Recent Reading
23. Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
I saw the movie a few years ago and really enjoyed it, so when I saw a copy of the book at McKay's for a nickel, I didn't hesitate. Even though the story is based on a real murder trial, this is definitely one of those "truth is stranger than fiction" stories and the book delves into that even more than the movie did. In addition to all the odd characters, the voodoo spells, and the drag queens, there's also a lot of discussion of the traditions and rivalries of Savannah high society that seems like something Vonnegut would have come up with. The book, like the movie is just too damned quirky not to love.
24. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
This is one of those books I should have read long ago but somehow missed. I'd heard somewhere that the Coen brothers considered this book to inspiration for The Big Lebowski, but I never would have imagined how many similarities there were. While they aren't exact counterparts, there are a lot of similarities between The Big Lebowski, Bunny, and Maude and the Sternwoods--even the General's butler has certain Brant-like qualities. And, like The Dude, Marlowe doesn't so much follow the clues as just sort of end up where the clues are (sometimes thanks to a knock on the head).
I saw the movie a few years ago and really enjoyed it, so when I saw a copy of the book at McKay's for a nickel, I didn't hesitate. Even though the story is based on a real murder trial, this is definitely one of those "truth is stranger than fiction" stories and the book delves into that even more than the movie did. In addition to all the odd characters, the voodoo spells, and the drag queens, there's also a lot of discussion of the traditions and rivalries of Savannah high society that seems like something Vonnegut would have come up with. The book, like the movie is just too damned quirky not to love.
24. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
This is one of those books I should have read long ago but somehow missed. I'd heard somewhere that the Coen brothers considered this book to inspiration for The Big Lebowski, but I never would have imagined how many similarities there were. While they aren't exact counterparts, there are a lot of similarities between The Big Lebowski, Bunny, and Maude and the Sternwoods--even the General's butler has certain Brant-like qualities. And, like The Dude, Marlowe doesn't so much follow the clues as just sort of end up where the clues are (sometimes thanks to a knock on the head).