Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

For this week's fiction review, I wanted to talk about Harper Lee's classic, To Kill A Mockingbird. I am assuming that most of you are familiar with the book, so this will be less a review and more of a reflection on my experiences with one of my favorite books.

I reread Mockingbird a few months ago and fell in love with it all over again. It was the first time I had read it since the 8th grade. I had seen the movie many times in between, but there was so much richness that the movie doesn't capture. I think the movie is phenomenal, but there is no way a two-hour film can include all the complexity of such a well-crafted novel. I loved remembering all of my favorite scenes again.

For a long time I've been saying that Mockingbird is one of my favorite books. Rereading it this fall has only reaffirmed that statement for me. I read it for the first time in 5th grade. I remember making a book report about it. I drew a tree with a big knot hole in it, and glued tin foil to it for the objects that Boo gives the children. I don't remember too many other details about my first experience with the book, but I remember being enchanted by it.

I read it again several years later for my 8th grade English class. I remember staying up late before the test on it talking to my mom about the book. After I finished studying for it, we just sat up, discussing the themes and characters in the book. I think that conversation helped me prepare for the test more than any studying I had done. Harper Lee's book made me think more than anything other book that I had read up until that point.

This time was different. I was of course moved by the important issues in the book, but this time, I was swept up in the characters and the language more so than before. I read it in a day and a half, and couldn't put it down, even though I knew exactly what was going to happen. I think I want to be one of those people who read To Kill A Mockingbird every year now. So don't be surprised it I start talking about it again this time next year.

What are your experiences with To Kill a Mockingbird? Who is your favorite character? Is there another book you loved long ago that you have returned to recently? If not, what book could you reread?

Audio Book Review: My Life in France by Julia Child

I loved loved loved this book. It was sweet and charming and delicious! I already knew a lot of the basic storyline because it is woven into the movie, Julie and Julia, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. When I first sat down to read Julie Powell's memoir of the same name, I was expecting to learn more about Julia Child than I did. The movie was more of a balance between Powell and Child, and I found both stories to be delightful. I kept meaning to go back and read My Life in France, as it is the basis for Julia's portion of the movie. For some reason (probably the ridiculously precarious stacks of books already taking over my apartment), I never got around to it.

However, I saw the audiobook version at the library and snatched it up! And it was delightful! The story of her life was absolutely fascinating. I was utterly inspired by the way Julia transformed her life and blossomed into the person that we all know of. She didn't begin cooking until she was in her mid to late 30s. And it wasn't all smooth sailing. But she persevered.

I also adored the relationship between Julia and her husband Paul. Their marriage was so sweet and kind. He was so much a part of her story, and so much a part of her success. I was so inspired by their relationship, their encouragement and support for one another, and their steadfastness. I must admit that since becoming so disillusioned with Julie Powell and her marriage, I think I was doubly grateful to see Julia's marriage and husband so cherished.

I did listen to an audio version, and the only trouble I had with it was the fact that I already knew what Julia Child's voice sounds like. And the reader, to her credit, did not try to imitate that. It threw me off at first, but in no time, I was swept away by the story and the writing and Julia's "voice" shone through.

Has anyone read it? What did you think? What about reading it along with Julia and Julie (either the book or the movie)? How do these three works and two lives inform one another?

Eat, Pray, Love- August 2010!!

Who's excited??

Curious George

Most recent read: L.M Alcott: Signature of Reform

I LOVE to read the history and background to some of my favorite books-especially older children's books.  I have always been a big fan of the Curious George series by Margret and H.A. Rey, and recently, I've learned some new interesting information about them.

First, it started when I watched the Curious George movie with my nieces and nephew the other night.  I had never seen it, but love the Jack Johnson sound track.  I actually need to watch it again, because I sort of missed the middle.  But what I did see was delightful!  Two things in particular caught my eye.  1) The ship that the Man with the Yellow Hat took to Africa was called the H.A. Rey!  So cute!  (I love it when they slip in details like that!  It's especially fun when they appear in kid's movies as a little extra entertainment for the adults!  Or maybe I'm just a dork.)  And 2) The Man with the Yellow Hat finally got a name!!!  Ted!  That probably delighted me the most.  Ted seemed to fit him, but I was wondering where the name came from.  

Fortunately, I did not have to wait long.  The very next evening, I was putting another niece to bed and read a story that she picked out.  She selected See the Circus, by (wait for it...) H.A. Rey!  A complete coincidence and I had never read this book before.  It was very cute, and toward the end, there is a man with a yellow hat (and outfit) with a monkey.  The monkey is unnamed (but my niece squealed, "It's George!" anyway) but the man is called Ted!!!  How clever of the movie people to keep the same name!  

So that made me curious!  I looked up H.A. and Margret Rey on Wikipedia and discovered even more delightful facts about them.  George started out as a character in Cecily G. and the 9 Monkeys.  I had read this book previously, but forgot that George was in it.  They decided create a whole book for George after that book's success.  

But first they had to escape from the Nazis and so they successfully left Paris on BICYCLES!  These were amazing and fascinating people.  Do read more about them when you get a chance. 

So, if you are a fan of Curious George, check out these other books if you are not familiar with them already.   I'm looking forward to watching the movie in its entirety as well.  Will Ferrell does the voice for The Man with the Yellow Hat/Ted and Drew Barrymore is his love interest.  My sister thinks that her cartoon rendition looks like her.  Great movie that captures the spirit of a whole series of books and still has a plot of its own.  I love it when that happens!

All images from Amazon.com.

Julie and Julia

So I only purchased this book on Wednesday, but I'm already finished with it. I finished Renaissance Souls on Wednesday night and started Julie and Julia by Julie Powell (I've reluctantly linked to the version with the movie cover, because the copy I have is the one that is evidently not published anymore and therefore $40 at least!) on Thursday. And actually, although I'm just writing about it now, I finished in Sunday night. Needless to say, it was AWESOME!

I don't know why I didn't pick this book up years ago. I've seen it in book stores for a long time, but I've never been that interested. Sadly, it took the movie previews to get me excited. I'm still looking forward to seeing the movie, but wanted to read the book first. I am so glad that I did! The book is funny, heart-felt, and full of both delicious and disgusting sounding recipes.

I was somewhat surprised that there wasn't more about Julia Child. I suppose I was expecting more biographical information (there is definitely some, but not quite as much as I expected). Since Meryl Streep is playing Julia Child in the movie, I wonder if she won't have a more prominent role in that version. I thought it was coming out in a few weeks, but just figured out that it doesn't open until August 7th. Boo! Oh well. I guess it's good that I read the book then!!

New Books

Whenever I need a little pick-me-up, I usually end up at a bookstore.  This time I went to Borders, and came away with the books above.  It's probably one of the most diverse collections of books I've bought at one time in a while!

Wreck This Journal:  This was actually the book I went to Borders to buy.  The other two were just bonuses.  I bought this one so I could participate in this intriguing book group.  Check it out!  You can jump in anytime.  I'm already a couple weeks late, but I'm catching up!  I've done a few pages and am looking forward to wrecking a few more.  I heard a lovely interview with Keri Smith, the author, with Kimberly Wilson, and she was a fascinating person.  Details and pictures to follow.  

Julie and Julia: This book caught my eye just as I was leaving.  I've seen it on the shelves for years now, but have never actually bought it.  Now that I'm seeing movie previews, I really want to read it before I see the movie.  And I need to get started because the movie comes out soon and it looks so good!  I've only read a few pages, but I cannot wait to read more.  I'll definitely let you know how it goes!

The 100 Best Business Books of All Time:  Admittedly, this is not the most exciting book of the stack.  I've been applying to jobs, and while I understand that a book will not make up for lack of experience in certain areas, I felt like it would be a good idea to familiarize myself with certain business concepts.  I've been interested in business as of late, and want to know what books I should read.  I considered all the books on the shelf in the business section, and I knew some of them would be good, but I wanted an endorsement of sorts before I dug in.  So I decided on this one, and then from there I will buy/procure from the library some of the books on the list.  I'm excited about reading this overview!  

What books have you purchased recently?  Have you read any of these?

You've Got Mail

You've Got Mail is one of my very favorite movies. Although Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are positively delightful and I loved the original (The Shop Around the Corner), I believe the plethora of books and book stores are probably its most endearing feature for me.  It also includes some fantastic quotations about books and reading (my favorites are all from Meg Ryan's character, Kathleen).  

" Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today I saw one. I couldn't believe it. It got on at 42nd -- and got off at 59th, where I assume it was going to Bloomindale's to buy a hat that will turn out to be a mistake. As almost all hats are."

"So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around?"

"When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does."

The last one is particularly powerful for me.  I read so much as a child and many of those books are still a part of who I am.  I love making lists, and I love having a special place for my lists to live.  I never really thought anything of it until my junior year of college.  I was in the basement of the library looking for books to read for my children's literature class and I found Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry.  I read this book many times as a child.  And right there, in the first few pages, Anastasia opens up a notebook and begins to make lists.  They are printed, in her handwriting, throughout the book.  I really think that's where my affinity for a notebook of lists came from.  

Last Christmas, I gave a copy of the novel my then 8-year-old niece.  I love reading my old favorites to my nieces and nephews and to the little kids I baby-sit for.  I hope they can become a positive part of who they are to become.  I know my childhood books did.  

What books were your favorites as a child.  I have so many, I'll probably make a whole other post, but were there ones that still have an impact on you today?  Do events in your real life ever remind you of happenings you read about in a book?  Do tell.  

when books are made into movies...

...I usually end up getting pretty disappointed.  I understand that they can never be exactly the same, but somehow I always end up hoping for my exact experience as a reader to be replicated as a movie-goer.  This rarely happens.  I am perpetually excited to hear when I book I enjoyed is being made into a film, but it never turns out like I hope.  For me, the shining exception has always been To Kill A Mockingbird.  To be sure, the book and movie versions are distinct, but they are absolutely of equal quality, and they evoke the same emotions.  Others have come close, but for me, Mary Badham as Scout will always be the best book character come to life.  Perhaps this is because both the book and the movie were created long before I was born.  Still, I read the book before I saw the movie, so I think it still counts.

Now that I have finally come around to accept that movies will be exactly like the books I loved, what is the criteria for a good movie adaptation?  I think my major problem with certain movie adaptations is when major plot points are eliminated, or worse--changed.  I understand that many elements have to be cut, but when whole characters are eliminated, merged, or change beyond recognition, I get upset.  I can think of examples, but I won't mention them here.  Books can do things that films cannot--they allow deeper characterization and exploration that movie-goers may not have time for.  Movies also have benefits over the written word.  Obviously, they literally bring characters to life, but also enhance stories with music and color.  Thoughts?

  

My new favorite movie adaptation--which prompted this post--is The Secret Life of Bees.  I read the book years ago, and I didn't remember specific details, so maybe that helped my viewing experience.  However, I recalled the essentials and the film nailed them.  More than that, it brought to life the same mesmerizing and enchanting feeling that I experienced while reading the book.  Both mediums created an entirely different world that was a joy to visit.  I recommend both.  After watching the movie this evening, I am tempted to reread the book.  

One final musing:  my biggest pet peeve when it comes to movie adaptations is when they reprint the book with the movie actors on the cover.  I know that people tend to buy books when they are made into popular movies, but do the celebrities really need to be on the covers.  If they do, then fine.  But sometimes, the original version goes out of print and it's almost impossible to find the original cover.  It makes it seem like the book was printed as a companion to the film.  This frustrates me.  But I guess it's not all bad if it prompts viewers to read the text.  And I'll admit that I'm being a bit of a snob here.  Forgive me.