What I'm Reading Now - Faster

Those who know my reading habits know that I typically only read one book at a time.  However, I recently found myself in need of a new read as I headed out of town.  I had two nearly-finished books (Enduring Passion and The Ultimate Journey), and didn't want to drag them both along in case I finished one and needed the other.  Plus, they're both vintage and a bit fragile.

So I needed a brand new one.  I picked one of my 2024 Reading Challenge books: Faster: How a Jewish Driver, and American Heiress, and a Legendary Car Beat Hitler's Best.  It was an especially appropriate choice because I was headed out of town with the friend who loaned me the book. 

More thoughts once I have finished it!

What I'm Reading Now -- Enduring Passion

S and I were at a wedding on Saturday.  There was a touch of a library theme to the decor.  The seating assignments were printed on those vertical index-card-sized slips that you used to find in library books.  Among the decorations, they had rented some vintage books from a local thrift shop.

Browsing the selections, we found a book called Enduring Passion: Further New Contributions to the Solution of Sex Difficulties being the continuation of MARRIED LOVE.  (Yes, that capitalization is in the actual subtitle.)  This seemed like an odd selection to have on display at a wedding.  It turns out the bride and groom had not selected specific titles, but merely identified which color groups they were looking for; the shop made the selections.  I wonder if the shop owners had picked that one out specifically; seems rude, if you ask me.

It's one of those books -- published in 1928 (though this version was printed in 1931) -- that was advanced for its time but reads as comical now.  I had such a good time paging through it at the reception that I kept it so I could finish it up.  (Don't worry, I told the bride, and I offered to send the shop the $1.00 price that was written inside the cover if they desired such remuneration for this gem.)

It wasn't until we were on the way home the following day that I noticed that the author was a woman: Marie Carmichael Stopes.  She was quite an accomplished young scientist, earning D.Sc. and PhD degrees by the time she was 24 years old.  However, she had then what was a controversial position on birth control and has now a complicated history when it comes to other social issues, including eugenics and abortion.  I've no desire to do a full recitation here, but you can read about it on the interwebs if you'd like.

Regardless, an entertaining collection of pages to flip through ... especially at a wedding!

Movies -- A Recap -- Part XXXVIII -- Based on a True Story

Wildflower was a winner.  It's certainly not the only movie about a family which is non-traditional in its own way, but it's one of the better ones I've seen, even as it edges toward the predictable.  Young Bea has two intellectually disabled parents who, against some substantial odds, have raised their daughter in their own way.  Families interfere, but love and understanding win the day, carried in no small part on the shoulders of the daughter.  If you were a Mad Men watcher, you'll recognize Kiernan Shipka, who played Sally Draper, as Bea.

The title character in Yara was a 13-year-old girl who went missing when she was on her routine walk home from her gym one winter night. Her body was found three months later, but it took years to identify a suspect and bring the matter to trial.  Though the crime is of course the center of the story, the real narrative is the doggedness of the investigator and the patience of the victim's family.  The movie is based on a real murder and subsequent criminal investigation.

Mutiny on the Bounty is one of those movies that everyone knows the name of.  I imagine only a small fraction of those people have actually seen it.  Until recently, I was one of those.  For my part, I watched the 1962 version.  (There are at least four other film versions, some now lost to history.)  Marlon Brando, young though he looks as lead mutineer Fletcher Christian, had been in major films for 10 years by the time Mutiny came out.  It's an old movie, so expect a lot of racism and sexism.  I didn't love the movie, but at least now I can say that I've seen it.

None of these movies are documentaries, but Bridge of Spies has gotten some flak for taking pretty substantial liberties with the real story, especially the timeline.  But, I love Tom Hanks, I love a good historical tale, and I love a war movie, so I don't really care. Hanks plays an American lawyer who, after he is tapped to defend a Soviet spy caught in the US, is sent to East Germany to try to facilitate a prisoner swap, exchanging his convicted former client for an American pilot.  His unwavering certainty about how to handle the negotiations is where the inspiration lies.

If you, too, think the idea of watching a guy whittle wooden keys for 90 minutes sounds as dull as watching paint dry, try Escape from Pretoria.  Real-life political activist Tim Jenkin is portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe.  When he is arrested in South Africa, along with his friend, for their anti-apartheid activities, Jenkin plots his - you guessed it - escape from Pretoria Prison. Surprisingly suspenseful.

Soccer fans may already know the story told in The Keeper, but I didn't. It profiles Bert Trautmann, a German POW who elected, at the end of the war, to remain in England rather than return to Germany.  He made a name for himself as an excellent football goalie, eventually guarding the goal for many years as the keeper for Manchester City.  The movie is pitched as a love story, but even immediately after concluding viewing I would have told you it's more about overcoming prejudice and building bridges through sport than it is a love story.  Upon reading a bit more about Mr. Trautmann's post-film personal life, I find that to be even more true.  Regardless, I enjoyed watching the impressive saves.

Movies -- A Recap -- Part XXXVII -- Comedies

Strays stars dogs.  Enough said.  (But in case you want to know more, a dog who's been abandoned decides to take revenge on his former owner with the help of some of his newfound friends.  It's crass but there were several laugh-out-loud moments, and the music selections were on point!)

I expected pretty much nothing from The Lost City, and it didn't disappoint.  In fact, though I wouldn't call it a good movie, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.  I've seen Brad Pitt do comedy before (and do it well, as in Mr. & Mrs. Smith), but still I was surprised by how funny he was.  Channing Tatum was pretty funny too, and Sandra can hold her own, but Brad Pitt stole the show. 

I find it hard to believe, but I think Adam's Rib is only the second Spencer Tracy movie I've ever seen (with the first being Guess Who's Coming to Dinner). In Adam's Rib, he and Katherine Hepburn - together again - play a pair of husband-and-wife attorneys on opposite sides of case involving a woman who shot her husband.  Their witty banter and obvious chemistry carry the movie!

Enough Said started out funny and clever. There were lots of chuckles and a couple of hearty laughs.  Unfortunately the second half turns a little predictable.  But it was well cast, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus (whom I currently have a real-life crush on after discovering her podcast, Wiser Than Me), James Gandolfini, Toni Collette, and Catherine Keener.

If you like British people, Irish people, the post office, historical settings and costumes, swear words, or any combination of the above, Wicked Little Letters will amuse you.  A very proper British woman in a very proper British town is scandalized by the receipt of profane correspondence from an anonymous sender.  All eyes turn to the young Irish mother who showed up in town after the war.  A battle of swear words ensues.

 

 

I automatically give extra credit to any movie which is set in Great Britain or Ireland.  People We Hate at the Wedding is one of those. It's a 100% predictable story of wedding shenanigans, but if what you need is some brain candy with a few extra-funny zingers, it's not a bad pick.

The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Take 2

The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy was not for me.

Initially, I didn't quite know what I was getting into.  The first 20 pages or so were pretty entertaining.  Then it just started to get weird and go a bit off the rails.  So I looked up a few things about it and came away with this summary: "nothing happens, it's pretty dumb, but there are some real gems in the prose."

My reading experience could not mirror that summary more exactly.  I really had to push myself to get through the pages.  I thought this one would be easy because it's so short, but the total lack of plot made it a real slog.  But every now and then I would either burst out laughing or come across a passage that was so spot-on that I had to go back and read it aloud to S.

Despite that, I don't expect I will be reading any of the other books in the series.

What I'm Reading Now -- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

I've been all over the place with my books this year, mostly due to travel.  But I am working on another book from my 2024 Reading Challenge.  I've skipped forward in time to get to my November selection: The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams, selected for its ugly cover. It's a UK edition, and apparently a pretty rare cover because I resorted to taking my own photo of it!

So far it doesn't really seem like my ball of wax -- I like a bit of logical plot, typically -- but it's short and amusing, so I'm sticking with it.

Movies -- A Recap -- Part XXXVI -- Something Sweet

28 Days has an impressive cast, including Sandra Bullock, Viggo Mortenson, Steve Buscemi, Dominic West, and Elizabeth Perkins.  Bullock plays an alcoholic who is forced to choose between jail or a rehab program after she drunkenly wrecks her sister's wedding. The movie takes a reasonably serious look at addiction before getting to a sweet ending.

A movie about a conservative high school summer camp, at which Alice questions her beliefs and has a few exciting moments, may not sound like something worth watching.  But Yes, God, Yes is better than it sounds.  Natalia Dyer, who plays Alice, has a wonderfully expressive face which is so fun to watch, and as someone who is just a little older than the kids in this movie were in the year 2000, it's a fun throwback to what those days were like.  It is a bit horrifying to think that children actually grow up like this, but a very cute movie nevertheless.

The Tomorrow Man is a sweet little story about two sweet but weird people who are the perfect weird for each other.  The leads are played by John Lithgow and Blythe Danner.  It's not a great movie, but those two are so sweet and odd in an adorable way, and the whole thing ends up being pretty endearing.

Steve Carell is a wonderful balance of serious and funny in Dan in Real Life.  He plays the single father of three daughters who meets a lovely woman at a bookshop while attending a family reunion, only to discover she's just started dating his brother.  Some predictable hijinks ensue, but so do a fair number of very sweet and touching conversations between the lead, his daughters, and the aforementioned woman, played by the ever-lovely Juliette Binoche.

Another Round is a weird little Scandinavian story about four teachers who all decide that they're going to try out the theory of some guy who's name I can't spell, which posits that at a blood alcohol content of 0.05%, people are more free and creative.  The project goes very differently for each of them - not always well - and there are some sad bits.  But in the way that many European movies seem to pull off, the sadness is not overwhelming and serves more as a reminder that life is short but good.  And, there's a bit about a dog.

I was destined to like The Age of Adaline because I really like Blake Lively.  As far as acting goes, she was especially good in this one, in my opinion.  She plays the titular character who, after a freak accident, stops aging.  She has to spend her life moving from place to place so people don't get too suspicious.  Eventually, as one might expect, she gets caught up in a really lovely way.

You remember My Girl, right?  Macaulay Culkin shortly after Home Alone, plus Anna Chlumsky in her first big role.  They are both adorable as kids, and the story is every bit as beautiful and sad as it was thirty-plus (!) years ago.  Part of the reason it holds up so well is probably that, since it's set in the 1970s, even when it came out it was in the past; those movies usually age better.

The Big White is a goofy Robin Williams comedy in which his short-on-funds character gets crosswise with some professional hitmen when he takes the dead body they left in a dumpster for later for himself, claiming it's his long-time-missing, now-deceased brother to get the insurance money.  Things get a bit mixed up when his brother returns to town.

Aside from the last 15 seconds, Let Them All Talk was a cute story mostly about an aunt and nephew, but also about the aunt and two of her long-time friends.  The three ladies are Meryl Streep, Dianne Wiest, and Candice Bergen.  Meryl Streep's character, Alice, is a writer, and Candice Bergen's character is bitter after years of believing that Alice's Pulitzer Prize-winning book exposed her secrets and ruined her life.  Simultaneously, Alice's agent is pressing for her next manuscript, which Alice has hinted will be a sequel to one of hear earlier books.  Alice's relationship with her nephew is the beating heart of the film.

What I Read -- The Pig War

I've gotten a bit away from writing about my travels on this blog.  Perhaps I will get back to it.  It was a good way to chronicle my adventures, and fun to look back at later.

Meanwhile, I have continued - at least mostly - my habit of reading a book about a place when I am traveling there.  And sometimes even writing about those books. 

Recently, S and I took a boat trip in and around the San Juan Islands, a small group of islands off the coast of Washington state at the Canadian border.  In his preparation for the trip, S had learned about an event called the Pig War.  A bit of light googling revealed a book of the same name: The Pig War: The Most Perfect War in History, by E.C. Coleman.

It's not so much a war over a pig, but that the shooting by an American of a British pig (or at least a pig owned by a British person) brought attention to the dispute over the boundary between the US and then-British-owned Canada.

Some years prior, an agreement had been reached placing the land boundary at the 49th parallel.  When the land ran out, the boundary ran, "to the middle of the channel which separates the continent from Vancouver's Island; and thence southerly, through the middle of said channel, and of Fuca's Straits to the Pacific Ocean...."  The trouble was that the agreement didn't say which channel it meant.  The Americans took the position that it meant the Straits of Haro, which would place San Juan Island itself on the American side of the line.  The Brits took the position that it meant the Rosario Strait, which would place San Juan Island on the British side of the line.  So when the San Juan pig wouldn't quit rooting around in the American's garden and was shot, a decades-long detente ensued.

It was 1854.  Both sides were busy with either internal or other external concerns.  In a bilateral show of restraint, diplomacy, and common sense which seems rarely demonstrated in global politics of late, both sides sent small military detachments to San Juan Island under instructions to protect their own country's interest without provoking the other until a final determination of ownership was made.

Despite a road bump here and there, it worked remarkably well.  [SPOILER ALERT!]  The "war" came to an end in 1872, when the Emperor of Germany found in favor of the Americans' claim.  The British force, upon receiving the news, peaceably withdrew, turning over the keys to their fort with kind words: "I now beg to express to you personally my warmest thanks for your ready co-operation with me at all times, and permit me to subscribe myself with feelings of the highest order."

The author does a nice job of placing this litter territorial squabble in the context of bigger national and global events.  Without that, this story might have been an interesting long article, but a book might have been a bit much.  He also has a decent sense of humor.  It's not often that a book of history makes me laugh out loud or read passages to my companions, but this one did.  The author has a clear belief, which becomes more evident as the book goes on, that the final decision was an incorrect one; frankly, the final chapter - which speeds through everything from the Boer War to the War on Terror - should be skipped entirely.

But until that point, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Happy 4th of July!

Movies -- A Recap -- Part XXXV -- British Leads

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is the second in the Knives Out series.  I watched the first one, but I don't recall whether I wrote about it.  Regardless, I enjoyed this one more; it had some genuinely funny moments.  Daniel Craig stars (again) as Detective Benoit Blanc, with a pretty good supporting cast behind him.

I was surprised that I had never heard of Croupier.  It came out in 1998 and stars Clive Owen in the lead role.  I love the film noir style of storytelling, and it was a pretty decent story to boot.  A bit dark, but I like that. Also imagine my surprise to find ER's Dr. Elizabeth Corday (played by Alex Kingston, who is also British) with a role in this one. What a treat that was!

The Dig has two British leads: Carey Mulligan (whom I love) as Edith Pretty, the landowner, and Ralph Fiennes as Basil Brown, the archaeologist.  Despite her failing health, Ms. Pretty engages Mr. Brown to excavate a portion of her property.  Things do not seem to be going well, but turn around with a huge discovery.  It's based on the true story of the discovery of the Sutton Hoo treasure in the 1930s.

Little Women is a mixed bag in terms of where folks are from, but there are enough who are British or British-adjacent that I'm counting it.  Here's who we've got: Emma Watson (British, but French-born) as Meg; Saoirse Ronan (Irish, but American-born) as Jo; Eliza Scanlen as Beth (Australian); and Florence Pugh (British) as Amy.  Nothing, for me, will top the 1994 version of this movie, but S has a crush on Saoirse, so we needed to see this one; his description of her with short hair, though, was priceless: "She looks like a pencil eraser." I did not like that the story was told out of order; I know it well and still had trouble following it.

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain is a strange story about an eccentric artist.  Obviously, Benedict Cumberbatch (another one I love) was perfect for the role. Claire Foy (who plays Queen Elizabeth in a season or two of The Crown - how much more British can you get?) plays his wife.  I don't really remember the details of this one, but I do remember that I was impressed by my boy Benedict.

I loved Still Life.  It was sad, but also oh-so-sweet.  It stars Eddie Marsan as a quiet bureaucrat whose job is to track down the next-of-kin of people who died alone.  London, though the backdrop, is visible throughout, which of course I adored. It was a quiet little jewel, with the pleasant surprise of Joanne Froggart (Anna from Downton Abbey) as an added bonus.

Benediction stars Jack Lowden as Siegfried Sassoon.  Those folks who are interested in the niche area of World War I poetry will immediately recognize the name of Mr. Sassoon.  The film is clever, even - dare I say? - poetic at times.  It's the backstory about the poet's family, how he came to serve in WWI, and his experiences, but also who he was after the war, the impact that it had on him, and the impact that he had on government and policy.  Not the best movie I've seen, but good enough and tells a little-known piece of history.

Another British-ish lead, Hunger stars Michael Fassbender as Bobby Sands.  The actor's father was German and he was born in Germany, but his mother was from Northern Ireland.  This film was recommended to S and I during our recent visit to Northern Ireland, as a way to get a little more perspective on the Troubles. It was dark - though not in a fun way like Croupier - but with some more artistic shots.  The film really turns Bobby Sands into a hero, which is quite how the Catholics in Northern Ireland appear to view him.  What he - and anyone else who goes on a hunger strike - did, is quite astonishing.  And also horrifying.