I just finished watching the HBO series Big Little Lies and, I’m sure, like many others, didn’t want it to end. The slow, almost hypnotic pace of the direction by Jean-Marc Vallée in producer and writer David E. Kelley’s adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s book eased viewers into the complicated lives of the mothers of first graders in an affluent suburb of Monterey, California. I quickly scooped up the book and was not disappointed by its southern Australian setting. The characters are the same: the charismatic, rapid-fire and funny Maddie, […]
Goodnight, Sweet Princess …
I happened to be at the Disney park that has franchised most of the Star Wars experience last week when I heard about Carrie Fisher’s passing. Talk about bittersweet, as we saw posters of Princess Leia, from all of her franchise appearances, around the park. I first saw Star Wars on its first release in 1977, and loved her spunky take on the princess, although I have to admit my young teen eyes and heart were mostly focused on the dreamy Luke Skywalker. But I have enjoyed Carrie Fisher […]
Mon cher Poirot
After my recent Alex Cross-athon, I felt I needed a palate cleanser. And what better, than to re-read some old favorites, by the grande dame of mystery herself, Agatha Christie? I first discovered Christie when I was about 10 or 11, prowling through my mother’s bookcases for something to read. I guess I had exhausted whatever I had taken home from the Bookmobile – probably Louisa May Alcott’s Eight Cousins or a collection of folktales. The first Christie I read was The Moving Finger. I still have my mom’s paperback, with its lurid […]
Cross, Cross, Cross …
As I stated earlier, I have been reading a lot of James Patterson lately. I have so much happening on the home front these days that these mostly mindless mysteries have been somewhat soothing. But I think I’m done for a while. I thought that the books solo-authored by Patterson would be less factory-like, but alas, that doesn’t seem to be the case. As much as I liked the first novel featuring his African-American psychologist/detective Alex Cross, in the series, Along Came A Spider, the rest of […]
Doctor Sleep and the Lure of the Sequel
While I was reading Doctor Sleep I was bouncing back and forth between my memories of the novel, written by Stephen King in 1977, and the movie adaptation by director Stanley Kubrick, from 1980. I suspect King may have had both in his mind as well. Although it is well-documented that King didn’t love the film version, Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of Jack Torrance was indelible, as were Shelley Duvall as his wife Wendy and the Overlook Hotel itself. The sins of the father will play out in his […]
Hogwarts … You Can’t Go Home Again?
The kid and I recently read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Hmmm … I don’t know what to say. I guess I can say that my daughter liked it better than I did. Initially it was wonderful to see favorite characters again — Harry, Ron, Hermione especially. There are even appearances by some folks you might not expect. I won’t spoil it. But … I just didn’t buy it. This was not who I imagined Harry, Ron, Hermione to be as adults. There are so […]
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