History books and more tend to fill out the reading lists…
18) Favourite historical periods to read about?
I’ve read a lot of history books over the last year or so. Many of them good! For me, it’s a new area of reading interest. During my studies, I used to read about the lives of authors in the 1920s or 60s on the side, but more recently I’ve decided to read more into British royal history, as well as a little European royal history too. My main interest focuses on the 1600s from the reign of James I up to Queen Anne – but it’s mostly centred on Charles II and the Restoration Period (1660-85), as well as the following reign of William III of Orange and Queen Mary II. I also like to read about Charles II’s rival and contemporary Louis XIV and the court at Versailles; by reading about your neighbour’s history, you’ll inadvertently learn a lot about their neighbours’ history too, so it’s an easy area to get lost in. For me, that whole period is fascinating; fashion, food, culture, literature, music, theatre, all under the Merry Monarch, had a reemergence after Cromwell’s Puritan rule, and you can almost see a little of modern Britain being formed (it’s very, very little, though). It’s not a time I would want to go back to (I don’t have that time travel desire some do, haha!), but I find the period, and the people who made it, endlessly fascinating. I like fiction set during then too – which is why I’m enjoying the Marwood saga by Andrew Taylor so much I think, as well as my love for Marjorie Bowen!
I also have an interest in some medieval periods, but I keep jumping in and out of that topic, so my understanding of it is still sort of vague. Earlier kings than the Stuarts that I enjoy reading about. however, are Edward II, Richard II, and Richard III. I need to really get into reading about them more. I’ve tried a couple of books on the War of the Roses, but have yet to find one that sticks. For a medieval series I’m currently loving, I’d recommend S. D. Sykes recent output!
When I was younger, my interests in history were much more centred around the late 1700s into the later Victorian period. These areas still fascinate me, but for the moment it seems my history-brain is more intrigued by the 1600s and learning more about that period first. That said I’ve read some amazing recent Victorian true crime which is always worth a look at.
Some books I enjoyed about the 1600s so far include The Last Royal Rebel by Anna Keay (about the life and death of James, Duke of Monmouth: Charles II’s illegitimate son), The King’s Assassin by Benjamin Woolley (about the relationship between James I and his favourite, George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham), and Royal Renegades by Linda Porter (which summarises the Civil War very well by following the lives of the royal children of Charles I: including the young Charles II and James II as princes).
19) Best book adaptation you’ve seen?
I might have answered a similar question before… I actually prefer the movie ending for The Ritual than the book’s. The book is good (I read it first before seeing the film), and definitely do give it a read, but the second half is a totally different animal to the movie’s. The film, bizarrely, went the direction I had thought the book was going to go in. Conversely, the novel has a slightly more convoluted and surprise twisting second half which I personally didn’t enjoy as much. The movie manages to translate the tension and horror of being lost in unfamiliar and unfriendly territory well, and keeps up the tone of the earlier chapters superbly. It also manages to make the lore present in the subtext of the book, particularly in its earlier chapters, a little easier to see and understand; the gross imagery of animal corpses hung in trees or bizarre forest shrines, of course, shines well in a film. You could argue the movie’s second half is more predictable, or that it is simplified, yet the film feels focused and doesn’t let up on the tension despite being different. The novel’s second half incorporates a little more of modern Scandinavia (and, spoilers: black metal culture – which the film skips over entirely) and is an interesting addition, but I preferred the film’s version ultimately. If the film had adapted that second half, I wonder if I’d liked it more? That said, some small aspects of the film didn’t quite work either (the tone seems to shift uneasily towards black humour at times, then loses it completely – plus a flashback scene at the start seemed a little odd…). Hmm. I feel a second read and watch might be in the books…? Anyway, I’d love to read more by the author – the novel was tense and memorable, and I flew through it! Their style of writing was absolutely my sort of thing, taste-wise. Final shout-out: The SFX used in the film is also surprisingly good, both for the gore and the more…bizarre things…seen later. Check both out.
I also love the BBC’s adaptation of War and Peace, but it’s hard to compare it to the novel when I, uh, have yet to read it. I’ve had a copy on my shelf for a while, but it seems wrong reading it in this hot weather we’ve been having… Anyone else have that problem? Anyway, War and Peace is a wonderful miniseries which manages to bring the horrors and cruelties of war face-to-face with the inner dramas of the Russian royal court. Battlefields begin to replace ballrooms as Imperial Russia tries to keep Napoelon’s invading forces at bay. The costumes, the settings, the cinematography are all top-grade here, and wonderfully acted. Sadly, I didn’t enjoy the more recent offering of Les Miserables (an adaptation of the original book, not the musical), by the same team, half as much.
Finally, No Country for Old Men is a personal favourite adaptation. They manage to translate Cormac McCarthy’s stripped-down writing style (it’s often barely punctuated and told in a flat-like tone) into the bleak imagery and actions of the film. It looks great, and it has all the right amount of dread like you’d expect. It also manages to bring the understated horror and carnage right out into the open, but without degrading the book any, or cheapening the story. It’s a wonderful adaptation, and a superbly tense watch.
20) Books you most want to see adapted?
Anything by Donna Tartt. Which reminds me, I only just discovered that The Goldfinch is getting a movie release this year…in the next few months! So I’m interested to see how that works out. I’m currently reading The Little Friend by Tartt which could certainly work as a miniseries – but I would worry about losing a little of what I like about Tartt’s prose, which is how beautiful it reads. Her writing is very much an artform in itself, expressed through a novel – so you can easily lose that magic in visual form only. You would have to really go hard on the cinematography and imagery to get even a little of her quite unique, dream-like tone across – but we all know plenty of nice-looking movies which missed the mark. A challenge, but not impossible, I think. That said, I would love to see The Secret History either as a movie or miniseries. It’s full of dark humour and it seems to be of a story-type that just seems popular these days. Also, I’m terribly biased because I love that book. Finding a balance between adapting but also keeping alive Tartt’s unique voice would be a heck of a challenge, though.
Second, I would like to see something like S. T. A. G. S. by M. A. Bennett be adapted into a film. It’s a wonderful YA horror/thriller. I read it in two sittings on my Kindle, travelling to the US, and I flew through it. I’m sad I didn’t actually review it on here, sigh… To summarise, it’s a gripping, though simple read, about a student at a prestigious upper-class school. The main character is herself not of the same ‘social standing’ as most of her fellow pupils, so is surprised when the richest and most popular guy in the school invites her to join his exclusive club at his sprawling home estate on a weekend getaway. There’ll be fishing, shooting, stalking… She reluctantly agrees and is surprised to be joined by another less popular student. However, she soon begins to suspect that the group’s kind offering is anything but, and when the hunting begins, their dark machinations rear their ugly heads… Darkly funny in places, but a thrill-ride all round, the plot might seem a little far-fetched, yet somehow it works! If you’re looking for a dark summer read, you can’t go wrong; and it reads more like an adult thriller in tone (it gets really dark…). It would make a great film – something of a survival thriller – and it has enough twists to keep it interesting in that form.
Finally, because I adore Hellraiser and Clive Barker: an adaptation of The Scarlet Gospels, or a redo of Hellraiser as a miniseries? Combining a few of his works?? WOULD NOT GO AMISS. But now I’m just being a fan.
21) Books you really need to catch up on?
Okay. There’s a lot.
The Beguiled by Thomas Cullinan
Black Pine Creek by David Haynes
The Bone Fire by S. D. Sykes
Don’t Go There by Adam Fletcher
Erebus: The Story of a Ship by Michael Palin
A House of Ghosts by W. C. Ryan
The House With Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson
The Hunger by Alma Katsu
The Last Tudor by Philippa Gregory
The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale
Those are just a few looking on my IReadIt app… There’s more but these are at the forefront. It’s not including books like Charles II or The Terror which I’m slowly making my way through – all those listed are completely unread (well, excluding Black Pine Creek – I need to start it again, as I only got a couple of chapters in…).
You’ll probably see them on here someday soon!
Shortish but sweet! Until next time!
Superkick Writes 