Uncommon books and films

On Uncommonly Great Books

Great books have soul, and are often an acquired taste. This is a point the Nobel committee frequently insists on making. Take Isaac Bashievis Singer. The great body of his work was written not in Hebrew, mind you, but in Yiddish. Then there is always Ulysses. Acclaimed as the greatest novel of the 20th century by a panel assembled by the New York Times Review of Books, it is mainly written in a dialect invented by the author.

Uncommon books are often of a certain "breed" or genre as well. Generally speaking, any form of written work that achieves the status of a genre is worth a look. Here it even pays to break the rules and dabble in the occasional distraction. Take, for example, the "works" of the dimestore western novelist Louis L'Amour. If you happen to be stranded on a cross-country trip in a truck stop, his westerns will beat the pants off a bodice-ripper. (Yes, Mr. L'Amour is the master of the cheap western. Whether he actually wrote them all is questionable. His picture never ages, he may even be dead, but the books keep on coming. The same might be asked of James Michener.)

Finally, good books are a great deal--because the best ones are always available at your library. (I ain't talking best-sellers). Better yet, your knowledge of great literature can pay great dividends in the company of cosmopolitan (Singer, Joyce), crude (Bukowski) or blue collar (L'Amour, Michener) alike.

And Films

Movies are cool. Most books are written to be made into movies (and are better as movies). Yet movies rarely require a mental workout. They are developed to amuse and entertain.

Films are something you must work at to appreciate. They are movies for which you will acquire a particular taste.

The definitive film prospectus for the average Sven was prepared at the end of last century for the New York Times (I  recall). While any list is obviously flawed, this list made some sense. But why rely on other people's opinions when you can develop your own taste for film?

Picture yourself around the watercooler at work. When some rube brings up how fabulous a certain "movie" happened to be, fire back with that bit about movies versus film. Then, before he or she calls you a snob, continue as follows:

"Films, not movies, are the work of a great spirit. Because, with the exception of the cult film or one-hit-wonder, they are often the works of a great director. Great Directors are always pure breeds. More than mere moviemakers, they at least try to maintain a clear vision from film to film."

Or something like that.*

* P.S. Check out the our "Movies on the Wall" festival this summer. (There will be films. Maybe even "There Will Be Blood.")