This is the first Austen novel I read so it still something of a sentimental favourite. Emma herself is an unusual Austen protagonist, the only one wiThis is the first Austen novel I read so it still something of a sentimental favourite. Emma herself is an unusual Austen protagonist, the only one with independent means (despite being saddled with a hypochondriac father). Her high opinion of herself makes for an amusing plot in which her misperceptions cause havoc for some but delight for the reader. Some of Austen's most finely-etched secondary characters appear here, including the intolerable Mrs Elton and the highly amusing (to read about; I imagine she would be deathly to actually know) Miss Bates. In typical Austen style the plot is in some ways entirely predictable but also very artfully constructed to conceal this. I now see all the hints I missed the first time, when at least two big revelations caught me by surprise. Social satire rooted in romantic comedy doesn't get much better than this....more
Meh. Perhaps if I had read this through instead of setting it aside periodically, I'd feel less puzzled by it, but by the end of the last act, I wasn'Meh. Perhaps if I had read this through instead of setting it aside periodically, I'd feel less puzzled by it, but by the end of the last act, I wasn't entirely sure who was even married to whom. Lots of cynical wit, lots of double-dealing, some disguise, but not much in the way of memorable characters or plot....more
This is a bit of a dog's breakfast, really. It throws into the pot various elements, from excerpts from other works to scripts to, apparently, some neThis is a bit of a dog's breakfast, really. It throws into the pot various elements, from excerpts from other works to scripts to, apparently, some new material--short reminiscences by the principal parties--for this book itself. It is interesting to see the actual Hollywood Bowl script, especially to contrast it to what ended up on film (largely the same, but with some variation), and there are occasional flashes of interest elsewhere. But the whole seems a bit cobbled together rather than a carefully-planned project. Essential for Python fans, I'd say, probably not for anyone else....more
Barrie's wry and cutting satire of the British class system is a delight to read, though one wonders whether its nuances could be successfully staged.Barrie's wry and cutting satire of the British class system is a delight to read, though one wonders whether its nuances could be successfully staged. Barrie's stage directions are often detailed and provide character insights that would be difficult to convey in performance. Reading them adds considerably to the impact. Anyway, the conceit here is that the ironically-named Lord Loam tries to enforced an artificial equality on his household, once a year requiring his callow and venal children to mingle with the help--and the help to have to endure this. But a sea voyage ends in shipwreck, and two years on a desert island, during which time the class system is turned on its head. Crichton, the butler, rises to the position of authority as the one most competent to lead in such a world--which quickly becomes its own unnatural inversion, Crichton adopting for himself many of the privileges of a Lord, Then com rescue and return to England.... I think this play offers a more caustic take on the class system than might have been evident to the original audience, as Barrie coats it all with a light comedic surface. He's no Wilde, to be sure, but the cynical view of the upper classes is there to be seen. Not sure how well this might play today, but it does remain a pleasant read....more
This book addresses the legal complications the Pythons faced, primarily involving censorship, up to and including Monty Python's Life of Brian--so weThis book addresses the legal complications the Pythons faced, primarily involving censorship, up to and including Monty Python's Life of Brian--so we are overdue for an updated edition! It is short and easy to read (except for the reproduced primary documents, which are often too small or not clear enough to be read by the unaided eye--at least these unaided 54-year-old eyes), written in a straightforward, accessible style. That is, it is not, despite the legalese-sounding title, written from the point of view of legal scholarship. Basically, it's a book on Python legal issues for a general audience. It's also not really "the case against" but rather a history of many of the cases that have been made against Python; its own point of view is decidedly pro-Python, and Hewison clearly had the Pythons' cooperation in making the book, as he had access to a great many primary source documents. It makes for interesting reading, notably the account of the lawsuit against ABC, who edited episodes without consent. That led to a landmark case that the Pythons more or less won, though not on the grounds I would have expected. Anyway, this is a worthwhile read for Python fans, though it is not really a deep or analytical study but rather more of a history/summary of some of the opposition the Pythons have faced. Especially now, some thirty or more years later, some of the objections to their work look quaint and even absurd....more
This is an acting edition, so it's pretty bare bones (and not particularly well-edited), but it was still a gas to read the actual play. The film is rThis is an acting edition, so it's pretty bare bones (and not particularly well-edited), but it was still a gas to read the actual play. The film is remarkably faithful to it, changing and adding relatively little--though the play (or so it seems from the script) would have a higher proportion of song to dialogue than the film does. There's not much in the play I was sorry to see cut, though Frank's last words to Columbia really should have been kept, I think. Anyway, fun to read, but a lot more fun to watch!...more
Surprisingly, these scripts give a better sense of the show than is often the case. Often, reading the script feels a bit like looking at a blueprint Surprisingly, these scripts give a better sense of the show than is often the case. Often, reading the script feels a bit like looking at a blueprint or schematic design, rather than at the thing itself. These scrips, though, read as very funny. Admittedly, I've seen most of the episodes, so I can "hear" the characters, but I doubt that is a major factor. I did realize, reading these, how extremely black the humour is--three of the four series end with most or all of the major characters dying after all! The bonus material is less interesting than the scripts thelmselves, but that hardly matters, since the scripts are so funny. A must-have for Blackadder fans, and probably for any fan of British situational comedy....more
This book gives Yellowbeard far more attention than it deserves: a fairly long introduction, one of the screenplays (substantially different from the This book gives Yellowbeard far more attention than it deserves: a fairly long introduction, one of the screenplays (substantially different from the filmed version, apparently; I saw it only once when it came out and don't remember it well), and the novelization. The screenplay is mildly amusing, if overly-reliant on rape jokes and other cheap laughs. The novel, however, is dire. It frequently fails even to be grammatically sound. Very disappointing, overall....more
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