Coconut Library

Letters to Juliet :: review

 

Letters to Juliet: Celebrating Shakespeare's Greatest Heroine, the magical City of Verona, and the Power of Love

By Lise Friedman & Cecil Friedman

176 pages. Stewart, Tabori, & Chang. $14.95

published November 2006

 

Out this month is Letters to Juliet starring Amanda Seyfried and Vanessa Redgrave. The movie itself is charming in a sweet-romantic way, but did you know it was based off of a book? And though the story itself isn't taken from any actual account, the theme is very much true...

In Verona, Italy there is a monument dedicated to Juliet Capulet, its most famous resident, where thousands have flocked for over a century to pray to, talk to, touch the gravestone of, and leave letters for the iconic lady of love. But how can that be? Juliet is a character, a figment of William Shakespeare's imagination. Well, there you are wrong. Though we don't know that Juliet ever existed, her legend reaches back much farther than Shakespeare, who wasn't as original as you might think. He took his story from other writers (primarily Arthur Brooks's Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet and Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde), who had taken their stories from others before them. And Juliet's (as well as Romeo's) existence depends entirely on whom you are asking. She is a legend, and many believe that legends start somewhere. 

Regardless of Juliet's actual existence, the lovelorn have been visiting this site in Verona for centuries; speaking to Juliet and tacking up notes begging her for help or just a  listening ear.  In the 1930's someone started answering them. Ettore Solimani was given the job of caretaker to Juliet's tomb in April of 1937. As someone who deeply respected the legend of the arguably greatest heroine of love, he wanted to do something more than just clean the grounds and admit people into the memorial. He recognized that what these women (and often men as well) wanted was to be part of the legend -- to hear from Juliet as though she was a divine presence who could solve their love woes. So he began to write back and became the first of Juliet's Secretaries; a line of people (often more than just one person now-a-days) now known as Club di Giulietta, who respond to each letter written to Juliet that includes a return address. To this day not only do people post hundreds of thousands of letters along the wall at Juliet's tomb, but they also send their letters to Verona from across the world. 

In Letters to Juliet: Celebrating Shakespeare's Greatest Heroine, the Magical City of Verona, and the Power of Love the history of this magically romantic story, as well as the town of Verona and it's devotion to their sacred resident is told through photographs, facts, and samples of letters written to Giulietta. It's almost enough to make you believe she's still there... and write your own letter. 

Rating: Three Stars

Temple Grandin

   I must thank one of my readers, and good friend, JLH. She introduced me to this amazing woman, Temple Grandin (not physically, but intellectually). After hearing the stories that JLH had told me about this Autistic woman who not only made such a difference in the way we interact with animals, but also in how Autistic people lives -- how they are perceived and how ways for them to function -- I had to hear more about her. The HBO movie, starring Claire Danes and Julia Ormond, premiered on Saturday and is running (at least) through the month. This movie is based on two of Grandin's books (yes this Autistic woman is not only an author, but also a Doctor of Animal Science); Emergence: Labeled Autistic and Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism. I have borrowed a copy of Emergence from the library (her other books were all checked out), and am fascinated by her story. Her perseverance, intellect, openness, courage, and frank honesty (the last which is a characteristic of Autism) completely have won me over. I am a fan. Hopefully you will give yourself the gift of becoming one too. 

xo,
The Coconut Librarian

picture taken from Temple Grandin's website -- please excuse the fact that the link to the trailer does not work.

Jane Austen's Emma

 Calling all fans of Jane Austen (or those of you who are potential fans). BBC has created a new three-part miniseries of Emma, which is supposed to be fabulous. Those of you who are lovers of Pride and Prejudice know that there is no comparison to the BBC version, which is truer to the book than any movie I've ever seen (I guess that's what you get with a five hour running time). PBS (the channel on which BBC Masterpiece is shown in Los Angeles) starts airing the new miniseries this Sunday, January 24 (check your local listings for times) and it runs through February 7. So, those of you who have never read it have a chance to get it in before the show finishes its run. In fact, might even be fun to read along. The show is played on three consecutive Sundays; January 24 (2 hours), January 31 (1 hour) and February 7 (1 hour).

I happen to be a very big fan of Austen's. Though she is now considered a writer of classics, she was, in fact the inventor of chick-lit. Her stories were original in the way that they told life from the perspective of young single girls in her time period. She was a visionary -- ahead of her time -- poking fun at the idiocies of society in the late 1700's and early 1800's. She saw, before it was fashionable to do so, how silly it was that a woman's worth was to depend on marrying the well (whether the woman had feelings for the man or not). She was unashamed to be and write about flavorful, independent young women who did not fit the mold that was set for them. Readers loved her then for her exciting novels and we love her now. Austen did see the beginning success of her work while she was still alive, but who knows if she could imagine the impact they would have on readers, and literature, centuries later. 

Emma is a light, wonderful story of a young matchmaker. If you have seen Clueless, you have seen the modern version of Emma, as that movie was based on the classic. Perhaps you have seen the 1996 Gwenyth Paltrow edition. I own it and love it, but will be looking forward to this version very much because, like I said, nobody does Austen like the BBC. I hope you enjoy it, and if you don't get the chance to read the book beforehand read it after! I often find that sometimes it is easier to read classic literature if you've been able to get a handle on the characters and plot. What better way than through a thorough and beautifully made film?

Speaking of Jane Austen... which are your favorite Austen books or movie renditions?

xo,
The Coconut Librarian

Casting Call

Yesterday, I chose five books to make into movies. Today, I am going to cast one of them, because what's the fun of suggesting one if you don't get to pick who's going to be in it?

I've chosen Watermelon by Marian Keyes. Why? Simply because I just read it and I can remember all the characters. 

*None of the information that I am giving about the characters gives the plot away. Any character that I expound on is from information that is given on the back cover or in the first few pages of the book.*

List of Characters:

Claire: Main character. Supposed to be nice-looking, funny, 29 years-old, and smart. Has just given birth at the beginning of the story. (Cast: Martine McCutcheon)

Mum/ Dad: Claire, Helen, and Anna's mom and dad, who live in Dublin, Ireland. (Cast: Mum= Imelda Staunton    Dad= John Mahoney )

Helen: Claire's youngest sister of five (one of the two that still lives at home). Supposed to be incredibly beautiful, self-centered, and bossy-- yet loyal to her family. (Cast: Perdita Weeks)

Anna: Claire's second youngest sister of five (the other one that still lives at home). Hippie-ish, flighty, whimsical, but sweet. (Cast: Evanna Lynch)

Adam: Goes to school with Helen and frequents the Walsh household. Supposed to be 24 years-old and very tall and handsome. Was born in and lived in America until he was 12. (Cast: Jared Padalecki)

James: Claire's husband. Leaves her for another woman. An accountant, above average looks-- dark hair. (Cast: Tom Riley)

Judy: Claire's (and Laura's) friend who lives in London, England. Very honest. (Cast: Sarah Parish)

Laura: Claire's (and Judy's) friend who lives in Dublin and helps Claire recover. (Cast: Gina McKee)

George: James's co-worker who babbles and is a bit awkward. (Cast: Hugh Bonneville)

Kate: Claire and James's baby. (Cast: a very cute baby)

(Side note: A television movie has been made from one of my very favorites (The Pillars of the Earth). I am not sure if it will be released on an American network (I can't tell) or just in the UK. I hope it's here too, otherwise I will have to wait to get it from Netflix when it comes out. I loved that book. I recommend it very highly!)

Anyone else up for casting a book? Even if it's not the entire cast (that just took me a long time to do, and those were just the main characters!) let us know who should play the lead role in one of the books you love...

xo,
The Coconut Librarian

Let's Make a Film

Not all of us agree that books should be turned into movies, and certainly most of us don't think that ALL books should be made into movies. However, since it is a fact that not everyone is going to read the books that are beloved by so many of us -- movies are a great medium to tell the story to a larger audience. 

I'll tell you that I love movies, love them. However, I don't love it when a movie botches the story. And sometimes, because I can feel territorial about a story, I get annoyed with the people who have only seen the movie version and then claim the story as if they found it, or (worse yet!) decide they don't care for a tale which was done poorly in film version. It can also ruffle my feathers when people don't know that the story was even a book in the first place... especially if it was one that I loved. (Disclaimer: My irritation over these things usually is contained inside my brain -- especially because I live in Los Angeles, where movies (not books) are the flavor of the day). 

Realistically, in my opinion, the books that would make the best movies need to have a central theme, and substance; something the movie can embellish and peel back the layers of. If there are too many themes, or the book delves so deep that it has already uncovered all of the secrets of the piece, the film would loose something in the translation-- unless translated incredibly well. We have all seen it done poorly, and what should have been a masterpiece turns into a flop. It is incredibly hard (I Imagine-- I've never been part of it) to turn a work of prose, that has unlimited possibility in the imagination, into something that a world of viewers can appreciate and relate to. 

My top 5 books, in no particular order, that should be made into (well crafted) movies:

1.) Watermelon: A story of hope and healing set in Dublin, Ireland. Would be a warm and humorous film that has enough substance to entertain a wide age audience, albeit mostly females. (My review of this book is coming later this week).

2.) The Senator's Wife: A political/ familial scandal written in fluid and substantial form. Thoughtful, gripping, and realistic. Could appeal to adults of both genders, if done well.

3.) The End of the Alphabet: This novella is such a wonderful story. It is in such short form (and skims the surface of the relationship in a way that keeps you longing for more) that I believe a thoughtful film-maker could create a tender, mature, and intelligent movie from this. If done correctly, this would be a love story that both men and women would want to see, and would be particularly interesting to more seasoned audiences.

4.) Midwives: A suspenseful, engrossing mystery. I doubt it would be labeled as an actual mystery in the bookstore, but that part of the story could easily be focused upon and expanded. Though really it is better than a mystery... it is a work of fiction in which the reader becomes emotionally invested in the outcome. 

5.) Eat, Pray, Love: I think this may already be in the works to become a movie, but I'm not positive. This movie would be uplifting and inspirational. A movie that would appeal to women, mostly late 20-somethings and beyond. 

Which book (or books) would you like to go see played out on the big screen?

xo,
The Coconut Librarian