Simon's Night

Simon's Night
Average customer rating:

this is a great writer.

"The dormancy is a kind of death in itself."

Finally, a novel about an older man which is realistic!

Simply the best

an insightful perspective on aging

Simon's Night
Jon Hassler
Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0689109814

Book Description

"A marvel. Out of Old Age, which our peculiar times have determined to view as a sort of generational sin, Jon Hassler has drawn forth a poignant, funny, wise novel about Eternal Youth."
THE CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER
Simon Shea, a retired professor of English at a small Minnesota college, has begun to forget things and is making dangerous errors in living. Thinking he needs to be cared for more closely, he commits himself to a private rest home, and opens a world of the strange, delightful, frightening, and comic, as he attempts to recover from his mistake.

Customer Reviews:

this is a great writer........2007-02-19

my first jon hassler read, simon's night is a great piece of fiction. a novel that caused me to buy everything i could find with this author's name on it. no pretension here, no postmodern posturing, just a wonderful old-fashion novel with interesting real-life characters brought vividly forth by a master. mr hassler should be as famous as anne tyler or john updike, he creates a complete fictional world that is a treat to look into. my highest recommendations.

"The dormancy is a kind of death in itself.".......2003-05-12

Not many books seem to tackle the sensitive subject of aging well. It's a topic that depresses most people, and yet in Jon Hassler's book, "Simon's Night," the author manages to wrestle with the subject of aging, and he still produces a gentle, upbeat novel as a result.

"Simon's Night" is the story of retired English college professor, Simon Shea who decides that he is losing his memory, and so he removes himself from his remote country cottage to a home for the elderly managed by the battleax, Hattie Norman. Hattie Norman's home has room for seven elderly people, and it's Hattie's belief that when dealing with old people, it's best to "let sleeping dogs lie." She translates this--in her particular case--to mean that "old folks are supposed to sit around watching TV," and she encourages a permanent state of vegetation to descend upon the home and her 'guests.'

Enter Simon Shea--he's horrified by the daily existence of the residents of his new home, and he feels himself slowly sinking into the pit of despair which encompasses the residents. Unlike the other residents, Simon still has intellectual pursuits, and he is appalled at the reality and the treatment endured by Hattie's boarders. Hassler creates the most brain-numbingly boring dinner conversations that occur between the residents as they each spiral on their own memories, and the dinners are one of the many dehumanizing experiences for the residents who are treated like moronic children.

Simon begins living in the Norman Home when he is at one of the low points in his life. At first, he accepts that this is the way it is going to be for the rest of his life until his death, but then a chain of events causes Simon to re-evaluate his life--the past, present, and the future. And to Simon's great surprise, he discovers that he does, indeed, still have a future to look forward to.

I thought Hassler's portrayal of aging was both sympathetic and realistic, and he addresses many of the issues faced by the elderly--loneliness, ostracism, illness, diminishing physical and mental capacities, depression, hopelessness and despair. It is a tribute to Hassler's skill as a writer that he still manages to pluck an optimistic novel from all of the negativity surrounding the issue of aging. My sole complaint against the novel is that I found the minor characters of Jean and her beau to be rather unbelievable. They were one-dimensional and served as an obvious plot-driven device--displacedhuman

Finally, a novel about an older man which is realistic!.......2002-02-24

Simon Shea, a retired college professor used to living a rather solitary life, becomes frightened after he has a few episodes of forgetfulness, the worst one causing an overheated pan to set his kitchen on fire. Shaken and feeling suddenly old, he decides he needs to commit himself to a rest home. In short, he no longer feels competent to live the independent life he's relished for so long and fears he is losing his mind.
This is, of course, a BIG mistake for Simon has plenty of vim and energy left and his mind is just fine. Luckily, he has a perceptive young doctor who sees his potential even when Simon's spirits falter and a visit from his wife (who Simon hasn't seen in years) also helps to set things straight. But before that happens, Simon has to confront his own demons, revisit his memories of teaching, marriage and...finally...re-examine his religious beliefs and come to terms with how they've shaped his life.
But this book is far, far more than I can describe here. Simon Shea is a complex, enigmatic character, nothing like the stereotypes of the elderly that fill too many books these days. It was a joy to get to know him and by the end of this novel, I felt I wanted to see waht happened to Simon. Wonder if there is a sequel to this one out there?

Simply the best.......2001-02-17

Jon Hassler is simply the best writer in American literature today period. It is amazing that more people have not read Hassler. Each of his books are poignant and charming. He writes in the style of the giants of yesteryear.

an insightful perspective on aging.......2000-03-06

John Hassler's, Simon's Night, is an incredible novel that creatively portrays issues surrounding the experience of aging. Hassler achieves this by personalizing the experience in his character, Simon Shea, a retired English professor. The novel explores Shea's mental process while he is struggling to be responsible about his decision to give up independent care and place himself in the care of a nursing home. Hassler successfully depicts the challenges many elderly people face through Simon's experiences and witty commentary on maintaining dignity, handling fear, reconciling past experiences, and living in relation to a culture which glorifies youth. For such an important and potentially depressing topic, this novel was a pleasure to read. The well developed characters were intriguing, often funny, and I found myself emotionally attached to them. This attachment gave the wisdom of Hassler's insights the strength of emotional connection.

Average customer rating:

Simply Excellent
Lord of the Night
Zso Sahaal's experince
Lord of the Night (Warhammer 40,000)
Dark and mysterious

Lord of the Night (Warhammer 40,000)
Simon Spurrier
Manufacturer: Games Workshop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1844161579

Book Description

Trapped on one of the huge megacities of the Imperial, a rogue Chaos Space Marine must evade his pursuers and navigate unseen while paving the way for invasion.

Customer Reviews:

Simply Excellent.......2007-08-24

I bought this book a month ago, more or less, and when I received it, I found the best backgroung history of 40K books I've ever read.

Just buy it.

Lord of the Night.......2007-03-27

In all truth this was an amazing book in all respects but one. The beginning was a tad slow, but the rest was intensely satisfying. Vivid language, tons of gore, and a dramatic plot line add up to make a wonderful book. I recommend this book to anyone.

Zso Sahaal's experince .......2007-03-01

kill a million men and they will queue to your face. But kill a single man and they will see monsters and devils in every shadow. Kill a dozen men and they shall scream and wail in the night, and they shall feel not hatred, but fear. Lord of the Night is about a traitor space marine by the name of Zso Sahaal the leader of the Night Lord Legion. The story starts of with Zso's mark of his lordship being stolen from him. He goes after the man who had planned this raid and finds out a even bigger plot behind the heist. Zso goes through many experinces and people to reach his treasured prize.....

Lord of the Night (Warhammer 40,000).......2006-07-07

Love the Warhammer 40,000 book series, it reflects how are world seems to going thru the similar problems in our day and age. The characters are well thought out and the storys keep you wanting to read more.

Dark and mysterious.......2005-12-01

Spurrier has talent. This is a really nicely written book about the (even) darker side of WH40K (as though it wasn't dark enough already). It's great to see the workings of an evil mind ... There's some great character development here, and I found it engrossing. It's not the best of the bunch (I think Abnett and Goto are better), but Spurrier is getting there. I'm looking forward to whatever he does next.

Night Games: And Other Stories and Novellas

Average customer rating:

Mind games
Reviewed
Illicit Love and Death in Imperial Vienna

Night Games: And Other Stories and Novellas
Arthur Schnitzler
Manufacturer: Ivan R. Dee, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1566635063

Book Description

These artful new translations of nine of Schnitzler's most important stories and novellas reinforce the Viennese author's remarkable achievement.

Customer Reviews:

Mind games.......2007-03-10

Schnitzler is one of (if not the) pioneers of stream-of-consciousness prose, and his style is on full display in this collection. All of his characters are tortured souls who suffer their actions, who act out of lust and jealousy, and are uncomfortable with love and death - but accepting of them; for the former often leads to the latter, spiritually and physically. At the time these stories and novellas were written, the content, which features "moral decay", must have been quite shocking. Today, it's commonplace, obviously, but even though public scorn has been assuaged (except for the most public of figures), how the actions of those involved in affairs and other dubious (fun) behaviors play out in the mind, how each individual wrestles with his or her guilt over them is portrayed here with an authoritative pen by a master of the short form.

"Death of a Bachelor" is a masterpiece!

Reviewed.......2002-06-26

Ageing interns at Cahners Business Associates who will outlive any opinions they give need not be condescending by pushing the entire product line of conglomerate media franchises.

Illicit Love and Death in Imperial Vienna.......2002-05-29

Written in the late19th century, these stories show their age. They abound with high-class officers and lowly maidens. But in their careful search for thoughts and meanings, they presage Freudian analysis.

In ?Night Games?, Lieutenant Willi Kasda has to come up with 1?000 gulden within 24 hours. Seeing no other way, he joins a card game. But the devil in disguise is dealing the cards and the night spirals toward a disastrous ending. The description of the all-night game alone is an unforgettable piece of literature. Willi?s descent into hell is described in minute and gripping detail.

?The Dead are Silent?: Franz and Emma go for a night ride to the outskirts of town. There is an accident. leaving Emma to her own devices. How does she get home before her husband? A cliffhanger.

?Blind Geronimo and his Brother?: Geronimo and his brother Carlo are panhandlers. Geronimo plays the guitar and sings, while Carlo collects the offerings. When they were children, an accident caused by Carlo resulted in his brother?s blindness. Now Carlo sees the sole purpose of his life in caring for Geronimo. But can a blind man trust Carlo? Slowly but surely things fall apart.

?A Farewell?: Albert waits for his beloved Anna, who is closely watched by her husband. And he waits, getting more desperate by the hour and the day. What could possibly have happened? The story goes from bad to worse, carefully analyzing Albert?s frame of mind.

?The Second?: It shows us the idiocy of dueling and its code. The narrator is an almost professional second on such occasions. At the present one, Eduard Loiberger gets killed - who is to bring the news of this senseless death to Agatha, his widow? The narrator, who feels an attachment to Agatha, tries to accomplish this task.

?Baron von Leisenbogh?s Destiny?: The baron is deeply in love with Clara Hell, a singer. For ten years he follows her throughout Europe, without coming close to his goal. Will he be rewarded in the end? That is where the surprise comes in, deftly maneuvered by the author.

?The Widower?: Richard?s wife suddenly dies and he is devastated. But was she really the saint he imagined her to be? What about his best friend Hugo? And how to handle him? The solution is not exactly Freudian.

?Death of a Bachelor?: Three friends are called to the bedside of the bachelor who, however, just had died. He has left them a confession concerning the wives of each one. How do they deal with the letter? Three situations - can there be just one solution? Each friend has to examine his relation to his wife.

?Dream Story?: Fridolin and Albertine have an open marriage, telling each other what normally would be kept secret. But there is a difference. Fridolin has a nightly adventure that is quite real but sounds like a dream. He decides not to tell his wife about it. Albertine has a dream involving an unknown man and she tells her husband about it. Can Fridolin take it? Will the dream, to him, have some basis in fact?

The stories and novellas are old fashioned and may not be to everybody?s taste. They are superbly written, though, and a document to the times. Kudos also to the translator.

North to the Night: A Spiritual Odyssey in the Arctic
Average customer rating:

remarkable and unforgettable

Adventure in the Arctic

Unbridled narcissism in an arctic setting. ?Spiritual?

It's more like a 10-star book

A Spiritual Odyssey of Incredible Self-Absorbtion

North to the Night: A Spiritual Odyssey in the Arctic
Alvah Simon
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 076790446X
Release Date: 1999-09-14

Amazon.com

Following his "Arctic dreams" that began with a photograph of the haggard crew of the ill-fated ship Endurance, Alvah Simon and his wife, Diana, set sail to winter in the high north. "We call them explorers, but I knew that look in their eyes," Simon writes of the early Arctic adventurers. "They were seekers, and that is a different thing." With self-discovery as a deeper agenda, the couple ventures into Tay Bay of remote Bylot Island; it is their ultima Thule--"the Last Unknown." Their small boat is willingly frozen in the ice. When Diana is airlifted out of the Arctic to tend to an emergency back home, Simon is unexpectedly left in solitude. His journey turns inward as he confronts the "uncomfortable awakening of my spiritual self." In the waning daylight, then total darkness, Simon's days are punctuated by depression and mania, a crackled voice over the radio, Inuit visitors, and hard-earned lessons as he is driven by the forces of the Arctic winter and by "the total loss of the sun." In this elegant, well-paced book, the Arctic darkness becomes a psychological landscape perforated with light and revelation, and Simon's thrilling tale is as captivating as his language. There is a welcome intimacy here as we share the same icy hull, listening close to this searching man. Simon courageously tells us about his darkest moments, dreams, and nightmares, and when the sun emerges, new eyes greet land and relationships. Simon has discovered his ultima Thule. --Byron Ricks

Book Description

In June 1994 Alvah Simon and his wife, Diana, set off in their 36-foot sailboat to explore the hauntingly beautiful world of icebergs, tundra, and fjords lying high above the Arctic Circle. Four months later, unexpected events would trap Simon alone on his boat, frozen in ice 100 miles from the nearest settlement, with the long polar night stretching into darkness for months to come.

With his world circumscribed by screaming blizzards and marauding polar bears and his only companion a kitten named Halifax, Simon withstands months of crushing loneliness, sudden blindness, and private demons. Trapped in a boat buried beneath the drifting snow, he struggles through the perpetual darkness toward a spiritual awakening and an understanding of the forces that conspired to bring him there. He emerges five months later a transformed man.

Simon's powerful, triumphant story combines the suspense of Into Thin Air with a crystalline, lyrical prose to explore the hypnotic draw of one of earth's deepest and most dangerous wildernesses.

Customer Reviews:

remarkable and unforgettable .......2007-09-12

Journey with Alvah as he sails for the Arctic and he will open his world to you as most do only with close friends. Share in his triumphs and struggles through his year in the Arctic. And more than just the physical adventure of a lifetime, Alvah shares the spiritual dimensions of being utterly alone in the most inhospitable of environments, completely engulfed by a harsh and wondrous Artic wilderness. This is a remarkable and unforgettable tale.

Adventure in the Arctic.......2006-09-04

If you like an exciting adventure that you don't want to end and if you enjoy the style of writing that makes you feel you're actually there experiencing what the writer is going through you'll enjoy this book. To gain an understanding of some of the native peoples of the frozen Arctic wilderness and this unique place on earth read this book!

Unbridled narcissism in an arctic setting. ?Spiritual?.......2006-07-07

I could not agree more with every word of Isha Beharim's review. My first impression at the beginning of the book was of the author's extreme self absorbtion, and the impression never left me, and the self absorbtion never left the author either, despite whatever "spiritual" experience he may have had. The book, by the way, never comes within a country mile of anything even remotely spiritual, and I think perhaps the word was used in the sub-title only to improve sales, although, who knows, maybe sadly this sort of stuff passes for spirituality for this guy.

The book was only interesting as the most extreme example of this sort of narcissist-meets-survival writing, which seems all the rage these days, and which also seems increasingly boring to me. I believe this book has cured me of my interest in this entire genre, and for that I suppose I owe a debt of gratitude.

It's more like a 10-star book.......2006-04-06

because it has all the things great books are supposed to have. It's exciting, honest, moving, educational, thoughtful, humorous, philosophical. You'll be different after you read it.

Okay, a husband and a wife and a cat going up into the Arctic to winter-over in a small boat is a goofy idea. The author admits as much and realizes he bit off more than he could chew. It was much worse than he expected, but with grit, resourcefulness, and well, lack of any other choices, he somehow, against all odds, lives to see spring.

That the cat got through the winter is even more astonishing. At one point Simon picks up the cat, and not knowing it's frozen, breaks off one of its ears. (The ear heals -- sort of.)

Simon's wife has to leave before winter sets in, and Simon is left alone with the cat to get through months of darkness and 60-below (F)weather. He goes blind for a time, nearly dies from lack of oxygen and carbon-monoxide poisoning, and loses his mind for awhile. He does endlessly dumb things -- it would be much less of a story if he didn't.

Simon is an astonishingly good writer, his style easy and natural, and his description of the Actic as good as Barry Lopez' best.

A Spiritual Odyssey of Incredible Self-Absorbtion.......2006-02-25

While the descriptions of arctic environment and people encountered in this book was interesting, the prose style of Mr. Simon was completely self-absorbed, dripping with condescension, arrogance, and numerous jagged barbs toward those who do not share his free lifestyle or post-modern worldview.

While he states this was a spiritual Odyssey, the story was all I, I, I, me, me, me, us, us, us. The Inuit accepted US, the wildlife accept ME, the fox that was near my boat had a message for ME, the raven that was a frequent visitor was there for ME, the bear I encountered also had a message for ME. Every piece of landscape, every person, every animal was only important in its relationship to them. That self-absorption got old really quickly.

He states it was a spiritual quest, but repeatedly stated that he needed the experience to "authenticate" himself. He needed to "interact" with the wildlife to "authenticate" his experience. Then, after all this "authentication", what great spiritual insight did he give his readers at the end of his journey? "I entered the abyss in many ways a stranger to myself and emerged intimately familiar with the inner man. I searched the edges of darkness and plumbed the depths of my soul, faced my fears, and uncovered my weaknesses." I, I, I, me, me, me. Please, enough already.

He quote Loren Eiseley, writing, "It is a commonplace of all religious thought, even the most primitive, that the man seeking visions and insight must go apart from his fellows and live for a time in the wilderness. If he is of the proper sort he will return with a message." Too bad Mr. Simon didn't return with one.

I feel sorry for someone so spiritually bereft that he must seek out such hardships in order to "authenticate" himself. And there are certainly better books about the arctic out there that are actually about the arctic and not just about the author. I suggest passing on this one.

Night Is Gone, Day Is Still Coming: Stories and Poems by American Indian Teens and Young Adults

Average customer rating:

EXCELLENT

Night Is Gone, Day Is Still Coming: Stories and Poems by American Indian Teens and Young Adults

Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0763615188
Release Date: 2003-07-14

Book Description

The voices of fifty-seven young American Indians emerge in a powerful collection of original writing coedited by the anthologist of YOU HEAR ME? and THINGS I HAVE TO TELL YOU.

When the night isgone and the day isstill coming,we will be taken awayfrom this earth.We will be rising asthe next generationis coming.- from "Next Generations" by Marcia Blacksmith, age thirteen, Crow, LakotaOpen this revelatory anthology of poetry, prose, and memoir and listen to the voices of today’s young American Indians, ages eleven to twenty-two, from many nations across the country: A young man pines for his "fry bread queen" in a comically honest take on unrequited love. Another teen tells of a "carbonation dance," his summer ritual of crushing returnable Coke cans with his grandfather. Some express typical teenage angst. Others share glimpses of their culture’s unique traditions and beliefs. And many speak of culture clash - such as the homesick "rez girl" riding the New York subway like a "Cochiti carrot in the huge ethnic salad." The chorus assembled between the covers of this essential book sings a song that transcends all borders, seen and unseen.

Customer Reviews:

EXCELLENT.......2004-01-12

The collection of stories and poems by All Nation youth is inspiring and relevant. Here are true voices of Indian youth speaking out unhindered. A great read for teens and adults alike!

Average customer rating:

"Triffids" deserves a sequel but this ain't it.
My 100-word book review
A qualified success
Reading Pleasure
A bit of a disappointment

Night of the Triffids
Simon Clark
Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0340766018

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At the end of The Day of the Triffids, the hero, Bill Masen, his wife, and four-year-old son leave the British mainland to join a new colony on the Isle of Wight. The Night of the Triffids takes up the story 25 years later. David Masen, the now grown-up son of Bill, is a pilot, still searching for a method of destroying the implacable triffid plant as it continues its worldwide march, seemingly intent on wiping out humankind. David eventually manages to reach New York, where a very different sort of colony has been set up, a colony whose members seem to be immune to the triffid string and where David comes face to face with an old enemy from his father's past.

Customer Reviews:

"Triffids" deserves a sequel but this ain't it........2007-05-17

This book starts a generation or so after "The Day of the Triffids" ends, with the world again being plunged into darkness, this time because the earth has passed through a cloud of cosmic dust, or something. The cloud conveniently doesn't cut off the heat as well, so we don't just freeze to death. The triffids, of course, take advantage of the situation, and have to be survived all over again.

The hero, son of the original hero, Bill Masen, investigates the event and finds himself taken to America, where another community is holding out on Manhattan Island (why there, for Pete's sake? It would seem even less promising than London, and far less so than America's own Southwest or Great Plains states). In New York (small world isn't it?), he runs into his father's old enemy, Torrance, who was setting up feudal baronies in the last chapter of the original novel, and has now tried his luck across the pond. Torrance hasn't changed much. While the status of the blind is less of an issue now, it seems that Blacks are kept pretty much in their 1950s place. The sequel then runs off into various adventures with new varieties of triffid, and rival groups of human, which I can only hazily recall, and probably won't bother going back to.

In short, a thorough disappointment, and for me at least an infuriating one. I would have loved a decent sequel to Wyndham's book, which is up there with "Earth Abides" as one of my favourite disaster novels, but which left so much more to be told. But this doesn't even come close.

Incidentally, another reviewer asked when "The Day of the Triffids" was supposed to have taken place. Fortunately, we were told that Masen removed his bandages on Wednesday 8th May, which narrows it down a bit. My perpetual calendar shows the following years, subsequent to the book's publication in 1951, when such a date existed - 1957, 1963, 1968, 1974, 1985, 1991, 1996, 2002. Since it's clearly set in the present, or at least very near future, we can probably forget the last four, and a reference in "Night" to the Berlin Wall eliminates 1957. My bet would be 1963, with 1968 and 1974 as possible but less likely. But others may have their own opinion.

My 100-word book review.......2007-03-21

Set a few decades after the events of John Wyndham's famous novel, Night of the Triffids is a straightforward adventure story, with travel, warfare and a little romance thrown in. Not really in the same league as the original, it nevertheless has some imaginative touches, including a few brand new varieties of triffid. Whereas Day of the Triffids was an epic tale about the fall of civilisation, Night of the Triffids is mostly about warring human factions in a depopulated and dangerous new world. Taken on its own merits, this is a solidly written story, which I found quite entertaining.

A qualified success.......2006-08-28

A must-read item for Wyndham fans, and given the challenge that Simon Clark took on, a qualified success.

Reading Pleasure.......2006-08-20

Having read DOTT and NOTT in the space of one month and watching the movie version of the former twixt the readings I can honestly say I'd like more.

Of course Clark isn't Wyndham but for that matter (in the Triffid universe) David Masen isn't his father either. So that makes it easy to read the different stylings of the 2 authors. I enjoyed both and would give DOTT 5 stars to NOTT's 4 stars (the movie might get 3 for effort mainly, and like others I would love to see a new flick based on DOTT).

I actually appreciated the lack of expletives and find it ridiculous that someone actually wanted more for "realism". Realism? Both works were supposed to be historical journals not word-for-word accounts. Few historians bother with including every expletive they've heard and I find it totally believable that these accounts didn't either.

The complaint by some that evolution doesn't work as portrayed is hilarious since evolution doesn't work at all. Besides that, it is science-fiction. What part of fiction didn't they understand?

So much could be done with Triffids by authors using different survivors (even those who might not know any of the people in these 2 books). Settings in Hawaii, Austrailia, Japan, California, ad naseum would be welcomed by me.

A bit of a disappointment.......2004-09-22

As someone who has read most of John Wyndham's (the author of the original "Day of ...") books, I hoped to find something similar in this book. I did. The writing style of it looks the same as the original, but several things are different/wrong: All of Wyndham's books were short, clear and concise. This one is much too long and verbose. Each of Wyndham's books showed how human society is fragile by changing some "little" thing and then telling what the catastrophic consequences would be. This allways gave food for thought. This one tries a little with the darkness and the "new" triffids, but it fails IMHO to do it in a believable way. Wyndhams books were believable even though they introduced strange things like walking plants. The reason behind the darkness (the night) in "Night of ..." seems silly and out of place. And then there are the "new" triffids. In the end you start asking yourself when there'll be triffids driving cars, or flying aeroplanes.

The book started well, feeling like a new Wyndham book, but in the end, after too many pages, I was left with an empty hollow impression and the feeling of having wasted my time. This was the first and last book I'll read by Simon Clark.

The Night of the Hunter (BFI Film Classics)

Average customer rating:

bfi does a good thing
Fascinating

The Night of the Hunter (BFI Film Classics)
Simon Callow
Manufacturer: British Film Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0851708226

Book Description

The Night of the Hunter was Charles Laughton's only film as director. Adapted from a best-selling novel by Davis Grubb, it is part expressionist horror movie, part luminous fairytale, and contains some of the most haunting images in cinema: Willa (Shelley Winters), her throat cut and hair streaming out like seaweed, sitting in a submerged Model T Ford; her children, framed by looming animals, in a downriver flight from Preacher (Robert Mitchum), a silhouetted threat on the horizon.
The Night of the Hunter is revered today, but it failed on its first release, and Laughton never recovered from the disappointment. Simon Callow explores Laughton's transition between film actor and director, and examines the considerable influence the film has had on subsequent filmmakers such as Neil Jordan and even Callow himself.

Customer Reviews:

bfi does a good thing.......2007-05-11

these little books are very helpful for deepening the understanding of a favorite film.

they are well written, not too boring and perfect for a day of travelling by air or train because they're not bulky. they slip right inside a computer case; then you pop a dvd in of the film you've read about and you're set!

total edutainment!

Fascinating.......2004-10-11

A fascinating book about an equally fascinating and very under-rated movie. I don't remember where or when I first saw "The Night of the Hunter," but I do remember being scared, horrified and thrilled all at the same time. As was usually the case when he played a villan, Robert Mitchum was terrifying as he roamed off in the distance as a silhouette on horseback (which, by the way was actually a stand-in midget riding a donkey -- now THAT's creepy!). And the rest of the cast, including the great Lillian Gish and the incomparable Shelley Winters, as well as the two child actors, is absolutly steller; not to mention that this movie was Charles Laughton's one and only (unfortuately) foray into directing. My reason for spending so much time praising the movie is that this book deserves equal praise for bringing the movie back so vividly to the reader. Again, it's a fascinating read -- and in some ways, almost as spooky as the movie. All of the books in the BFI Film Classics series that I've read are wonderful, and this is one of the best. Go get it!

CALIFORNIA NIGHT'S DREAM (CALIFORNIA DREAMS #8) (California Dreams, No 8)

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CALIFORNIA NIGHT'S DREAM (CALIFORNIA DREAMS #8) (California Dreams, No 8)
Barbara Brooks-Simon
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0020416520

Look to the Night Sky (Puffin Science Books)

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Look to the Night Sky (Puffin Science Books)
Seymour Simon
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Cosmology | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0140491856

Average customer rating:

Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims
John Foreman , and Simon W. Parry
Manufacturer: Red Kite
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

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