Another of my favorite novels is coming to the big screen. Keira Knightley will star in Mark Romanek’s adaptation of Never Let Me Go, an extraordinary science fiction novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, author or The Remains of the Day.
But there’s a problem here. The book is a fantastic read, in part because of the slow, painstaking pace at which the author makes an unsettling revelation. In summaries of the movie, that revelation is being announced right off the bat, blatantly spoiling any kind of intrigue or surprise. The novel’s powerful sense of mystery, of something being not quite right in the characters’ community, is ruined.
So trust me: If you want the best possible experience of this great story, read the book right away and shut out all announcements about the movie adaptation. Even a one-sentence summary may spoil the twist for you.
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Sam Phillips, Fiona Apple, and Patty Griffin are among the chanteuses chanteus-ing on this tribute album to Cy Coleman. I suspect you’re having the same reaction I did. “Cy … who?”
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I didn’t know about Andy Warhol’s apparent Christian faith until my friend Jacques showed me this story. Fascinating.
Re: Andy Warhol. One of the first magazine articles I ever wrote was a piece on Jesus movies for Bible Review, a magazine that normally runs articles by scholars who study dusty old manuscripts and the like — and I pitched my pop-culture-related article to them back in ’97 after seeing their cover story on the religious art of Andy Warhol. Very interesting, it was.
Hi Jeffrey,
I’m the one who emailed you over the weekend to tell you about the Sam Phillips and the Cy Coleman tribute CD. I emailed the music publisher who is putting it out, and this was their response:
Hi Jill, we should have news soon on when the EP will be available, I’ll keep
your email and will update you. Sam Phillips is on the full length version of
the album which we hope to have out this summer, the ep version features Patty
Griffin, Fiona Apple, Ambrosia Parsley, Julianna Raye, Nikka Costa, and Missy
Higgins. All best, Damon Booth. Notable Music Co.
Well worth the wait, I’m sure!
Jill
“In summaries of the movie, that revelation is being announced right off the bat, blatantly spoiling any kind of intrigue or surprise.”
NOOOOOOOOO! One of the most wonderful and haunting aspects of Ishiguro’s book was his slow-paced revelation; to be abruptly told what in the book remained a secret for chapters without even having seen the movie would destroy it!