Drive Book/Audiobook Review
Hardcover Publisher: Poison Pen Press (September 1, 2005)
ISBN: 978-1590581810
Softcover Publisher: Mariner Books (August 30, 2011)
ISBN: 0547791097
Audiobook Publisher: Blackstone Audio (August 1, 2007)
ISBN: 9781455126057
Every year, the L.A. Times Festival of Books arrives on Spring’s doorstep of April. For a family of readers, it’s been an annual event in my household for more than a dozen years. Plus, meeting up with book bloggers like Jen Forbus, Pop Culture Nerd, and the Scientist Gone Wordy in the last few years at this gathering has turned out to be an unexpected icing on the cake. As I knew it would, the most recent fest on USC’s campus was no less thrilling. For this, I thought a change-up was in order and suggested as much to my co-contributor for this month’s you-know-what post.
With that, we’ve arrived again at that time for the blogger otherwise known as the Scientist Gone Wordy and I to execute another of our reviews in parallel. However, we will break new ground (as promised) here. Normally, the wordy one looks at the text of a well-known novel later adapted to the screen, which I then review. Not this time buckaroos. I’ll do the reading/listening (as I’ll also cover the audiobook) of the source literary material for one of my favorite films of 2011. It will be Rachel’s turn to perform the film review task in this tour of duty. And it will be the young and remarkable Dane director, Nicolas Winding Refn, and his stunning film, Drive, that will be in her sights. Author James Sallis‘ similarly titled novel (or much closer in size to what some of us would call a novella) will receive my less-practiced inkhorn scrutiny.
Rachel’s film review can be found here:
A brief synopsis of the book: a lean, taciturn young man drives cars to make a living in the City of the Angels. His standard reply, “I drive.“, doesn’t make it any clearer than that. The thus named Driver performs stunt work for the L.A. movie companies and he’s very good at it. However, it’s his equally adept secondary occupation that holds the most risk. He is the go-to guy for professional wheel-work in the city’s underbelly most of us hide from. Planning a robbery? The Driver will get you from here to there and out of law enforcement’s clutches. He doesn’t carry a gun or take part in the illegal act other than drive. However, this time he’s left in the middle of a heist gone wrong (now I ask you, is there any other type?). And being double-crossed is not in this guy’s repertoire, literally.
[spoiler warning: you don't know what I'm going to write or reveal in this because I'm steering through it all with my knees, so beware]
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The Big Sleep Film Review
Somehow, and quickly, the first quarter of 2012 is nearing its end. Coincidentally, it rained pretty heavily (for L.A. that is) the day I screened the film for this month’s duo post. Turned out to be serendipitous since similar weather played a part in the novel and its movie adaptation. So with that, we’ve arrived again at that time once more for the blogger otherwise known as the Scientist Gone Wordy and I to execute another of our reviews in parallel. Though we’ll break no new ground in this instance (you’ll have to wait till next month for that), we take on separate but related looks on our blogs examining a noted book and its later film adaptation. As usual, the wordy one will look at the famed text of a well-known novel later adapted to the screen, which I will review. Like we started the year, we’ll scrutinize one more venerable hardboiled crime classic.
We will review the first novel for a contemporary of Dashiell Hammett, this one centered far south of that author’s Bay area setting, in the rivalrous City of the Angels. In this case, my colleague will be looking at the notable and earliest book by author Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep. The 1939 novel also sourced both its rarely seen pre-release version, and its later re-cut 1946 theatrical début. Rachel’s book review can be found here:
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
A brief synopsis of the film: called to the estate of the wealthy, but clearly dying, General Sternwood, private investigator Philip Marlowe is tasked with a number of problems vexing his client. Among them, a favored employee of the General’s has gone missing, someone is blackmailing him, and the old man’s wild pair of daughters are raising men’s temperatures all over the place. As he delves into the heart of them, Marlowe soon discovers each problem only masks other nefarious doings actually going on. As might be expected, Marlowe will have figure it all out, or die trying.
[spoiler warning: some key elements of the film could be revealed in this review]
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Persuasion Film Review
Leap day, February 29th, is a date that only occurs, obviously, during Leap Years — those annum that are evenly divisible by 4. Seems like the perfect occasion to venture off onto something altogether different. As scary as that sounds, and with that in mind, it is time once more for the blogger otherwise known as the Scientist Gone Wordy and I to add another of our duo posts in the series we started in the Spring of 2010. For this one, we, meaning I, will attempt to break new ground as we examine the novel/film pairing of a particular book by famed author Jane Austen.
Yes, you are reading this correctly. That Jane Austen. Meaning, the same ‘guy’ that has reviewed science fiction (dystopian and otherwise), gritty crime stories, political and tech thrillers, and seminal horror adaptations, will give it a go at examining a work of English romance by none other than the queen of that particular genre. As usual, the wordy one will look at the text of the well-known novel later adapted to the screen, which I will review. In this case, she’ll be looking at the last novel of Austen’s, Persuasion, which, from what I hear, was published posthumously in 1818 (guess we won’t have any references to what the author thought about the screen adaptation or its casting). I’ll look at the 1995 version done for the BBC Masterpiece Theatre production. Rachel’s book review can be found here:
A brief synopsis of the film: earlier in her life, Anne Elliot, one of the daughters of an aristocratic English family, broke off an engagement to one Frederick Wentworth. Miss Elliot was persuaded to do so by those who trouble themselves over such matters as the young seaman’s family connections and class were deemed to come up short. Years later when her father (going through belt-tightening times) rents out the family estate to an Admiral Croft, Frederick re-enters Anne’s existence since his sister is married to that high-ranking officer. Plus, Frederick is now a rich and successful Captain, making him a highly eligible bachelor in the midst of the upper crust. Whom will he marry? One of Anne’s relatives vying for the honor? Or will he and Anne rekindle that old flame, one supposedly as dead as her current prospects?
[spoiler warning: some key elements of the film could be revealed in this review]
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The Maltese Falcon Film Review
The year 2012 is barely here, but as I look up at the calendar the damn thing tells me that January is coming to an end… already. Criminy! So, I mustn’t waste time. For those new to this site, this means the blogger otherwise known as the Scientist Gone Wordy and I are again restarting a certain practice of ours, following our end-of-year holiday break. Back in 2010 (why does that seem so long ago now?), we began a series of duo posts, though the credit for the idea (and the string of posts) was Rachel’s. In parallel reviews on our blogs, each of us per month would examine a noted book and its later film adaptation. Traditionally, my northern California colleague reviews the novel. “Why“, you ask? She’s good at it. Plus, she not only does this for her blog, but for the San Francisco Book Review and the City Book Review. I perform the film review duties in this partnership. Not that I’m any good at it, but because I’m such a sloooowwwww reader. For this inaugural pair, we will return to the ranks of a classic. Meaning, the oldest book and film pairing for we’ve ever done in this arc of blog posts.
We’ll examine plausibly the most famed detective novel there is. So glad there won’t be any pressure associated with this one. In this case, my colleague will be looking at the best known work by author Dashiell Hammett, The Maltese Falcon. The 1930 novel also sourced its most famous transference to film, which was released in 1941. Rachel’s book review can be found here:
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
A brief synopsis of the film: in San Francisco of ’41, the detective agency of Sam Spade and Miles Archer take on a seemingly straightforward case of locating the sister of the woman who has just walked through their front door. The beautiful Miss Ruth Wonderly has come seeking help in shadowing a man by the name of Floyd Thursby in hopes of finding and drawing her young sibling away from his nefarious clutches. The less than chummy partners agree to take on the case, and of course the high retainer proffered. Archer, the more titillated toward the comely client (and less smart) of the two, eagerly volunteers to start the trail that very evening. When his dead, gunshot body is found that night by police, Spade is called down to the crime scene and questioned. Thus begins the hardboiled P.I.’s search for his associate’s killer and the reason behind it all. He’ll find a perfumed grafter named Joel Cairo, a fat man name Gutman, a pretty woman he can’t trust, and an ancient treasure piece worth murdering for in his trek.
[spoiler warning: some key elements of the film could be revealed in this review]
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Rosemary’s Baby Film Review
“This is no dream! This is really happening!”
The year 2011 is quickly drawing to close. I say that because today is Halloween. While there are two full months left, is there any doubt they won’t flash by (getting out of the way for the sake of 2012)? Those of you monitoring the Mayan calendar can insert an end-of-the-world reference here. With that in mind, it is time once more for the blogger otherwise known as the Scientist Gone Wordy and I to add another of our duo posts to the series we started last year (some would say the last decade… whatever). For this pair, we will return to the fashionable 60s and a Satanic shocker that prefaced them all. ‘The Devil made me do it’ all began here, in other words. We’ll examine the novel/film adaptation of a classic, and up to that point, original work of modern horror. As usual, the wordy one will look at the text of a well-known novel later made in to film, which I will review. In this case, my colleague will be looking at the best known work by author/playwright Ira Levin, Rosemary’s Baby. The 1967 novel also sourced, almost literally, the film adaptation released the very next year. Rachel’s book review can be found here:
A brief synopsis of the film: A young, voguish couple, upwardly striving as only those in New York City could be in the hip 60s, have found what they believe is their ideal apartment in the gothic Bramford building. That their future neighboring tenants are a bit odd (and the edifice a shady, some would say lethal, history) matters not a lick. It’s got a view, plenty of room, and is on the upper westside of Manhattan, for chrissakes! Rosemary, a naïve, recovering Catholic wife to her struggling actor husband, Guy Woodhouse, settle in to their new digs. Whatever plans for enlarging their family are on hold for Guy’s acting career. That is, till things start turning the thespian’s way in a dismaying but beneficial manner. Then, the idea of having a baby (hell, “let’s have three!“) becomes all-consuming to the previously disinclined husband. What spurs this, and Rosemary’s resulting pregnancy — along with her doubts and wifely suspicions, which grow as big as her belly — are at the crux of this devilish story.
[spoiler warning: some key elements of the film could be revealed in this review]
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