The Roaring 20s

Tuesday Rumpus: Where the Wild Things Are

Here in New York, the Urban Outfitters hipster contingent seems to have majorly latched onto Spike Jonze's adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are--there's even an article in the New York Observer about it.  I got lucky last week and scored a ticket to the star-studded premiere at Lincoln Center (not sure what Edward Norton was doing there, but he is gorgeous in person).  Besides the celebrity sightings, I thought the movie was incredible.  For the most part, I agreed with the New York Times, which called it "intensely original and haunting." I have a bit of trouble seeing how the movie would appeal to kids, but it was visually stunning, emotionally moving, and Karen O's score was lovely. 

Readers, have you seen Where the Wild Things Are yet? What did you think? Did it do the book justice? Do you think it works as a movie for children, or is it more adult-oriented? The most thoughtful comment earns a copy of Heads On and We Shoot: The Making of Where the Wild Things Are. 

Subway Reading: New Yorkers Weigh in!

A little while ago I posted about an experience I had on the 2/3, during which I saw two women reading Harper titles within inches of each other.  I got some awesome comments from readers, who- for the most part- insisted that it wasn't rude to ask strangers about their reading material.  Overall, it seems like we all enjoy sharing what we're reading.  So it came as no surprise to me when I saw this piece in the New York Times, which asked real New Yorkers to list their subway reads.  Most of the titles on the list made sense to me, but I'll admit, I saw War and Peace and almost spit out my coffee.  I have never, to this day, seen someone reading War and Peace on the 6, the B, or the E.  Maybe nymag is right, though- Tolstoy, or a longer novel, might work better for someone who rides the F, which runs at a notoriously slow pace.  What do you think of the list? Do any of our book choices surprise you? 

Weekend Reading

What should you be reading this weekend? I highly recommend Kevin Wilson's debut collection of short stories, Tunneling to the Center of the Earth.  There are some fantastic stories in the book, but my favorite is probably "Blowing Up on the Spot," of which the New York Times writes:

"In the aptly titled 'Blowing Up on the Spot,' a young man’s parents spontaneously combust...The detonating qualities of strong emotion appear in several stories, but Wilson is equally preoccupied with the absurdity of his imagined modern world. While the almost plausible situations call to mind the fiction of George Saunders, Wilson isn’t aiming for satire; the pressure of living in a distorted society isn’t his most pressing concern...Wilson’s true gift is for depicting the dangers of strong, complex emotions."   

Happy Friday!

A Rave for 'Callisto'

 The New York Times has called Callisto a "nightmarishly amusing potboiler," and the review is appropriately hilarious.  Take Forrest Gump and cross him with the Coen brothers, and you'll get a general idea of what Torsten Krol's debut novel is like, or as the NY Times wrote: “The Manchurian Candidate” as retold by Woody from “Cheers.” Odell Deefus, who's not the sharpest tool in the shed, has one goal: to fight the "mad dog Islamites." But while driving to an army enlistment office in Callisto, Kansas, his '78 Chevy breaks down on the side of a country road, and it's only the beginning of his troubles. When he accepts a local's offer of shelter until the car is repaired, things go from bad to worse—worse as in murder, drug dealers, tenacious televangelists . . . and finding himself a prime target of the FBI, which thinks he's a member of a terrorist sleeper cell. Jack Pendarvis writes: "our identification with his clumsy charmer becomes at once the scariest and most appealing thing about the book." Is your curiosity piqued? Browse inside, and click here for the full review.