This fascinating non-fiction book examines the representation of desire between woman in literature in six section: 'Travesties', 'Inseparables', 'Rivals', 'Monsters', 'Detection' and 'Out'. While it's full of detail and so will please any scholars interested in the subject, Inseparable is also an easy, sometimes amusing, read for non-academics. Donoghue infuses her non-fiction analysis with the same edge of humour that I enjoy so much in her fiction. Though, for me, this subject could never be dry and boring, she ensures it isn't so.
The 'Travesties' section looks at cross-dressing within texts from 990 onwards, including brief discussions on Shakespeare, Margaret Cavendish and Theophile Gautier amongst others. It examines the recurring depictions of 'The Female Bridegroom' and 'The Male Amazon' in a chapter that looks at the causes and consequences of cross-dressing and its heyday in the drama of the seventeeth century.
'Inseparables' begins with the Biblical account of Ruth and Naomi and covers the representation of love based on similarity. As this is one of my areas of interest, I perhaps found this chapter the most interesting, particularly the discussion on Charlotte Bronte's Shirley. It also highlighted some works I want to read, both for pleasure and study - as every chapter did.
'Rivals' is a fascinating analysis of what happens when a woman and man compete for the same love. It starts with Sappho and goes through Shakespeare, Richardson and some rather brilliant-sounding French texts before moving on to discuss what happens when the rivalry bubbles over. It examined some texts I was already familiar with, such as The Rainbow and The Fox, but, again, the ones I found most intriguing were the ones I've yet to read, most notably The Bostonians.
Perhaps the chapter on 'Monsters' contains the themes most familiar to observers of fiction about desire between women. It's interesting to see the texts these stereotypes stemmed from then we take a short tour through Dickens, Hardy and others. This is quite an uncomfortable chapter, though I particularly liked the section on ghost stories.
The fifth chapter on 'Detection' provided me with plenty of books I want to read somewhere down the line. Again, desire between women is a theme pretty familiar to readers of the crime genre and it looks at writers including Ruth Rendell, Agatha Christie and P.D. James. Given my sensation fiction roots, I was also pleased to see a discussion of The Woman in White in this chapter followed by an examination of two novels by Sarah Waters.
'Out', the final chapter, looks at the 'awakening' motif in texts from George Moore onwards. It's a nice shift in tone from the other chapters, looking at declared love instead of coded texts, but it also highlights the complexities of modern life. There's a section here on 'first love' which covers several texts I was already familiar with and, once more, a number of works mentioned in this chapter are now begging to be read.
Ultimately, Emma Donoghue has written a book that is both informative and fascinating. Her subject knowledge is exemplary and her style engaging. I've already referred back to Inseparable for academic work and I have no doubt I'll be doing that again fairly frequently. Highly recommended!
Showing posts with label agatha christie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label agatha christie. Show all posts
Tuesday, 26 May 2015
Thursday, 20 June 2013
Classic Film Review: Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
Murder on the Orient Express boasts an all-star cast in one of Agatha Christie's most-loved stories. Albert Finney stars as Hercule Poirot, the famous detective who is called unexpectedly back to London and so ends up on a train he wasn't supposed to be on. He encounters Ratchett (Richard Widmark) who is concerned about his own safety but Poirot declines to become involved. A few hours later Ratchett is killed, a fact discovered the next morning. While clues begin popping up, Poirot interviews his fellow passengers and an incredible story begins to emerge.
To give a cast run-down this film stars Lauren Bacall as Mrs Hubbard, Ingrid Bergman as Greta, Sean Connery as Colonel Abuthnot, John Gielgud as Beddoes, Wendy Hiller as Princess Dragomiroff, Vanessa Redgrave as as Mary Debenham and Michael York as Count Andrenyi. For me, the stand-out performance comes from Ingrid Bergman who captured me from her first few seconds - though that happens with most things I see her in. Utterly outstanding, getting better with age. Also, John Gielgud was outstanding but, again, that was expected. Really, though, every cast member puts in an excellent performance. Outside of the huge names, my favourite performance came from Jean-Pierre Cassel as Pierre, who actually brought me to tears.
I'm not sure Finney is my favourite Poirot (I grew quite attached to Peter Ustinov in Death on the Nile) but he certainly plays the part well. He accepts the quirks of the character and jumps straight into them and, for the most part, his interactions with the suspects are spot on. He is sublime in the final revelation scene and his interactions with characters there were perfect. The end of the film more than lived up to its potential.
What about the minor flaws? Well, I thought that rather too much time was spent getting the Orient Express moving, although I did appreciate the attention to detail in the first few minutes. However, after that I thought the pace worked well and every actor played their parts wonderfully. A good use of music throughout added to the effect but mainly this story requires actors immersing themselves into their characters. They managed that and therefore it was a complete success.
To give a cast run-down this film stars Lauren Bacall as Mrs Hubbard, Ingrid Bergman as Greta, Sean Connery as Colonel Abuthnot, John Gielgud as Beddoes, Wendy Hiller as Princess Dragomiroff, Vanessa Redgrave as as Mary Debenham and Michael York as Count Andrenyi. For me, the stand-out performance comes from Ingrid Bergman who captured me from her first few seconds - though that happens with most things I see her in. Utterly outstanding, getting better with age. Also, John Gielgud was outstanding but, again, that was expected. Really, though, every cast member puts in an excellent performance. Outside of the huge names, my favourite performance came from Jean-Pierre Cassel as Pierre, who actually brought me to tears.
I'm not sure Finney is my favourite Poirot (I grew quite attached to Peter Ustinov in Death on the Nile) but he certainly plays the part well. He accepts the quirks of the character and jumps straight into them and, for the most part, his interactions with the suspects are spot on. He is sublime in the final revelation scene and his interactions with characters there were perfect. The end of the film more than lived up to its potential.
What about the minor flaws? Well, I thought that rather too much time was spent getting the Orient Express moving, although I did appreciate the attention to detail in the first few minutes. However, after that I thought the pace worked well and every actor played their parts wonderfully. A good use of music throughout added to the effect but mainly this story requires actors immersing themselves into their characters. They managed that and therefore it was a complete success.
Thursday, 26 July 2012
Classic Film Review: Death on the Nile (1978)
This adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel certainly has a cast beyond compare. With all this talent on show you have to wonder whether the actual result will be disappointing under the weight of expectation. It isn't though: Death on the Nile is an excellent adaptation of an excellent mystery.
Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot is played here for the first time by Peter Ustinov. Poirot is in Egypt about to take a trip down the Nile on the same boat as rich heiress, Linnet Ridgeway (Lois Chiles), who has gathered quite a few enemies through her lifetime. She has recently married Simon Doyle (Simon MacCorkindale) but stole him from his fiancée, Jacqueline (Mia Farrow). Jacqueline has decided to make their honeymoon hell, following them from place to place, even surprising them on top of a pyramid. Also on the boat are Mrs. Salome Otterbourne (Angela Lansbury) and her daughter Rosalie (Olivia Hussey) - Linnet is embroiled in a legal battle with romantic author Mrs Otterbourne after she made some defamatory remarks about her in print which makes enemies out of mother and daughter. There's also Mrs. Van Schuyler (Bette Davis), who has taken an interest in Linnet's pearls, and her companion Miss Bowers (Maggie Smith) who has an ancient grudge to settle with the Ridgeway family, whom she blames for her current dependent position. To round out the list there is Linnet's lawyer, Andrew Pennington (George Kennedy), who has been embezzling his client's funds and risks discovery now she's married; her maid, Louise (Jane Birkin), who has been seeking Linnet's permission to marry for years; Dr. Bessner (Jim Warden) who has been on the receiving end of slander by Linnet and socialist, Jim Ferguson, who believes she should be shot as a lesson to the 'others'. This makes for quite a list of motives when Linnet is killed and almost all of passengers had the opportunity. Poirot, with the help of Colonel Race (David Niven), sets out to discover the culprit but it isn't long before the bodies start piling up.
It could be said that this one takes a while to get going. The murder certainly doesn't happen immediately but this allows the viewer to grow intimate with the various suspects. The various introductions are well-paced, not overwhelming, and impart just enough information without overloading the audience. The writing is superb, which it should be given its origins, and the Egyptian scenery is absolutely breathtaking. You don't just get a formidable cast, you get it against the backdrop of some of the most majestic scenery in the world. Most of the cast getting on camels and donkeys was a sight to see also!
In all honesty, I think Angela Lansbury stole the show as drunk novelist Mrs. Otterbourne. If an actress draws your attention to her in every scene she's in, if she can play someone flamboyant to the point of invoking utter frustration in those around her and if she can scare David Niven's character just by dancing with him... Well, you've got a scene-stealer on your hands and that's no small feat alongside such an excellent cast. Bette Davis also has some stinging lines and her scenes with Maggie Smith (mainly in suits!) were pure gold. Their final exchange merits repeating: Mrs. Van Schulyer: "Come, Bowers, it's time to go, this place is beginning to resemble a mortuary." Miss Bowers: "Thank God you'll be in one yourself before too long you bloody old fossil!" Watching this film did nothing to dim my adoration of either Lansbury or Smith - in fact, it increased it which was damn difficult to achieve!
And what of Ustinov as Hercule Poirot? He was so perfect that he doesn't really merit discussion. He played Poirot as he should be played - calculating, manipulative when necessary, amusing in his own way. There was nothing wrong with his performance, only his height. The moment where he faces off with a cobra in his bathroom is incredibly tense. That brings me to my final point: I was exceptionally impressed about how the directors weren't afraid to use silence when necessary. They seemed to accept that it ramped up the tension more than any words could. When an attempt is made on Linnet's life by a stone dropping from the top of some ruins, the viewer is alerted to what is going on by a silent look round at the suspects as they meander through the ruins then we're aware of someone climbing lots of stairs, only distinguishable by their breathing. This and the snake scene amongst others were perfect examples of how you don't need continuous noise to keep the audience on the edge of their seats - you just need something at stake. A perfect lesson to storytellers everywhere.
Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot is played here for the first time by Peter Ustinov. Poirot is in Egypt about to take a trip down the Nile on the same boat as rich heiress, Linnet Ridgeway (Lois Chiles), who has gathered quite a few enemies through her lifetime. She has recently married Simon Doyle (Simon MacCorkindale) but stole him from his fiancée, Jacqueline (Mia Farrow). Jacqueline has decided to make their honeymoon hell, following them from place to place, even surprising them on top of a pyramid. Also on the boat are Mrs. Salome Otterbourne (Angela Lansbury) and her daughter Rosalie (Olivia Hussey) - Linnet is embroiled in a legal battle with romantic author Mrs Otterbourne after she made some defamatory remarks about her in print which makes enemies out of mother and daughter. There's also Mrs. Van Schuyler (Bette Davis), who has taken an interest in Linnet's pearls, and her companion Miss Bowers (Maggie Smith) who has an ancient grudge to settle with the Ridgeway family, whom she blames for her current dependent position. To round out the list there is Linnet's lawyer, Andrew Pennington (George Kennedy), who has been embezzling his client's funds and risks discovery now she's married; her maid, Louise (Jane Birkin), who has been seeking Linnet's permission to marry for years; Dr. Bessner (Jim Warden) who has been on the receiving end of slander by Linnet and socialist, Jim Ferguson, who believes she should be shot as a lesson to the 'others'. This makes for quite a list of motives when Linnet is killed and almost all of passengers had the opportunity. Poirot, with the help of Colonel Race (David Niven), sets out to discover the culprit but it isn't long before the bodies start piling up.
It could be said that this one takes a while to get going. The murder certainly doesn't happen immediately but this allows the viewer to grow intimate with the various suspects. The various introductions are well-paced, not overwhelming, and impart just enough information without overloading the audience. The writing is superb, which it should be given its origins, and the Egyptian scenery is absolutely breathtaking. You don't just get a formidable cast, you get it against the backdrop of some of the most majestic scenery in the world. Most of the cast getting on camels and donkeys was a sight to see also!
In all honesty, I think Angela Lansbury stole the show as drunk novelist Mrs. Otterbourne. If an actress draws your attention to her in every scene she's in, if she can play someone flamboyant to the point of invoking utter frustration in those around her and if she can scare David Niven's character just by dancing with him... Well, you've got a scene-stealer on your hands and that's no small feat alongside such an excellent cast. Bette Davis also has some stinging lines and her scenes with Maggie Smith (mainly in suits!) were pure gold. Their final exchange merits repeating: Mrs. Van Schulyer: "Come, Bowers, it's time to go, this place is beginning to resemble a mortuary." Miss Bowers: "Thank God you'll be in one yourself before too long you bloody old fossil!" Watching this film did nothing to dim my adoration of either Lansbury or Smith - in fact, it increased it which was damn difficult to achieve!
And what of Ustinov as Hercule Poirot? He was so perfect that he doesn't really merit discussion. He played Poirot as he should be played - calculating, manipulative when necessary, amusing in his own way. There was nothing wrong with his performance, only his height. The moment where he faces off with a cobra in his bathroom is incredibly tense. That brings me to my final point: I was exceptionally impressed about how the directors weren't afraid to use silence when necessary. They seemed to accept that it ramped up the tension more than any words could. When an attempt is made on Linnet's life by a stone dropping from the top of some ruins, the viewer is alerted to what is going on by a silent look round at the suspects as they meander through the ruins then we're aware of someone climbing lots of stairs, only distinguishable by their breathing. This and the snake scene amongst others were perfect examples of how you don't need continuous noise to keep the audience on the edge of their seats - you just need something at stake. A perfect lesson to storytellers everywhere.
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