell)
>> Sent: 26 April 2013 22:23
>> To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: [ebooktalk] Televising books.
>>
>> David,
>>
>> In her semi-autobiography, a sort of "Year in the life of", P. D. James
>> talks about how televising of books is such a minefield. She says they often
>> insert a car-chase where none was to be found and seem to delight in
>> changing some details for the sake of it.
>> (I can check the details of the book if anyone is interested.)
>>
>> Often I try to separate my impressions of a book from the televised version
>> as so often they diverge beyond recognition, which is sad. The Ruth Rendell
>> "Inspector Wexford" series came pretty close to getting it right.
>>
>> I won't even watch the later Miss Marple Series; Dame Agatha wouldn't
>> approve of the bedroom scenes and Joan Hickson got the character of Jane
>> just right.
>>
>> Elaine
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
>> On Behalf Of David Russell
>> Sent: Saturday, 27 April 2013 1:37 AM
>> To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: [ebooktalk] scanning books
>>
>> Hi all
>>
>> As those of you who know me will already be aware, I do spend some time
>> scanning books. I usually do this if there is something I particularly wish
>> to read, and it is not available elsewhere.
>>
>> Just out of interest, I thought I would tell you about my current scan. It
>> is a Maggie O'Farrell book called "Instructions for a heatwave". I cannot
>> tell you much about it as I only brought it home from the library today, but
>> if anyone wants the book once it is scanned, I can either attach it to an
>> email and forward to the list, or send it to individuals who request it.
>>
>> Trish may be interested to know that I found a Dorothy Koomson book which
>> has not, so far as I know, been made available. I will tell you more about
>> that when I put it on the scanner.
>>
>> Talking of Dorothy Koomson reminds me that I was amazed to learn from her
>> Woman's Hour interview that, in the TV version of "The Ice Cream Girls",
>> they have changed the murderer. Why should anyone want to do that?
>>
>> Koomson did sound like the kind of lady you could sit down with and have a
>> cup of tea. Rather homely and definitely the mothering type.
>>
>>
>> David
>
>
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