THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion

Rick wrote: "for sdome reason I am finding very hard to get into Northanger Abby - nothing seems to be happenning- but then I have only read 50 pages- Catherine goes to Bath with the Allens- who meet the Thorpe..."

Don't give up quite yet, it does get more interesting. It is especially funny when the Tilneys and Catherine finally become friends and get into some interesting conversations.

I shall continue to read it- I hate giving up on books- and the two "J'S" Jill and Jeannette have givenme the impetuse to forge on!

Melissa wrote: "I am currently reading The Robe. My mom recommended it! She said it was one of her favorites and that's always good enough for me. Also getting ready to start an Agatha Christie fo..."

I would suggest the first Poirot The Mysterious Affair at Styles, just to introduce the characters. But I like all the Poirot books. The A.B.C. Murders is good, too!

Jeannette wrote: "Melissa wrote: "I am currently reading The Robe. My mom recommended it! She said it was one of her favorites and that's always good enough for me. Also getting ready to start an Ag..."

wasnt Michael Rennie in the film version of The Robe?

He is listed in the cast as Peter (on imdb.com). I can't remember what he looks like. Have you got a good photo?

hereis a pic of him
in many movies
most famous for orig- AS THE WORLD STOOD STILL

http://application.denofgeek.com/imag...

here is another pic of Michael Rennie

http://boxoffice.com/blogs/steve/mich...

I knew that I recognized the name. I haven't seen When the Earth Stood Still in ages!

Suzanne wrote: "'20th Century Ghosts' by Joe Hill ...
Yes, I said I do NOT like collections of stories, but this is Stephen King's son, sooooo I made an exception!!! :)

Will start 'The Man Who Made Vermeers..."

Ohhhhh! I had no idea SK's son had written a book. I'll order that up from the library right this psychological moment (as my father used to say).

Jeff and I are reading something called 'Under the Banner of Heaven' . . . it's a story about the Mormon faith.

It was just one of those books that got thrown down the garbage chute - Jeff, being the super, is the first to get those - ha ha!

We have many many books on our shelves - a lot of them came to us that way!

Rick wrote: "hereis a pic of him
in many movies
most famous for orig- AS THE WORLD STOOD STILL

http://application.denofgeek.com/imag...

here is another pic of Michael Rennie
..."

actually I am amiss- its called THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL - Michael Rennie also played the Chief Inspector tracking down James Mason (Cicero the German Spy) in Five Fingers and he was Harry Lime in the Third man TV Show

I am starting to get into Northanger Abby!

Rick wrote: "I am starting to get into Northanger Abby!"

Good! I think it is really funny!

"he was Harry Lime in the Third man TV Show"

NO!! I didn't know that! I like James Mason, but no one can be Harry Lime except Orson Welles. That is my very favorite all-time movie.

Peg wrote: ""he was Harry Lime in the Third man TV Show"

NO!! I didn't know that! I like James Mason, but no one can be Harry Lime except Orson Welles. That is my very favorite all-time movie."

actually it was Michael Rennie in the TV Series
I agree- The Third Man was a superb film- with Welles perfect!

Rick wrote: "Peg wrote: ""he was Harry Lime in the Third man TV Show"

NO!! I didn't know that! I like James Mason, but no one can be Harry Lime except Orson Welles. That is my very favorite all-time movie..."

Do you remember the story Harry Lime tells about Italy and Switzerland? Did you know that it is not in the original story as written by Graham Greene? That's because Welles wrote it and added it to the script. And it's my favorite part of the movie. Back in the 'good old days' of movie critics, Siskel and Ebert were asked to pick their favorite movie villains. Gene Siskel picked Hal the robot from 2001, and Roger Ebert picked Harry Lime.


NO!! I didn't know that! I like James Mason, but no one can be Harry Lime except Orson Welles. That is my very favorite all-time movie..."

Peg wrote: "Rick wrote: "Peg wrote: ""he was Harry Lime in the Third man TV Show"

NO!! I didn't know that! I like James Mason, but no one can be Harry Lime except Orson Welles. That is my very favorite all..."

My favorite scene in "The Third Man" is when Welles makes his first appearance standing in the doorway with that great lighting. He looks so sinister. He certainly made a good villain

Peg wrote: ""he was Harry Lime in the Third man TV Show"

NO!! I didn't know that! I like James Mason, but no one can be Harry Lime except Orson Welles. That is my very favorite all-time movie."

I agree, Orson Welles WAS and IS Harry Lime. He should have won the Oscar for Supporting Actor that year (1949) - but he wasn't nominated, and then the Academy didn't consider the film until 1950 (the year of "All About Eve" - for which George Sanders won a well deserved Oscar - and "Sunset Blvd" - two favorites). Still, "The Third Man" is on my top ten list of classic films; and, a tribute to Orson is that if you ask anyone who the star of "The Third Man" was, they'll say Orson Welles, and he was only on screen less than 10% of the films running time. All hail Orson!

Rick - I love that great cuckoo clock scene!

For those who don't know it, this is the cuckoo clock passage:

...in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.

Bravo!

I am really enjoying Red Chaser

Thanks for the all the Agatha Christie recommendations! I have a couple of those that I found at Goodwill. I'll be keeping an eye out for The A.B.C. Murders. I finished reading Murder in Mesopotamia and quite enjoyed it. I liked Poirot and look forward to reading more.

Enjoy! Be sure to save Curtain for last. I really enjoyed Hercule Poirot's Christmas, too.

i've been offline for a month. Lent (if you know what that is)..
i'm reading Artemis Fowl.

Melissa wrote: "Thanks for the all the Agatha Christie recommendations! I have a couple of those that I found at Goodwill. I'll be keeping an eye out for The A.B.C. Murders. I finished reading Murder in Mesopot..."

Melissa......Another good Christie/Poirot is "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd"....it's on the must read list. Hope you enjoy!!!

I just finished The Ghost, by Robert Harris, which is the basis of the movie The Ghostwriter. Now I need to go see the film!

Jill wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Thanks for the all the Agatha Christie recommendations! I have a couple of those that I found at Goodwill. I'll be keeping an eye out for The A.B.C. Murders. I finished reading M..."

I agree wholeheartedly- Jill- that is one of her earlier Poirot works I believe- Hastings narrates?

Clair wrote: "i've been offline for a month. Lent (if you know what that is)..
i'm reading Artemis Fowl."

You gave up the internet for Lent? If so, I am very impressed! It would be very difficult for me to do. Artemis Fowl was good; I listened to a few on audiobook and my daughter read the entire series. Enjoy!

Carly wrote: "Jeff and I are reading something called 'Under the Banner of Heaven' . . . it's a story about the Mormon faith.

It was just one of those books that got thrown down the garbage chute - Jeff, bein..."

Hi Carly, I loved Under the Banner of Heaven. It's one of the most interesting non-fiction books I've ever read. Highly recommend anything by Jon Kraukauer, he's an amazing writing. Very insightful and thorough. Into the Wild is especially good.

just picked up a book Herman Munster takes a Bride

Rick wrote: "just picked up a book Herman Munster takes a Bride"

That's an interesting title. :)

Rick wrote: "just picked up a book Herman Munster takes a Bride"

Are you kidding? There is a book called "Herman Munster Takes A Bride"? What fun......let us know about that one. :o)

yes- Herman has to bury Lilly- and is approached by an anthropoligist who fallsin love with his handsome face

Corelli's Mandolin, alternatively called Captain Corelli's Mandolin, is a 1993 novel written by Louis de Bernières which takes place on the island of Cephallonia (Kefalonia) during the Italian and German occupation of World War II. The main characters are Antonio Corelli, an Italian captain, and Pelagia, the daughter of the local physician, Dr. Iannis. An important event in the novel is the massacre of Italian troops by the Germans in September 1943.

THE PRINCES IN THE TOWER by Alison Weir continues to get more dramatic!

Rick wrote: "BTW- I also bought the same book twice yesterday!!! and a Ngaio Marsh title I already had! so a mixed day!!"

It always bugs me when I do that, Rick. But since I trade on swaptree, usually I can swap them for something else.

On the subject of Agatha Christie, my favorites are The ABC murders, And Then There Were None, Witness for the Prosecution, and The Murder of Roger Akroyd. My husband, father, and I saw a play version of Witness for the Prosecution this winter and it reminded me how much I loved that book.

I am currently reading Jean Plaidy's The Lady in the Tower as part of a challenge where you read a fiction and non-fiction book about the same historical figure. I picked Anne Boleyn and read Alison Weir's book of the same name for the non-fiction book, and am now reading the fictional one by Plaidy. The two books could not be more different if they tried!!

I am also still working on The Count of Monte Cristo, which is a GREAT story. WOW. I love this book. I think the Count is going to be one of those characters who stay with me a long time. I am around 800 pages in of 1250 pages.

Jeannette wrote: "Clair wrote: "i've been offline for a month. Lent (if you know what that is)..
i'm reading Artemis Fowl."

You gave up the internet for Lent? If so, I am very impressed! It would be very difficul..."


it was very difficult.

Clair wrote: "Jeannette wrote: "Clair wrote: "i've been offline for a month. Lent (if you know what that is)..
i'm reading Artemis Fowl."

You gave up the internet for Lent? If so, I am very impressed! It woul..."

Welcome back!

thanks! (not that i've been here very long.)

Rick wrote: "Corelli's Mandolin, alternatively called Captain Corelli's Mandolin, is a 1993 novel written by Louis de Bernières which takes place on the island of Cephallonia (Kefalonia) during the Italian and ..."

Oh, I loved that novel! Another very good one set in the same time & location is Mary Doria Russell's A Thread of Grace.

I just finished Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War, by Karl Marlantes. Wow, what a great book! If you're into war novels, this is a must-read. I think it's going to have to go on the list of my top-ten best books ever (which is actually about 20 books long, but who's counting...).

Currently reading Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet, as it fits in my "Around the World in 80 Books" challenge.

I'm starting D. H. Lawrence's "The Rainbow" today.

Why? Well, it's one of only a few of Lawrence's novels that I have not read; and it is one of his titles on the 1001 Books You Should Read Before You Die" list that I refer to often for good classics -- old and new. I enjoyed "Sons and Lovers" recently and find Lawrence's life story and views fascinating.

Plus the 1001 books group is reading it for a group read this month, if you are interested, Judith.

Lyn M wrote: "On the subject of Agatha Christie, ... Witness for the Prosecution, and ... My husband, father, and I saw a play ver..."

If you liked the book and the play, you should track down the old movie of the same starring Charles Laughton, Marlene Dietrich, Tyrone Power, and Elsa Lanchester. Laughton is at his curmudgeonly best and the whole thing is a lovely romp.

Howard

I've returned to Deceived with Kindness: A Bloomsbury Childhood by Angelica Garnett - she's the daughter of Vanessa Bell. This is quite an interesting memoir, but I got side-tracked and set it down for months now; suddenly today I picked it up and got right back into it. Hurray! Maybe it had something to do with the arrival in todays post of Charleston: A Bloomsbury House and Garden - a gorgeous coffee table book.

Howard,

Thanks! The movie is one of my Mom's faves, but I have never seen it, believe it or not. I am hoping to download it to my TV from Netflix soon.

finally Catherine and I arrive at Northanger Abby!

Howard wrote: "Lyn M wrote: "On the subject of Agatha Christie, ... Witness for the Prosecution, and ... My husband, father, and I saw a play ver..."

If you liked the book and the play, you should track down th..."

Howard- could not agree more- John Williams- who was in many Hitch Movies- Dial M for Murder, To Catch a Thief ect was also great in it- btw- it was the final film of the wonderful birdlike actress Una O'Connor

Rick wrote: "finally Catherine and I arrive at Northanger Abby!"

Will she survive the horrors she will encounter there?!?

love the Radcliffe Gothic Horror satire!!