Miss Read: Winter in Thrush Green
Comfort reading? Perhaps, but there is nothing wrong with that. Miss Read revisits Thrush Green for the first time in this novel from 1961. Some wonderful lines but not as much of the barbed sentiment of her previous work. (***)
J M Coetzee: The Childhood of Jesus
When this isn't being allegorical it is being philosophical. Neither approach really goes anywhere. (***)
Marc Leverton: Glastonbury Festival Myths and Legends
Fun little pocket book with snippets of stories from across the many years of the festival. To be honest, it could have all been covered in a magazine article but might be a nice memento of your visit. (***)
Miss Read: Fresh from the Country
A standalone novel, outside her two main series, about a young teacher's first job in a big school in a large town. Good story, lots of great characters. Surprised she didn't follow this up with any more. A shame. (****)
Brian Aldiss: Frankenstein Unbound
A somewhat bonkers sequel which is hugely more entertaining than the original. (****)
Mary Shelley: Frankenstein
God, what a disappointment. Plot holes the monster could walk through without having to bend down. Ridiculous. (**)
Will le Fleming: Central Reservation
A remarkably measured and accomplished debut. A story about loss, families, survival and that awkward transition into adulthood. A writer to watch. (****)
Kerry Hudson: Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice-cream Float Before He Stole My Ma
Best first line I've read this year: 'Get out, you cunting, shitting, little fucking fucker!' were the first words I ever heard. And the rest of it is just as good. (****)
Jen Campbell: More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops
It arrived in the mail, I opened it up to dip in, next thing I knew I had finished the whole thing. (****)
Peter F. Hamilton: Misspent Youth
What a science fiction novel would be like if written by Judith Krantz. Utterly ridiculous but actually quite good fun. (***)
Miss Read: Thrush Green
Part of my Reading Miss Read challenge. The first in a parallel series to the Fairacre books and of an equally high standard. Looking forward to finding out what happens next. (****)
Miss Read: Storm in the Village
Latest instalment in my quest to read all the Miss Read books this year. This one moved away from the school setting somewhat and focused more on goings on in the village. A bit more gossipy and less social commentary as a result. Enjoyable comfort reading. (***)
Angela S. Choi: Hello Kitty Must Die
A novel about traditional Chinese families in modern America with a bit of hymen reconstruction surgery and serial killing thrown in for good measure. (****)
Carlene Bauer: Frances and Bernard
An epistolary novel based on the friendship between Robert Lowell and Flannery O'Connor. I picked it up and found it hard to put back down again. Polished it off in three short sittings. Excellent stuff. (****)
Jeremy Paxman: The Political Animal: An Anatomy
Genuinely enlightening study of politicians in the this country. Why they do it, what makes them tick, what their jobs entail and what happens when they are booted out. (****)
Richard Cowper: A Dream of Kinship
Second in an almost forgotten fantasy trilogy. Not quite as good as the first but still a cracking tale. Looking forward to the final part. (****)
Gilbert Adair: The Death of the Author
A murder mystery which doubles up as a satire on the world of literary criticism. A niche market, perhaps, but I really enjoyed this. (****)
Fiona Maddocks: Hildegard of Bingen
Fascinating biography of a 12th Century abbess who is recognised as one of the first composers as well as being a visionary, naturalist and feminist. (****)
Miss Read: Village Diary
Book two in my reading challenge and every bit as entertaining as the first. (****)
JMR Higgs: KLF: Chaos Magic Music Money
Witty, thought-provoking, jaw-dropping at times, this is one of the best books about the music industry you will ever read. (****)
Jennifer Egan: A Visit From the Goon Squad
I had no idea what to expect when I started reading this, I didn't even know what it was about, but was most pleasantly surprised. An original piece of storytelling which never forgets it is trying to tell a story. (****)
Miss Read: Village School
A year in the life of a fictional village school during the 1950s. A much misunderstood modern classic and a fascinating slice of social history. (****)
Stephan Mendel-Enk: Oh Sweden! Oh Israel!
One of the most accessible Jewish novels (for me as a non-Jewish reader) that I have come across. A quirky family story. Very short. Not amazing but some impressive stuff in there. Thought the £12.99 RRP for a book coming in at under 150 pages was a bit steep. (***)
Apostolos Doxiadis: Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth
A graphic novel about Bertrand Russell. I shit you not. And it is proper fascinating and everything. (****)
Guy Delisle: Burma Chronicles
An account of a year the author spent living in Burma told in comic book form. Genuinely interesting and engaging if not particularly earth shattering but well worth a read if you want to find out a bit about the country and its people. (****)
Junichiro Tanizaki: Some Prefer Nettles
A somewhat restrained novel about the breakdown of a marriage in 1920s Japan. Offers considerable insight into Japanese society at the time. (***)
Kent Haruf: Benediction
A quiet masterpiece. (*****)
Alison Moore: The Lighthouse
Simple, unpretentious prose. Beautifully observed. Slightly off-kilter story. Really rather splendid. (****)
Brian Aldiss: Bury My Heart At W. H. Smith's
A memoir, of sorts. A glimpse at a writer's life. Full of great anecdotes and shameless namedropping. (****)
Brian Aldiss: The Brightfount Diaries
The diary of a fictional bookseller. Brian's first published book started out as a series of columns in The Bookseller magazine in the 1950s and is a delightfully amusing portrait of bookselling in the middle of the last century, much of which hasn't really changed a great deal. (****)
I highly recommend WALL-E - or at least the first 20 minutes of it. (I don't not recommend the rest of it, just don't remember it.)
I watched Psycho for the first time at the weekend. Interesting viewing when you already know the ending. I've yet to get around to Schindler's List and quite a few others on your list.
Oh, liking your new look!
Posted by: Stephanie | March 28, 2012 at 07:42 AM
I understand from some of your posts you like Japanese literature...and yet you have never watched the Seven Samurai? Along with The Deer Hunter it is my favourite movie. A study in film-making, so perfect in just about every way. Everything that director Kurosawa ever did was golden, and the 'Seven' gets better and better with every viewing.
Monsters Inc is my favourite Pixar feature - phenomenal imagination and a great story. Utter brilliance.
I could rave about just about every movie you mention above, so it doesn't matter where you start. Off the top of my head, a few 'classics/blockbusters' I've never seen include:
-Citizen Kane
-Casablanca
-The African Queen
-Avatar
-Gone with the wind
-It's a wonderful life
-Pulp Fiction
Posted by: Sgt_Pluck | March 28, 2012 at 07:46 AM
Of these, The Sting. That's the one that I absolutely cannot imagine someone not enjoying. It might not be your favourite film ever, though it's one of mine, but if you don't enjoy it, then our tastes are so different (which is fine, of course) that I will stop recommending things.
Posted by: Robbie | March 28, 2012 at 08:15 AM
Two lady films you should see are 'The Iron Lady' & 'The Lady'. I'm sure we all know to to whom the first refers.
The second is about Aung San Suu Kyi, and her decades fight for democracy in Burma. I had the great pleasure to be at its screening at the Hua Hin (Thailand) film festival when Luc Besson - its director - and star, Michelle Yeoh - who bears an amazing likeness to Suu Kyi - attended. A truly moving and exceptional film.
Posted by: Edwin Tipple | March 28, 2012 at 08:35 AM
Many of them are to old to watch for the first time, since they're so dated. Monty Pythin, much as I love them myself, are very dated in their style of humour.
Posted by: Rachel Green | March 28, 2012 at 09:23 AM
Into the wild is great whilst magnolia okay but over hyped as Yom cruise gets to play a not very likeable character (still the Aimmee mann sing along is worth catching)
stand by me is a greta coming of age film even if a tad sugary at times
Schindlers list - i kind of think everyone should see
Alien / butch / chinatown / lawrence are all in my favs
only managed to see 30 mins of any Terence Malik film and i jus tthought if i wanted to see a series of paintings i'd go to an art gallery
never seen forest gump / driving miss daisy or anything twilighty
on a sep note - if you havent seen it Crazy stupid love a rom com with a healthy dose of cynicism well at least until the last 5 mins but you cant have everything
Posted by: friend of rachel worth | March 28, 2012 at 09:43 AM
I can't believe you've never seen Alien, the classic haunted house movie... in space! WALL-E is cute but gets a bit silly.
Classic movies I haven't seen -
Godfather trilogy
Most classic/spaghetti Westerns
Deliverance
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Big Lebowski
Casablanca
Fargo
And many more I'm sure.
Posted by: Beth Lewis | March 28, 2012 at 10:17 AM
Nice new blog design, Scott, by the way. Very clean.
Of the list above, there's plenty you'd enjoy, and if I was to pick three to start off with it'd be Alien (a different experience each time), Manhattan (funny, of course, but with a heart-stoppingly well-crafted opening few minutes) and Back to the Future (for laughs and energy every single moment it's on screen).
Posted by: Al | March 28, 2012 at 10:18 AM
Pluck. It's a Wonderful Life is a wonderful movie. Much darker than you might expect. And Pulp Fiction is impressive in terms of storytelling and structure. Both worth watching when you get a chance.
Robbie. Thanks, as always. I will get on the case.
And everyone else - thanks for the tips and for sharing your own!
Posted by: Scott Pack | March 28, 2012 at 11:04 AM
I haven't seen The Invisible Man:)
I say go for Monsters Inc - then you can watch it with the kids and share a packet of popcorn:)
Posted by: Jane | March 28, 2012 at 12:08 PM
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Because as well as being a cracking film, I think you'll appreciate the interplay with the music.
Posted by: JonnyB | March 28, 2012 at 02:11 PM
The Third Man.
Posted by: PK Munroe | March 28, 2012 at 07:30 PM
Gone with the Wind is awesome.
Alien is great for horror, Aliens awesome for action.
Seven Samurai, classic Kurasawa but if you haven't seen Hidden Fortress, that May be a better choice. equally good, but pretty much the original Star Wars.
Haven't seen Lawrence of Arabia but David Year's amazing so probably a great choice. But all in all, I'd say go with The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
Posted by: Kate | March 28, 2012 at 08:59 PM
Some of those are overrated, but some are just wonderful. If you can only see one of them, please make it Life Of Brian. It manages to be really funny AND make people think about religion, politics, society, the herd instinct and, well, life... It's also not as tightly 'studenty' as Holy Grail or the TV sketches - it has a much broader register, as I'm learning to say at University these days.
Network does all that too, with a fewer silly jokes.
Posted by: Dickon Edwards | March 28, 2012 at 09:08 PM
Of the movies you haven't seen, I've only seen:
To Kill a Mockingbird
Gone With the Wind
Stand By Me
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
I have seen snippets of a few of the others, but not the entire film.
I have never seen, nor wish to:
Titanic
Avatar
Any of the Godfather movies (I've seen only parts of GF1)
A Clockwork Orange
Posted by: Janet | March 28, 2012 at 09:12 PM
never seen, and nor will I;
ET
Titanic
Schindler's List
Eat, Love, Pray
No one can convince me otherwise. (Although if I want to have an opinion on something I will usually have to experience it, I learned a hard lesson with 'Mamma Mia')
Posted by: obscure thing | March 28, 2012 at 09:14 PM
Life of Brian - My second fav film, after the man with two brains. I recommend them both.
Posted by: Jill Pennington | March 28, 2012 at 09:17 PM
Lawrence of Arabia is fab, but then I did see it at a proper cinema, where there was cake during the interval. And I did like Gone with the Wind, which I also saw on the big screen.
I haven't seen: Titanic, Clockwork Orange, Avatar, or in fact, quite a lot of your list. And I'm not going to.
Posted by: Becky | March 28, 2012 at 09:17 PM
I'd say don't watch Apocalypse Now unless you can see it in the cinema. And to those poor souls who've never seen Casablanca. You haven't just never seen Casablanca, you've never seen *any* film *ever*. Casablanca is cinema.
For myself: The Green Mile (and never will), Seven Samurai (and know I should), To Kill A Mockingbird. Gone With The Wind (doubt I ever will), The Lion King (god willing).
If you set to out to watch/read/do everything you should before you die just because someone else told you to, then you might as well be dead already. But Casablanca, seriously...
Posted by: Jonathan Gibbs | March 28, 2012 at 09:29 PM
I am enjoying this everyone, keep them coming!
Posted by: Scott Pack | March 28, 2012 at 09:33 PM
you should definitely watch 'Magnolia'. unless, like me, you happen to be terrified of frogs!
Posted by: lisa | March 28, 2012 at 10:28 PM
oh. and i've never seen a Star Wars film nor a Harry Potter.
Posted by: lisa | March 28, 2012 at 10:29 PM
More importantly, which film would you NEVER admit to ANYONE that you enjoyed. Here are some examples:
Legally Blonde (Reese Witherspoon)
Leap Year (Amy Adams and that cute scruffy, lanky guy that played opposite her)
REMINDER: These are hypothetical 'likes'...just to give you an idea of the type of movie I'm talking about. Not movies that I would like, at all! Never. Ever.
Oh, and here is a made-for-TV movie I adore: To Dance with the White Dog. (For real. If you don't like this movie, you don't have a heart.)
Posted by: Janet | March 28, 2012 at 10:36 PM
Haven't seen (but feel I should):
Gone With The Wind
Wizard Of Oz
It's A Wonderful Life
Clockwork Orange
And Scott, watch BTTF next. All three of 'em. Screenwriting perfection.
Jonathan Gibbs is spot on about Casablanca, BTW.
Posted by: Jonathan Pinnock | March 28, 2012 at 10:36 PM
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Schindler's List
Seven Samuarai
Once Upon a Time in the West
Dr Strangelove
Apocalypse Now
Alien
Aliens
The Shining
WALL-E
Lawrence of Arabia
To Kill a Mockingbird
Back to the Future
Das Boot
The Third Man
The Green Mile
Chinatown
Once Upon a Time in America
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Raging Bull
Return of the Jedi
The Sting
The Lion King
On the Waterfront
Heat
The Deer Hunter
Scarface
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Into the Wild
Gone with the Wind
Life of Brian
Stand by Me
Network
Manhattan
Magnolia
Monsters Inc.
Posted by: David Roche | March 28, 2012 at 10:55 PM
Not a clunker in sight.
I'd go for (ascending)
Once Upon a Time in the West (if the first 10 minutes don't get you...)
Magnolia (brilliant fragments; if you liked 'Short Cuts'...)
Manhattan (funny lobster)
Shining (scared he sh*t out of me)
Once Upon a Time in America (My favourite film. DeNiro breaks your heart, Ennio's soundtrack is the best ever...)
Posted by: Trev | March 29, 2012 at 08:25 AM
Hmm, seen all of those except for The Lion King. I'd start with Life of Brian, if I were you, but my personal fave is Once Upon A Time in Ameria, closely followed by Chinatown.
Posted by: David Belbin | March 30, 2012 at 11:51 AM
Must-sees from this list, for me: Dr. Strangelove, Das Boot, Raging Bull, Manhattan. I envy you a first viewing of these!
Posted by: Mary Vensel White | March 30, 2012 at 06:45 PM
You have to see Monsters Inc. You've a few more good ones on the list but don't bother with Raging Bull. Catch Butch and Sundance and The Sting if you can.
Posted by: John Brassey | March 30, 2012 at 08:10 PM
There are so many films on this list that I love....hard to choose the one you should watch next....erm, ok, Stand by Me or The Green Mile or Life of Brian. Enjoy...
Posted by: D.J.Kirkby | March 31, 2012 at 10:51 AM
The Lion King. Completely brilliant and one of the few children's films I haven't minded watching over and over and over again.... And Network is fantastic.
I have never seen Withnail and I. I have tried, several times, but it makes me go to sleep.
Posted by: Clare | March 31, 2012 at 06:46 PM
Oh this gets me going. Don't care about films I haven't seen. Here's to a few films I'd watch again any time - I could go on and on ...
Seven Samuarai
Rashomon
Hiroshima Mon Amour
Woman in the Dunes
Goldrush
Casablanca
Anything by Maya Deren and Chris Marker
Farenheit 415
Shaft (71)
Citizen Kane
The Deer Hunter
Dead Poet Society
and :) ... on super wide screen:
Space Odyssey
Lawrence of Arabia
The Ten Commandments, for the super chariot race
Posted by: Ashen (Pia) | April 01, 2012 at 10:35 PM
The Third Man and Manhattan.
Posted by: alex | April 07, 2012 at 09:47 AM
Scott, I'm sure you would love The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Great story. Great music. Great Acting. Ely Wallach steals the show.
And Back to the Future. As a teenager in the 80s what were you doing?
Don't tell me, reading...
Posted by: Danny Rhodes | April 08, 2012 at 06:00 PM
OK I have also never seen any Star Wars or Harry Potter ... I remember seeing Seven Samurai and coming out of the cinema desperate for a bowl of freshly boiled white rice; loved Peter O'Toole in Lawrence; HATED The Shining - so overdone and obvious; defo agree re Once Upon a Time in America which is brill! Have seen a lot of the others ... Oh and did enjoy Lion King with my kids when it came out!
Posted by: Jill Pay (@belugajill) | April 10, 2012 at 11:28 PM