My apologies for the radio silence this month. Kim and I are working furiously on another project, meaning this blog gets treated like the bastard stepson.
My thoughts for the day: Tim Burton doing Alice In Wonderland? Brilliant.
Also, I can't decide what to do about Brideshead Revisited. I absolutely abhorred the original miniseries. But I'm currently obsessed with the era of Bright Young Things: the clothes, the manner of speaking, the parties, the general insouciance.. So it makes me want to see the movie, for eye candy, if nothing else. But I think if i were to read the book first, it might give me better insight, thereby letting me appreciate it more. (Perhaps that was my problem in watching the original miniseries?) So I might need to head to the library this weekend before I make the pilgrimage to the cinema.
I just finished reading Evelyn Waugh's A Handful of Dust, and I absolutely loved it. I'm going to need to add the 1998 adaptation (starring Kiristin Scott Davis, James Wilby, Judi Dench and Rupert Graves) to my Netflix queue. Coincidentally, I'm also reading a fascinating biography of the Mitford sisters and can't help but wonder if Diana Mitford's first marriage was part inspiration for Waugh, since they were tight for a spell. In any case, the stories of those sisters put me in a panic about the possibility of ever having teenage children! Would definitely recommend the book, by Mary S. Lovell.
Speaking of the Mitfords, I'll probably put the adaptation of Nancy Mitford's Love in a Cold Climate in my queue while I'm at it.
For an aside, I always wanted to be called Decca. The fact that she was a Nazi kinda put me off of it. However, if I ever need to change my name for professional reasons, it's still on the table.
ReplyDeleteI know...it's fascinating how they were all smilingly unabashed pinkos and/or fascists. You, in particular, must have identified with the idea of all those girls in one family.
ReplyDeleteDiana & Bryan Guinness were definitely inspirations for Waugh. His novel Vile Bodies was especially modeled on their set (the movie Bright Young Things is based on Vile Bodies). Diana, Bryan, their friend Stephen Tennant and others were used extensively in Vile Bodies and other Waugh works.
ReplyDeleteAnd a note for the comment above; Decca (Jessica) Mitford was actually a famous member of the Communist Party (it was Unity Mitford who was friends with Hitler, as well as Diana) and went on to be a Civil Rights fighter and famous muckraker. An amazing woman (her letters were just published, I highly recommend).
I'm kind of a Mitford fan...lol. Love In A Cold Climate was diverting, but nothing can ever compare to the books! After you read the Lovell bio, you should get this: Letters Between Six Sisters & Letters of Nancy Mitford & Evelyn Waugh