For all I know, the Harry Potter books are the greatest books ever written. If they are, it’ll be my loss, because I’m not gonna read them. Here’s why:
(1)I saw the first movie, and it sucked. Big Time. I know you can’t judge a book from the movie, but the general consensus is the people who liked the books also like the movies. I also read one and a half of those crappy books by Phillip Pullman, about a little brat with a soul manifested as her pet, which people compare to Harry Potter.
(2)I am highly skeptical of anything the masses enjoy. I have learned that my sense of aesthetic does not jive with the Average Joe. I assume the people who read these books are the same people who like crap like U2, Pink Floyd, Animal House, The Lord of the Rings, Wonder Bread, ketchup, Thomas Kinkade and People magazine. I also assume the people who read these books don’t know who James Joyce, Derek Bailey, Eric Dolphy, Charles Ives, Paul Klee or Andrei Tarkovsky are.
(3)There are about 50 books that I actually want to read. I am still trying to get through Don Quixote. The allegories are pertinent, perhaps especially in the George W. Bush era, and I think several chapters are a must-read for everyone, but I’ll admit it is a tedious read. I also haven’t read any Bukowski or Philip K. Dick, which I hope to remedy soon. Other books I really want to read include Finnegan’s Wake, Frannie and Zooey, Billy Budd, some Douglas Adams besides the Hitchhiker series and some more Ferlinghetti.
6 comments:
You're right about Potter; mass marketing doesn't necessarily mean high art. You might enjoy films by Michelangelo Antonioni, which have stood the test of time. Among my favorites is "Blow Up" (1966), which was scored by Herbie Hancock. If memory serves me correctly, Joe Henderson, Joe Chambers, and Jim Hall are on the session; the music itself is highly rhythmic and memorable. Mr. Antonioni passed away just recently, well into his 90s. He was native of Ferrara in the Po Valley, which is a running theme in his films.
thanks! i am not familiar with him and look forward to checking him out. Tonight I'm watching The Pink Panther- I've somehow never seen any of those movies.
You're welcome! There are many masterpieces -- Il Grido, The Red Desert, and others.
Among Antonioni's last films is "Beyond the Clouds", which was co-directed by Wim Wenders. It's a series of short, episodic studies; John Malkovich appears in one them. Portofino, the historic port city, is featured.
You don't like ketchup?
ick! what is that stuff, salt, sugar, mashed tomatoes and red food coloring?
watched Pink Panther and the sequel A Shot in the Dark. Both stupid. A nitwit (Peter Sellers) falls down and breaks stuff a lot and accidently solves the crime. if i want pratfall gags, i'll watch Buster Keaton.
Then as per James' suggestion, watched Blow Up. Oh god! Some jackass photographer does nothing for two hours. i gave it the MST3K treatment which almost made it bearable. well, and i fast forwarded through a lot of it. thanks but no thanks, James!
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