Book Club news

Rosemary Sorensen | Bendigo Weekly | 28-Oct-2011

«
FRESH: James Howson as Heathcliff.
»
Who would make the perfect Heathcliff?
If you were given the task of casting the role of the rough romantic in Emily Bronte’s classic 1847 novel, Wuthering Heights, could you do better than Laurence Olivier from the 1939 film?
A new adaptation of Wuthering Heights, directed by Andrea Arnold, has just been released in the UK, and it takes the bold leap into casting James Howson as Heathcliff.
Because Heathcliff was described by Bronte as a gypsy, and a “lascar”, Arnold has decided to go with this relatively unknown dark-skinned actor from Leeds.
The result is being hailed as a “breath of fresh air”, since it is finally being acknowledged that is is Heathcliff’s unacceptability within polite (white) society that leads to the disastrous break with Cathy, and all that comes after.
A book about Black Saturday has won this year’s Colin Roderick Award. Worst of Days by Karen Kissane was given the $10,000 prize by the Federation of Australian Writers, who called it a “masterful narrative of the emergency services at work, heroism and the aftermath of trauma… heartbreaking, inspiring, haunting and impossible to put down.”

A FORMER manager of the Tintin estate is concerned that the new 3-D animated film produced by Steven Spielberg will damage the integrity of the original works. Jean-Claude Jouret told AFP that the blockbuster will “undermine” Herge’s books. “It’s undoubtedly good business but perhaps it won’t help the long-term preservation of his work,” he said. Spielberg has had the film rights to the Tintin books for almost 30 years but it took the development of new technologies to give him the chance to turn the adventure stories into film. Herve’s Tintin in the Congo is currently in a court case, awaiting a ruling on whether it is racist and a “justification of colonisation and white supremacy”.

At the Bendigo Weekly Bookclub online, you’ll find the Dymocks Bendigo Weekly Top Ten, Pick of the Week reviews and our Best Read recommendations. There is also the Refrain poetry file, for readers to share their own poems and their favourites.
Join the Bendigo Weekly Bookclub for news and information straight to your in-box weekly, and for regular opportunities to win books: to sign on, email bookclub@bendigoweekly.com.au.
b.Entertained

Comment





Captcha Image