Together in Spirit

An online reading group ('TIS a reading group!) to bring together friends, and friends of friends, who aren't able to be in a conventional reading group due to constraints of time or geography.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Au revoir

So sorry to be absent from posting in the last few months. I'm afraid that Christmas and latter stages of pregnancy are to blame. I'm still desperately trying to finish Irene Nemirovsky's Suite Francaise which I started at the beginning of Autumn!

I didn't get a chance to read The Diving Bell but Philip and I did watch the film. We found the whole experience of Locked-in Syndrome fascinatingly and sensitively explored and admired John-Do's fortitude in even attempting such a project. However, we found we could not be fully sympathetic to him as a character. He was portrayed, in the film anyway, as such a selfish hedonist that his behaviour to, principally, his wife was abhorrent. However, after further research it would appear that the film makers took liberties with the wife/lover storyline and many of John-Do's friends have objected to the way he was depicted. Which brings me to Emily's point about the story in fiction. Was the film a 'fictional' version of the book and therefore bleaker for it? How much licence should film-makers be allowed in such circumstances? At some point will hope to read the book to properly compare.

I'm afraid that I will be unable to join you for the next few months of reading as third child due imminently. I will continue to look up the posts though and read your comments, especially if you do continue to include some poetry. If Emily doesn't mind flagging up any shorter, lighter reads I may have a go but please don't wait on my posts. I look forward to re-joining you with renewed reading vigour sometime, hopefully, in the Summer.

Happy reading!