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News & ArtsMonday, August 17, 2009
Books I Am Starting to Get Excited About This
Posted by Paul Constant on Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 1:06 PM
It was a very strange time in Max’s life. The day before, his sister had tried, by proxy, to kill him. Her tobacco-chewing friends had chased him into his snow fort, and at the moment when he felt safest, in the cool white hollow, they had jumped on the roof, burying him. His sister had done nothing to help, and then had driven off with them, and to punish her, because she was no longer his sister, he’d doused her room with water. Buckets and buckets he’d emptied everywhere, in a furious, joyous process. It had been great, and felt so right, until his mother came home and found what he’d done. She was mad, Claire was mad, and so, tonight, the only person in the house who seemed to like him was his mom’s chinless boyfriend, Gary, and even thinking that sent a shudder through him.
It looks interesting to me, although I can imagine people gagging to death on just that one paragraph alone (which is itself longer than the entire book the adaptation is based on.) It's always interesting when writers try to write from the perspective of children, but it often doesn't go well. (I eventually forgave Nicholson Baker for The Everlasting Story of Nory.)
I am also looking forward to the furry edition of the adaptation, depicted at left. There will be a non-furry version for those of you with allergies.
3
It's like Grendel, the John Gardner adaptation of Beowulf -- if John Gardner's adaptation of Beowulf had sucked.
I kind of expect to like the movie but, for the most part, I just want to beat the shit out of Dave Eggers. I'm told it would be harder than one might expect (evidently he's a blackbelt in something), but I'd be willing to bring a baseball bat into the equation if it would get the job done. That douchebag needs to be stopped.
I kind of expect to like the movie but, for the most part, I just want to beat the shit out of Dave Eggers. I'm told it would be harder than one might expect (evidently he's a blackbelt in something), but I'd be willing to bring a baseball bat into the equation if it would get the job done. That douchebag needs to be stopped.
4
And this Eggers guy is famous for his... writing?
Right.
Don't get me wrong, the 826 project is fab, the stores are cute and McSweeney's gets some really good writers. But... really?
Right.
Don't get me wrong, the 826 project is fab, the stores are cute and McSweeney's gets some really good writers. But... really?
5
Well, he's only doing for novels what Hollywood has done to classic film for years. Regurgitation is par for the course.
6
Has anyone ever noticed the homoerotic context of the book/film?
I'm sure someone will.
Which should lead to protests and then it will set box office records.
I'm sure someone will.
Which should lead to protests and then it will set box office records.
7
A novel-length adaptation of a book meant for five-year-olds? Written by a postmodern hipster writer like Eggers? Why would anyone want to read this?
All respect to you, Paul, but yes, I am gagging to death.
Everything is wrong with this project. The concept, the author, the timing -- if the movie doesn't kill the magic of the book, you'd better believe this will. Where the Wild Things Are is being been chopped up and processed and sold.
The best book I've ever read that captures a child's perspective is Pandora, by Sylvia Fraser. It's disturbing and dreamlike and brilliant.
All respect to you, Paul, but yes, I am gagging to death.
Everything is wrong with this project. The concept, the author, the timing -- if the movie doesn't kill the magic of the book, you'd better believe this will. Where the Wild Things Are is being been chopped up and processed and sold.
The best book I've ever read that captures a child's perspective is Pandora, by Sylvia Fraser. It's disturbing and dreamlike and brilliant.
8
My gut reaction is negative. Why did this story need to be turned into another book? It already is a book, arguably a great one, beloved by many many people. Even if you see the film project as being an interesting and potentially great concept - which I do - this novelization thing seems like a crass attempt to get a few more bucks out of me.
9
Well, most of the money from movies is actually from the toys and things associated with them, so maybe you're right @8.
That said, the preview looked ok.
That said, the preview looked ok.
10
If you read the actual book that's not at all what's going on in Max's head. He's doing stuff like chasing the dog with a fork and he's put in his room to calm down. It's the kind of stuff kids 2-5 just do for the hell of it, because they're 2-5. You don't need all the extensive backstory to explain the motivation. Young kids just don't work like that.
12
finally, something to rationalize my previously irrational hatred of dave eggers. hate that guy so much.
15
I'll probably read this adaptation. And probably cringe. Have you ever talked to a child? Their logic is flawed, their chronology messy and their story telling is dubious at best. Gene Wolfe, in the Wizard-Knight, somehow seems to master this. I recommend it highly.
17
Kitsu, I didn't like Wizard Knight but I have to say I appreciate a Gene Wolfe reference on Slog popping out of the blue. I salute you.
18
With a few very, very rare exceptions, Dave Eggers blows. He's the most overrated author I've ever known. I've given him many tries, but the smugness of his writing keeps down the intelligent voice begging to be let out, since that would require lifting away his hand from jacking off to himself to continue typing.
Go for it, Dave. Watching his hipster sycophants try to justify it as brilliant will be highly entertaining.
Go for it, Dave. Watching his hipster sycophants try to justify it as brilliant will be highly entertaining.
21
I can't speak for everyone but i find this sad on two levels. First, at the level of the imagination and craft. The story seems like it's a bunch of boards nailed together. There's no actual feeling and no actual creation. There's imagination, but it is drowning in so much pointless whimsy. But it's also sad because of the reactions, on both sides -- the people who are defending this like it's a new masterpiece and the (greater numbers of) people who are calling for the author's head. I know this sounds contradictory to criticize it and then say there's too much criticism of it, but why can't it just be a thing that does what it does, well or not so well, and left there? Why such anger toward the author?
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