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The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated Gone with the Wind Audiobook in Books
Nov 9, 2018
Accents by the Narrator (1 more)
Historical vantage point
Audio Production is great
I struggled to care about these over privileged people as a whole. The main character especially. I made it through the first half of the book, which is 21 cds, and a ton of time. I felt like i invested a lot of my time into it, and didn't feel rewarded with a great classic piece of literature. That said it was well written for it's time and really provides insight into the thought and minds of the confederate side. It's a great slice of life for Civil war buffs. A lot of the racial language is cringe worthy by today's standards, but was probably very real for the time and even maybe lighter. I do not feel compelled to read the rest of it, one day when I am curious, I will watch the movie and that will probably be enough.
Lost At Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries
Book
Updated edition. Now includes the complete text of Frank: The True Story that Inspired the Movie....
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
6.9
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Book
Genteel society ladies who compare notes on their husbands' suicides. A hilariously foul-mouthed...
Petals on the Wind (Dollanganger, #2)
7.7
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Book
On the heels of the successful Lifetime TV version of Flowers in the Attic comes the TV movie tie-in...
Monty Python's Flying Circus: Hidden Treasures
10.0
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Book
Carlton Books presents Monty Python's Flying Circus: Hidden Treasures, the complete history of Monty...
Moon Country
Book
Fifteen years ago, Tommy Hunter committed a terrible crime. Now pursued by his own bad memories and...
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated 300 (2007) in Movies
Jan 5, 2021
This is Sparta
300- is a excellent film. Zack Snyder did a excellent job with this film. This was his 2nd film he did and it really put him on the map, cause after this he did "Watchman" and "Man of Steel". His remake of "Dawn of the Dead" was excellent. 300 has excellent visuals, gory, vengeances and epicnest. Gerald Bulter does a excellent job in this.
The plot: In 480 B.C. a state of war exists between Persia, led by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), and Greece. At the Battle of Thermopylae, Leonidas (Gerard Butler), king of the Greek city state of Sparta, leads his badly outnumbered warriors against the massive Persian army. Though certain death awaits the Spartans, their sacrifice inspires all of Greece to unite against their common enemy.
The film is a shot-for-shot adaptation of the comic book, similar to the film adaptation of Sin City.
Its a excellent movie and a must see.
The plot: In 480 B.C. a state of war exists between Persia, led by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), and Greece. At the Battle of Thermopylae, Leonidas (Gerard Butler), king of the Greek city state of Sparta, leads his badly outnumbered warriors against the massive Persian army. Though certain death awaits the Spartans, their sacrifice inspires all of Greece to unite against their common enemy.
The film is a shot-for-shot adaptation of the comic book, similar to the film adaptation of Sin City.
Its a excellent movie and a must see.
David McK (3562 KP) rated Sharpe's Honour in TV
Nov 14, 2021 (Updated Nov 14, 2021)
The fifth episode in the TV adaptations of the novels by Bernard Cornwell (which are well worth a read), based on the book of the same name.
I say 'based on' as, because while the main thrust of the storyline is the same, the TV movie of necessity abbreviates the novel somewhat: most noticeably (I felt) watering down quite substantially the role of El Matarife in the proceedings.
As this starts, Sharpe is still mourning the death of his wife Teresa, while Napoleon - in his first appearance in the series - is in retreat from Russia, and with Major Pierre Ducos hatching a plan to drive a wedge between the Spanish and British allies while also getting his revenge on Sharpe by provoking a duel between Sharpe and a Spanish nobleman who he (Ducos) later murders, with Sharpe then taking the rap for said murder (until he is later able to prove his innocence).
I say 'based on' as, because while the main thrust of the storyline is the same, the TV movie of necessity abbreviates the novel somewhat: most noticeably (I felt) watering down quite substantially the role of El Matarife in the proceedings.
As this starts, Sharpe is still mourning the death of his wife Teresa, while Napoleon - in his first appearance in the series - is in retreat from Russia, and with Major Pierre Ducos hatching a plan to drive a wedge between the Spanish and British allies while also getting his revenge on Sharpe by provoking a duel between Sharpe and a Spanish nobleman who he (Ducos) later murders, with Sharpe then taking the rap for said murder (until he is later able to prove his innocence).
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Silent as the Grave in Books
Mar 13, 2025
Mayhem Behind the Scenes of Silent Pictures
When Molly visits her friends Ryan O’ Hara on the set of an early silent movie, her adopted daughter Bridie winds up getting discovered and cast in the lead. So Molly starts spending time on the set herself, where she sees some suspicious accidents. But when one hits very close to home, Molly starts investigating. Can she find proof of sabotage before someone dies?
I’ve always appreciated that this series has given us glimpses into many different worlds of 1900’s New York City. As a fan of movies, this setting was very fun. Having said that, the pacing was really off here, which was disappointing. The climax is satisfying, however. I enjoy spending time with the characters, although some growth would be nice. I did feel transported to the time period as I read. Fans of the series will appreciate time with the characters even if this isn’t the strongest book in the series.
I’ve always appreciated that this series has given us glimpses into many different worlds of 1900’s New York City. As a fan of movies, this setting was very fun. Having said that, the pacing was really off here, which was disappointing. The climax is satisfying, however. I enjoy spending time with the characters, although some growth would be nice. I did feel transported to the time period as I read. Fans of the series will appreciate time with the characters even if this isn’t the strongest book in the series.
Film tie-in
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Nominated for an Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe,Trumbo is a recent film based on the original biography Dalton Trumbo written by Bruce Cook in 1977. Its adaptation to film provided the perfect opportunity to republish this extremely well researched book. With a forward written by John McNamara, the screenwriter of the motion picture, the story of Dalton Trumbo’s life is just as intriguing as it was almost forty years ago. But who is Trumbo?
If, like me, you have never heard of Trumbo or even the infamous “Hollywood Ten,” it may take a while for it to become clear as to why it was worth Cook’s time to produce a book about the man. Dalton Trumbo was a well-known screenwriter of films such as Papillon, Lonely Are The Brave and Roman Holiday as well as author of the novel Johnny Got His Gun. However these are not all he is famous for. During his life, Trumbo became a member of the Communist Party, which Hollywood branded as an Un-American Activity and thus blacklisted him, as well as other screenwriters, directors and actors. Ten of these men, Trumbo included, were imprisoned for their political beliefs – yet nothing prevented Trumbo from continuing his fairly successful career.
Interestingly, Cook begins the book with the final stages of Trumbo’s life. At time of writing Trumbo was still alive, although rather poorly. After contracting lung cancer, having a lung removed, and suffering a heart attack, Trumbo was a very sick man; nonetheless he was still enthusiastic about being interviewed and telling his personal story.
From his childhood, to his evening shifts at a bakery, Cook details Trumbo’s early life, emphasizing the hard upbringing he had before he found himself in the world of Hollywood. Although roughly 75% of the book focuses on Trumbo’s career, Cook highlights Trumbo as a family man, with both a wife and three children who he absolutely adores.
Cook constantly refers to the Hollywood Ten as a concept that the reader should already be familiar with. Granted, someone who picks up this book is more likely to do so having a prior interest in the central figure, and thus already know about his background; however those ignorant on the topic eventually gather a better understanding on the topic once reaching the relevant chapters. It also becomes clearer why Trumbo is worth reading/writing about – he may have been blacklisted, but he managed to break through all the barriers and reinstate his name and many others.
Reading this half a century after the event, it seems strange that Trumbo was imprisoned. He had not done anything intrinsically wrong, it was purely prejudice against his political beliefs that got him into the mess he found himself. But when you consider the events of the time: World War Two, the Cold War, the Korean War, and Vietnam; it is understandable why many feared those who claimed to be Communists.
Cook’s narrative does not flow as a story, and much of it is broken up with quotes from various people he interviewed. The timeline jumps about between past and present (1970s), which occasionally gets a bit confusing. A large part of the book is spent analyzing many of Trumbo’s works – both for screen and written formats – which, unless you have a particular interest, can be a little tedious.
It has got to be said that Bruce Cook was an exemplary writer with a great eye for detail. He did not jump to conclusions or only talk about things from his point of view. Instead he interviewed, what seems like, everyone who ever met Trumbo, and based his writing on fact backed up with numerous quotes and citations.
This edition of Trumbo contains a selection of photographs taken on the set of the movie. Disappointingly it does not contain any of Trumbo himself – you would think that some photos could have been tracked down!
Trumbo is not a book that will interest everyone. Most people today – particularly in England – will probably be unaware of who Dalton Trumbo was, and thus would only seek out this publication due to a fascination with film production. I have not seen the film, but after reading this and discovering how books go from novels, to screenplays to moving image, it would be interesting to find out which parts of Trumbo’s life made it onto the big screen.
Nominated for an Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe,Trumbo is a recent film based on the original biography Dalton Trumbo written by Bruce Cook in 1977. Its adaptation to film provided the perfect opportunity to republish this extremely well researched book. With a forward written by John McNamara, the screenwriter of the motion picture, the story of Dalton Trumbo’s life is just as intriguing as it was almost forty years ago. But who is Trumbo?
If, like me, you have never heard of Trumbo or even the infamous “Hollywood Ten,” it may take a while for it to become clear as to why it was worth Cook’s time to produce a book about the man. Dalton Trumbo was a well-known screenwriter of films such as Papillon, Lonely Are The Brave and Roman Holiday as well as author of the novel Johnny Got His Gun. However these are not all he is famous for. During his life, Trumbo became a member of the Communist Party, which Hollywood branded as an Un-American Activity and thus blacklisted him, as well as other screenwriters, directors and actors. Ten of these men, Trumbo included, were imprisoned for their political beliefs – yet nothing prevented Trumbo from continuing his fairly successful career.
Interestingly, Cook begins the book with the final stages of Trumbo’s life. At time of writing Trumbo was still alive, although rather poorly. After contracting lung cancer, having a lung removed, and suffering a heart attack, Trumbo was a very sick man; nonetheless he was still enthusiastic about being interviewed and telling his personal story.
From his childhood, to his evening shifts at a bakery, Cook details Trumbo’s early life, emphasizing the hard upbringing he had before he found himself in the world of Hollywood. Although roughly 75% of the book focuses on Trumbo’s career, Cook highlights Trumbo as a family man, with both a wife and three children who he absolutely adores.
Cook constantly refers to the Hollywood Ten as a concept that the reader should already be familiar with. Granted, someone who picks up this book is more likely to do so having a prior interest in the central figure, and thus already know about his background; however those ignorant on the topic eventually gather a better understanding on the topic once reaching the relevant chapters. It also becomes clearer why Trumbo is worth reading/writing about – he may have been blacklisted, but he managed to break through all the barriers and reinstate his name and many others.
Reading this half a century after the event, it seems strange that Trumbo was imprisoned. He had not done anything intrinsically wrong, it was purely prejudice against his political beliefs that got him into the mess he found himself. But when you consider the events of the time: World War Two, the Cold War, the Korean War, and Vietnam; it is understandable why many feared those who claimed to be Communists.
Cook’s narrative does not flow as a story, and much of it is broken up with quotes from various people he interviewed. The timeline jumps about between past and present (1970s), which occasionally gets a bit confusing. A large part of the book is spent analyzing many of Trumbo’s works – both for screen and written formats – which, unless you have a particular interest, can be a little tedious.
It has got to be said that Bruce Cook was an exemplary writer with a great eye for detail. He did not jump to conclusions or only talk about things from his point of view. Instead he interviewed, what seems like, everyone who ever met Trumbo, and based his writing on fact backed up with numerous quotes and citations.
This edition of Trumbo contains a selection of photographs taken on the set of the movie. Disappointingly it does not contain any of Trumbo himself – you would think that some photos could have been tracked down!
Trumbo is not a book that will interest everyone. Most people today – particularly in England – will probably be unaware of who Dalton Trumbo was, and thus would only seek out this publication due to a fascination with film production. I have not seen the film, but after reading this and discovering how books go from novels, to screenplays to moving image, it would be interesting to find out which parts of Trumbo’s life made it onto the big screen.