Hard to believe that Oscar Wilde month only has a week to go. My how time flies…
— Lady Windermere’s Fan
— The Picture of Dorian Gray
Another skewing witticism by Mr. Wilde. …as appropriate in today’s verbose political season as it was in his day.
— A Woman of No Importance
After another round of pre-Iowa caucus debates here in The States I think it is time for some thoughts on the body politic from Oscar Wilde.
–The Picture of Dorian Gray
Ken Keesley’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, #49 on the ALA’s Most Banned and Challenged Books from 2000-2010 sucks you right into another world and keeps you there, straight-jacketed by the prose and the action of non action, until the very last page. And then, days and weeks and months after shutting the book you still find yourself thinking about it… and wondering why the heck you haven’t written your Year of READING Dangerously entry for it.
For the record I really, really liked this novel. I really liked the movie too — I think it is Jack Nicholson‘s best work — but in the book, which I read long after seeing the movie, we get much more information on the minor characters and generally more to think about. The thing I liked the most about the book was the P.O.V. perspective of Chief Broom, and that fact that as a mental patient he is a somewhat unreliable narrator. As much as Murphy is the protagonist (and what a protagonist he is!) the Chief is the main character. Murphy moves the plot, but the Chief is the one I found myself caring about.
As established previously, I’m not the banning kind… but IF I were the banning kind I’d probably find a LOT of fault here. Racial slurs abound. Offensive Language, Nudity, Sexism, Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking, hints of Homosexuality, and lots of Violence.
Besides the 1975 movie the book was also adapted into a stage play in 1963. That makes sense as almost all the action takes place in the ward. I’d love to see this on stage. It would work really well on both a big atrium stage and in a small in the round setting.
For more on this book check out:
Another from the delightful Mr. Wilde…
–The Nightingale and the Rose
Another entry from my Secondary Character Saturday month of Alan Rickman movies… the delightful Truly Deeply.
Here’s a link to the missing “Sun Ain’t Going To Shine Anymore.”
https://youtu.be/AZ52td1GMT0
How appropriate?
![[Image courtesy MGM]](https://ritalovestowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/alan-3.jpg)
[Image courtesy MGM]
Who: Jamie Howe
From:Truly Madly Deeply
Once upon a time there were two people in love, their names were Nina and Jamie. They were even happy enough to be able to live happily ever after, (not often the case) and then Jamie died. Nina is left with a house full of rats and handymen, a job teaching foreigners English and an ache that fills the night sky. [IMDb]
You’ll have to wait until the 25 mark before he enters the movie properly, but it is worth the wait.
![Stevenson and Rickman as Nina and Jamie in Truly Madly Deeply [Image courtesy: MGM]](https://ritalovestowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/jamie-and-nina.jpg)
Stevenson and Rickman as Nina and Jamie in Truly Madly Deeply [Image courtesy: MGM]
Written and Directed by:Anthony Minghella
Produced: 1990
![Cover of "Truly Madly Deeply"](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5191N0XT60L.jpg "Cover of "Truly Madly Deeply"")
Pros: unconditional love, plays a mean cello, comes back from the dead to comfort his soul mate, handsome, fun.
Cons: annoying, cold (literally), selfish
Most Shining Moment: Since I think about 5 other people…
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Really ticked that I need to reblog yet another of my favorite posts because some one wonderful has passed away. But…
I used to do Secondary Character Saturdays where I’d dedicate a month’s worth of Saturdays to the favorite characters played by my favorite actors. Alan Rickman, with his long list of movies was an easy choice, and his Col. Brandon was / is a sweet pick.
I know Colin Firth’s fabulous turn as Mr. Darcy remains most people’s gateway (film) drug to Jane Austen, but Rickman’s Col. Brandon has always been mine.
I shall miss his droll wit and excellent dramatic presence at the movies. RIP Alan Rickman
![[Courtesy Fan Pop]](https://ritalovestowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/colonel-brandon-colonel-christopher-brandon-32006978-500-446.gif)
[Click on the image for animated Alan; Image Courtesy Fan Pop]
Who: Colonel Brandon
From: Sense and Sensibility
By: Jane Austen
Published: 1811
Pros: Kind, considerate, thoughtful, decent, patient, gentle, faithful, honorable, sensitive, generous, caring… and , oh, yeah, RICH.
Although reserved and not passionate, he has a very good heart and helps out those in distress. His charitable behavior toward Eliza Williams and Edward Ferrars makes him the unnoticed knight in shining armor. [Book Rags.com]
Cons: Unromantic (on the surface at least), dull, remote, joyless, grave. He appears stern and dour. especially when compared to Willoughby.
![English: "when Colonel Brandon appeared i...](http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hammond-SS14.jpg "English: "when Colonel Brandon appeared i...")
English: “when Colonel Brandon appeared it was too great a shock to be borne with calmness” – Marianne, expecting Willoughby, leaves after Colonel Brandon appears. Austen, Jane. Sense and Sensibility. London: George Allen, 1899. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Most Shining Moment: Traveling from Cleveland to Barton Cottage overnight to fetch Mrs. Dashwood…
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Continuing with Oscar Wilde…
The Critic as Artist
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