OT: Possession for Luciaphile and ?

I'm reading her new book, The Book of Splendor, set in 1601 Prague .. highly recommend it.

Thank you , Julia99.  I hadn't heard about it!  Will now go in search of.....![winkb]

raineypark

Rainey -

You mentioned your appreciation of Edith Wharton -- we have something in common, though I haven't read as much as you have.  "Ethan Frome" was one of my favorite novels in high school, along with the earlier-read "To Kill A Mockingbird" -- both of which I continue to hold in high esteem.

Did you know that Wharton also wrote ghost stories?  A ppbk. volume was published last year I believe -- they are supposed to be excellent!  A little something to add to your reading after E.F. Benson, whom Luciaphil informed us about ...

Also, as to your curious theory about not making movies from books.  (What happened to the smilies?!!?)   I've thought about my own "10 Favorite Movies" list, and it's about evenly divided as to those that are based on existing literature and those that are original as movies.

"Sense and Sensibility" ... J. Austen; "Tom Jones" ... H. Fielding; "Joseph Andrews" ... H. Fielding again; "Rebecca" ... D. du Maurier ...; "Emma" ... J. Austen again ...

But the more I think of it, even those I didn't think about at first as having literary antecedents actually do have literary antecedents ... "Vertigo" was based on a French novel; "Cabaret" was based on stories by C. Isherwood, etc.

In most cases, I agree, the book is better than the movie.  But film is a different medium and has to "translate" one medim to another.  Sometimes the result is alchemy!

-Vlad

(What happened to the smilies?!!?)

Hi Vlad,

Cuz MB explains it best, I'll refer you to the "Bandwidth Saving Measures" topic that's stuck to the top of the board.

It's interesting to read these posts about Possession.  I'm hoping to find time to see the film this week.  I did enjoy the book but it was so long ago that all I have left from it is a glimmering memory of brilliance.  I personally love Jennifer Ehle who plays Lamotte--I fell in love with her in Pride and Prejudice, and she was wonderful in Bedrooms and Hallways, which I recommend if you enjoy gay British sex farces.  I've seen Northam in a couple of films and he seems very solid.  Gwyneth Paltrow makes me cringe and the American chap sounds like strictly eye candy so will help to make her scenes bearable, I suppose.

As for books adapted as films, I agree with RP that it is seldom a good idea.  However, there are some books out there that have become BRILLIANT movies--The Haunting (original version, PLEASE) is one that comes to mind.

Although not entirely successful, I highly enjoyed Angels and Insects, which was adapted from another novella by Antonia Byatt, author of Possession.  It has been released in brilliant color and accurate screen ratio in the seemingly inescapable DVD medium that tickles all of you so much.  I watched a few moments of it at a friend's home recently.  I believe the print released to disc looked better than the film in the theatre did!

Gothick

Vlad, the edition of "The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton" that I have is copyrighted 1973.  It has illustrations by Laszlo Kubinyi.  I probably purchased it in the mid-90's.  "Afterward" is my favorite.

I wouldn't say that ALL adaptations of novels are horrible.  It's just that movies that even do the original novel JUSTICE are hard to come by....much less those (like The Haunting) that are actually excellent in their own right.

Novels and films are two different mediums.  Turning one into the other means attempting to create again something that already exsists.  Could DaVinci paint the music of Mozart?  There's a quote that goes something like "Writing about Music is like Dancing about Architecture." (my apologies to the original)....and that's how I feel about filming a novel.

Steve.....I'm afraid I didn't think as highly of "Angels and Insects" as you did.  THAT one pretty much made my decision not to look forward to "Possession".

Please heaven, no one is thinking about filming "Babel Tower"!!!!

Raineypark

Although not entirely successful, I highly enjoyed Angels and Insects, which was adapted from another novella by Antonia Byatt, author of Possession.  

I am in agreement with you abut Angels and Insects, I thought it an excellent adaptation. A novella is much easier to make into a movie though, no condensation is needed. That was such a strange story that I was surprised it was made into a movie at all.

Another EXCELLENT movie from a book was Persuasion by Jane Austen. The absolute best of the Austen movies and there are several good ones. (Mansfield Park, however, is disgusting.)