Television Books

My bookclub is entering into its Holocaust Month. Someone recommended this book to me last year and I thought, it sounded interesting enough to read. Interesting just barely describes this book. Haunting is more the word that I think of when I finished this book. Incredibly lucky are two more words.

There are so many books out there about the Holocaust that it can be confusing sometimes to read what. This book definitely should be read simply because it's beautifully moving, tragically sad and not only that, it provides a different viewpoint of what happened during the early years of Nazihood in Germany and before the "Final Solution" was proposed to exterminate the Jews. This happened and I don't recall hearing much about any of this till I read this book. Before Hitler and Goring proposed the death camps and just while trying to get rid of Germany of the non-Aryan blood, they came up with a solution that provides entertainment and music/art/theater productions just for the Jews. This is a place for the Jews to retreat to. They were only allowed to play Jewish pieces written by Jewish artists/musicans. And they were left alone in the 30s and early 40s. Well, not quite completely left alone as they still had to follow the Nazi rules. But it was a place of refuge for the Jews, especially in Berlin.

This book, while devoting a huge portion to the Kulturbund and its orgins, the author writes of his personal family history. His mother and father were musicans in the Kulturbund. And they suffered horrible tragedies as the war progressed over the years. However, they were young, in love and naive like a lot of people were. They did manage to escape Germany but they also managed to leave behind family members which have haunted them and their children even to this day. It is very intense reading at times and with hindsight on the reader's part, it is very hard to fathom their optimism that things will work out ok in the end. Not only that, this book brings up the question of whether or not the Kulturbund was good for the Jews or kept them compliant enough to keep them in Germany instead of escaping to other countries, so the Nazis could gas them too. This book is haunting and disturbing. The questions that the author may have unknowingly stirred are now raised in my mind ... and the answers are not easy to figure out.

This is not your typical Holocaust book nor is it like the other books about the camps ~~ this book simply tells a tale of two musicans who were unfortunate to be caught up in the times that stirred Germany (and the world) ~~ but yet, their love of music has sustained them through the years before they left Germany. Are they heros? Not in the sense that we associate it with. They are more like survivors and like all survivors, they carry a burden of guilt that resounded through the years. But it is a book that honors the memory of those who were left behind in a time of turmoil that even today, still vibrates through the years.

9-28-07

MG's story of his family during the early Nazi era is an unusual glimpse into the lives of German Jews during the period from 1933-1941. He writes about the Kulturbund, an organization created by the Nazis to (1) rid Germany of Jewish influence in the arts and (2) provide propaganda coverage of the maltreatment of Jews by the Third Reich.

In my opinion the book is generally well written and seems to be the result of careful research. My one complaint is that MG frequently quotes conversations which I doubt have been recorded in any way. I don't like that in historical writing, but in this case I was willing to overlook it, because of my interest in the story.

What do we really know about our parents' life before we were born? That depends largely, I guess, on how much of an interest we show - and on how much they are willing to reveal. Because in the life of every person there are instances and times they rather wish to forget, and not revive time and again by discussion, even if only among their nearest and dearest.

Such, in the lives of author Martin Goldsmith's parents, were the years from 1933 through 1941; so much so, in fact, that Goldsmith likens that time to the massive ash tree in the house of Germanic warlord Hunding, the setting of the first scene of Richard Wagner's opera "Die Walkuere:" Something looming large, yet never openly acknowledged. Because before George Gunther Goldsmith, furniture and home decorating salesman of Cleveland, Ohio, and his wife Rosemary, a violinist with the St. Louis Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra, became American citizens in 1947, they had lived a whole other life - the hunted life of Jews in Adolf Hitler's Germany. And only years after his mother's death, on a trip to his father's home town of Oldenburg, did Goldsmith catch the first glimpses of what was hidden behind that massive ash tree, and George Goldsmith began to talk about the events which his, the Goldschmidt family had witnessed there; as well as the early life of Rosemarie nee Gumpert in Duesseldorf, the couple's first meeting in Frankfurt, and their later life in Berlin until their lucky escape to the United States. Beginning with this visit, Martin Goldsmith retraced his family's path to the early years of the 20th century, when his paternal grandfather Alex Goldschmidt took residence in Oldenburg, and his maternal grandfather Julian Gumpert settled in Duesseldorf.

How intensely personal this voyage into the past must have been becomes clear in the account of Goldsmith's visit to Oldenburg prison, as a participant in a march retracing the path taken by the Jews - among them the author's grandfather - driven through the streets of Oldenburg in 1938 by Nazi thugs, to later be shipped off (at least temporarily) to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. But although he writes about his very own family, and now in full knowledge of their fate, Goldsmith's narrative is in no way sentimental. With a journalist's detachment he talks about Guenther and Rosemarie, Alex, Julian and their wives and other children; turning a nonfiction account whose outcome is clear from the very start into a heartstopping tale few would be able to believe if presented with it under colors other than that of the plain historic truth.

Prominently featured in Goldsmith's account is the Jewish Culture Association, or Juedischer Kulturbund; as of 1933 the German Jews' only permitted artistic organization, in whose orchestra Guenther and Rosemarie had met and which had formed the center of their life until they finally left the country. One of the most controversial institutions of Nazi Germany, it reunited what was left of the country's Jewish musicians, artists, writers and composers - providing a modicum of shelter in an increasingly hostile environment, but also a convenient tool in the Nazi propaganda machine. Were the members of the Kulturbund instrumentalized to deceive public opinion, at home and abroad, about the true intentions of Hitler's government? By giving their Jewish audience a sense of comfort and "belonging," did they also prevent some of them from rescuing themselves when there still would have been time? The surviving members of the "Kubu" and their families, interviewed by Goldsmith, come down on both sides of the issue; and the fate of the survivors is probably as symptomatic as that of the many who ultimately did perish in Nazi concentration camps - chiefly among those the Kulturbund's charismatic founder Dr. Singer, who not only let himself deceive into returning to Germany after already having reached the safe shores of the U.S. but saw a mark of distinction even in his deportation to the "model" concentration camp of Theresienstadt.

Yet, for Guenther and Rosemarie the years with the Kulturbund were dominated, above all, by the musical companionship they experienced. What does seem to have haunted them most for the rest of their lives, however, was their very escape to America, while their remaining family members were stuck in Europe and, one way or another, died in Hitler's concentration camps - and the feeling that with a little effort they just *might* have saved at least some of them. The letters of Alex Goldschmidt and his younger son Helmut, written to Guenther from captivity in France after their own unsuccessful attempt to flee to Cuba, are among the most chilling testimonials contained in this book; and the decision to translate and include them conceivably cannot have been an easy one for Goldsmith. Indeed, it apparently was the knowledge of his family's fate that, all talent and love of music aside, eventually compelled George Goldsmith to forever retire the flute which, in his life as Guenther Goldschmidt, had been the only item of true importance besides his beloved wife Rosemarie; thus punishing himself in a way no outsider could have done. Yet, the couple's gift for music lives on in their son, who in his own way has brought many hours of joy to radio listeners all over the U.S.

Martin Goldsmith's "Inextinguishable Symphony" - named for Danish composer Carl Nielsen's Fourth Symphony, which sets music, as a parable for life itself, against war, terror and destruction - is as much a personal journey of discovery as a journalist's account of historic facts; seeking to understand rather than to judge. It deals with a time in which morality was thoroughly upset by a profoundly immoral regime, which cannot possibly have remained without effect on anybody who witnessed those events. In applying our own values to those facts, I think we would all do well in being careful to, likewise, make a thorough effort to understand before we judge. Goldsmith's insightful account is a great place to begin such a process.

This story was impossible to put down and when you finish, it stays with you for a very long time. Its hard to believe that Gunther and Rosemary didn't make every effort to help their parents emigrate to U. S. What really bothers me most is, not being Jewish, what would I have done in Germany in the late thirties and early forties when I saw these atrocities happening?

I listened to Martin Goldsmith on "Performance Today" (and still listen to his successor, Fred Child) for many years. This man who for years described classical music on the radio -- composers and their life story, pieces and their histories, in accessible, engaging, and lightly humorous ways, and even sometimes tied it in to his love of baseball -- he also has an extraordinary family story. It's moving and well-written, and makes me think about the extraordinary stories that must dwell in the depths of my own geneological past.

You will laugh out loud, this book is truly hysterical. I am a new Tim Sandlin fan - Sorrow Floats and Social Blunders are just as good. Highly recommended!!

On the positive side this book was sometimes amusing. The story idea of two thirteen-year-old's experimentation with sex and resulting in a pregnant seventh grader was promising though poorly executed. None of the main characters are believable, not the narrator, Sam, not his girlfriend Maurey, and not his mother Lydia. The motivations and thought patterns of the adolescents especially lacked any power to convey belief. This novel should probably have stayed in the form of Mr. Sandlin's puerile fantasies, from which it sprung.

In Sam Callahan, Sandlin creates one of the great characters of recent American literature. Equal parts Walter Mitty and Holden Caulfield, Sam is a hilarious narrator with a truly unique voice. If the book were nothing more than a series of comic misadventures of Sam and his irreverent Southern Belle mother, Lydia as they are transplanted from the good ol' south to rural Wyoming, it would be a great read.

However, Skipped Parts is far more than that. Beyond Sam and Lydia, Sandlin populates GroVont with no end of fascinating characters--almost all multidimensional and colorful--the kind of folks you only find in quirky places like Sicily, Alaska. In this book, its easy to imagine that folks like Dot,Hank Elkrunner and the old guys who populate the local diner have interesting lives and stories outside of the light they shed on the main characters and that they didn't just show up in the scenes to move the plot along. This gives the story an incredible richness.

Beyond that, the book has a heart as big as the Tetons and frequently wears it on its sleeve. Rarely is a book so laugh out loud funny also so poignant and touching. There are moments that are truly noble, truly sad and truly beautiful and its a credit to Sandlin that none of them seem contrived. If you can get past the stuff about precocious 13 teen year olds experimenting with sex, you find a great novel about growing up, dealing with family, redemption and the endless disappointments and possibilities of life. A wonderful, wonderful book.

A dazzling story about love, anguish, despair, and every other pure emotion, "Skipped Parts" immediately jumps into the top ten for any reader.

Each character is well-crafted and dichotomous. Lydia's pithy, nasty wit fights her neediness, her desire for love and companionship. Sam's prodigious intelligence and story-telling talents are overshadowed by his incredibly childlike naivety. Even Caspar, the grandfather who I envision as a Col. Sanders look-alike, who has a heart of stone and a solitary focus on business, shows a bit of tenderness.

At its core, the story is about sex, the transition from childhood to adulthood, and the bonds of family. It's laugh out loud funny at moments, sick and startling at others. "Skipped Parts" covers the entire gamut of emotions while relating a well-crafted story, with all of the essential details, but nothing extra that may take away from characters or plot.

By the end of the book you won't know what is going to happen. You'll be cheering for your favorite character(s), and hoping for your own personal ending to come true, but it turns out slightly off from what you expect, and nearly perfect in every way.

This book is not for the faint of heart. The title, "Skipped Parts", perfectly sums up what the book is about: letting us directly in on the dark, dirty secret that teenage sex and extramarital sex actually occurred in the United States before the invention of the Pill, that there were abortions before Roe v. Wade and they skipped all those parts when they filmed Gidget.

Sam Callahan uses a rich fantasy life to mask the fact that he has had to be father to his own mother because she is too young and immature to take care of herself and her own father treats her like a bought pariah. Exiled to rural Wyoming in the fall of 1963, they survive by building real connections to real people for the first time in their lives. For Sam, the transformation begins on the day of JFK's death, when he comforts Maurey Pierce, the only kid in his grade who can read besides Sam. Maurey's Stepford mother, cowboy father and Dennis the Menace brother drive her to make an unusual pact with Sam: together, they will learn sex so that when they want to have it with someone they really desire, they will know what to do. Egged on by Lydia, Sam's mother, and some of her friends, they learn it quite well, until the inevitable happens the moment Maurey hits puberty. Plot twists that would make J.K. Rowling jealous, humor, beautifully drawn characters, a great sense for the detail of the West and a tremendous understanding of the social mores of teenagers at the time combine to make this a simply irresistible novel.

I thought this might be cheesy. It was fantastic! After having loved Ian Fleming, this was a great substitute. I look foward to reading the rest of the series.

Bored and in excellent health for a woman who is retired with nothing more to look forward to than her gardening meetings, Mrs. Pollifax decides that there are only two choices in her life. Take one giant step off the roof of her building in New Brunswick, New Jersey or pursue a dream that she has had since childhood. With the decision made she boards a bus for Langley, Virginia and decides to be a spy for the CIA. Taking place during the cold war, Emily Pollifax is sent to Mexico to retrieve important documents, that doesn't seem difficult until she is forced to outsmart Red Chinese military men with nothing more than a pocketknife and a Christmas tree. This woman could definitely give MacGyver and Forrest Gump a run for their money.

This is the second Mrs. Pollifax book I have now finished and I adore them. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax is a delight in her adventures and this one is full of thrilling adventures. I am now hooked and will be reading every Mrs. Pollifax book there is. They are thoroughly enjoyable...

I've read this book many times as well as listened to the version narrated by Barbara Rosnblatt. I highly recommend both. This book is what whodunit mysteries should all have; a likeable character, strong storyline, suspense, humor and good pacing. All the characters in the book are quite real. Even when the storyline seems hard to believe, you believe it because Mrs. Pollifax says it is so. Emily Pollifax also develops as a character not only within this book but within the whole series.

This book isn't as much a mystery as an adventure/suspense. It's also lighthearted, because Mrs. Pollifax sees this it as an adventure. She was willing to give her life to her country but isn't willing to give in easily!

Though I'm far from retirement age, I felt a kinship with Mrs. P. I think that's the feeling most people get from reading these books. She's the woman next door, the lovable grandmother/aunt figure who also can surprise you. In fact, a lady I talked to said she wanted to be Mrs. Pollifax. My only disappointment is that this book is so short. But then, Dorothy Gilman is a writer who knows when to quit, which only adds to her writing.

If you're new to the Mrs. Pollifax series of mystery books - this is the very first. As such, it's a great place to begin. You'll be completely entertained learning how this grandmother goes to work - undercover - for the United States government. She really is unexpected, as the title declares. She's everything you would wish a grandmother to be - but she's extraordinarily clever, notices details on the fly and incredibly resourceful. If you enjoy Miss Marple from Agatha Christie - you'll also love Mrs. Pollifax. (Although I'd never say the two are interchangeable - they seem to go at detection in entirely different ways). We get into the characters thoughts often - rather than just being pulled through a story's actions blindly. It makes her escapades all the more harrowing when you develop such a feeling for what each side is thinking. Very entertaining. A great bed time read.

This is probably one of the few books you are going to find about Badfinger, who are another very essential but overlooked rock band. Sure they had hits, but they got screwed over. The book arrived in great shape and very quickly, so I was completely happy with everything.

I ordered this for my brother's birthday and he loved it! The book arrived in perfect shape. This is one of my brother's favorite bands from 'back in the day'!!! He was very happy with it. Thanks

A wonderful book. I knew very little about this band other than a couple of great songs I heard on the radio in the early 70's. By the time I finished the book I felt like I'd known them all my life. I couldn't help but get emotionally involved in their plight...Highly recommend

The most engrossing band bio I've ever read, and also one of the saddest stories in music. I find it funny that the two biggest debunkers of the author of this book are also two people who haven't read it! The story spans the very beggining, when they were known as the Iveys, to the ASCAP debacle in which Pete Ham and Tom Evans were utterly disrespected in front of an audience for their wonderful accomplishment of having written Without You. No stone is left unturned and unfortuntely some of the people involved should crawl back under theirs but haven't.

Dear Joey and Kathie: You can fool some of the people, but you haven't fooled me. At least Pete doesn't have a grave, or else I'm sure you would have been dancing on it quite happily. Why did you have to be part of the problem?

The "tragic" story of Badfinger couldn't be a better title for this book or this band. So much talent and ability and such bad management and naivete' destroyed not just a band but many lives in the process. I believe every young musician should read this book and learn from their mistakes.

I have yet to read this book, but it is in good condition.

This book is one of the best autobiographies I've ever read. Not only is it filled with details of Patti's life, it also takes you to the lessons that she's learned from the time when she was a shy little girl, to life as a megastar. This book will truly touch your heart as you cheer on the diva that is Patti LaBelle.

Patty LaBelle is amazing. She has an incredible voice, a career full of ups and downs, and can bring down the house in concert. This book is just another triumph for a lady who deserves all the accolades she receives. With absolute honesty, she reveals so much about her life--from sexual abuse to the fear of dying of cancer like her sisters and good friend--you feel that Ms. LaBelle has given you all that she can. Throughout her life, she has faced a good deal of challenges but has emerged with a positive attitude about life and can still entertain with the best of them. I have seen her in concert 3 times and she blew me away each time. This book does the same. After reading the dismal biography of Aretha Franklin (From the Roots), I realized what a gem this is. If you wanna read a really good book about an incredible entertainer, give this one a go. Its worth every penny!

PATTI takes you on a journey-from the Bluebelles, to LaBelle and through her solo career. She talks about her battles with her self-esteem, record companies, men and THE TRAGIC deaths of sisters. Did you know that NONA had a nervous break down during one the LaBelle concerts-and was taken to the hospital in restraints? WOW! This lead to the break-up of LaBelle! Pick this one up and you'll find out much more.

Congratulations, A reflective autobiography with some depth and truth. Before reading Patti's, I read Aretha's, which I ultimately felt like tossing in the middle of the street! Great job! I thought the book was very inviting to the personal side of Patti. I have always admired how forthcoming she has been with the public in relation to her late sisters. This book can truly encourage one to live life, as well as love and appreciate life.
However, there are a few things I would like to clear up, which I found inaccurate or inappropriate. The Jackie Wilson episode I found rather distasteful, particularly since he is not around to defend himself(it was o.k. to slander Al Green). Also, as I had to do with Gladys in her book, I need to clarify a few inaccurate points you raised in your book. In reading your relationship with Atlantic Records in the 1960's, one is left with the impression your group wasn't given a fair shot due to the success of Aretha. Well, that's not totally true, since you were with the label two years before she signed on. It just wasn't your time yet! Now is your time. You sound greater and look more beautiful than ever. You have a wonderful spirit in which people adore you far and near. You are truly a blessing. Wonderful job.

This is a wonderful collector's item for Audrey Hepburn fans. I opened the box, and, after looking through the pages, had no other words but "wow". There are 34 removable items of memorabilia. These include a partial script from Breakfast at Tiffany's, many letters to and from Ms. Hepburn herself, postcards, pictures, photo albums, tickets of movies and programs of plays she's done, and many many other items.

The book is done in a scrapbook format, and beside all of the removable items, has countless photographs with many of them having never been published or from her friends and family's private collections.

This book could have easily cost over $100, and I thank the ones who have put it together for allowing the fans to be a part of such intimate moments and items.

this is a very cute and amazing book about audrey hepburn.. it is a treasure,must have item.

With nearly thirty films tackled and under her belt, Audrey Hepburn is no doubt a household name, but how many really understood what went on inside of the personal life of Audrey Hepburn?

This stunning compolation of extrodinary copies of documents, family photos, playbills, and ticket stubs is a credit to her name. It shows her eloquence, style, grace, poise, and even some mystique as we get to experience a sliver of her private life, without invading the caverns of her mind.

Although not written from an autobiographical standpoint, it is easy to immerse yourself in her thoughts, because of the personal letters and dictations. Erwin writes about her beautifully, and lets the reader experience her life in the best way possible.

As a fan of Audrey Hepburn's, I read the information about this book and anticipated it's arrival. However, it arrived in a shrink-wrapped package with the corners dented badly. Since it is a type of scrapbook, the corners dramatically took away the beauty and quality of the book. The content of the book includes life-long pictures and memorabilia of Audrey's life and are a good representation of her experiences and choices. And so I would recommend the book without the mishandling.

What a wonderful memoir of Audrey Hepburn, the human being behind the star. Full of keepsake replicas from her career, letters, all sorts of mementos that bring Audrey to life. Some of them were so personal they brought tears to my eyes. The fan letters from her early music hall days in England (even then she had fans who loved her and knew she was special!) made me cry. How lucky for us Audrey saved so many things. And I'm so grateful to her son, Sean Ferrer, for keeping her memory alive with this wonderful and original book. A bargain at any price and a must for any fan and admirer of Audrey Hepburn. Many never before published pictures! What else can I say? BUY IT!!!

Begnini's account of a father who makes the ultimate sacrifice for his son is beautiful, touching, and, at times, comedic. Family Pick.

Life Is Beautiful the movie concerns the triumph of the human spirit over the horrors and attracities committed against the european jews during the holocaust. It shows the extraordinary lengths that people will go to protect the ones they love. Although the film is set during the holocaust, the film is about compassion and love and desperate forcade one man must invent to firstly protect his son and secondly spare his mental anguish. As a result of having watched this film, I have realised that life is precious and life can be a living hell. Somehow though, life is still beautiful.

One has to admit, Miramax makes a lot of darn good movies, from SLING BLADE to GOOD WILL HUNTING. LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL is another great movie. In fact, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL is one of the best movies of 1998. However, this is not the movie. This is only the screenplay. Sure you have all the lines that are in the film and a few pictures, but that's it. Frankly, if you haven't seen the film, I wouldn't recommend you reading or buying this: the words on a printed page are nothing like the movie. However, if you've seen the film you're probably a fan and it might be worth your while.

Guido, the central character in Life is Beautiful, is one of the most poignant characters in literature. He chooses to create an illusionary world for his son so that Giosue will survive the horrific conditions in a concentration camp. It becomes clear to the reader that Guido makes a decision as soon as he and Giouse are taken to the camp that he will, if necessary, go so far as to sacrifice his own life for his son's strength and survival. The theme of unconditional love transcending pain, horror, and incomprehensible ignorance is the ultimate message of the book. And, if anything, the reader empathizes even more with victims of the Holocaust because of Guido's presentation of his experiences. There is no "making fun" of the Holocaust in this book; there is only a celebration of love and the beauty of life. Everyone should read it and watch the movie!

This is an insult to the intelligence of anyone that has any knowledge of the history of WW2 and the events of the Holocaust. I guess the allied forces should have invaded Normandy with a bunch of pies, rubber noses and floppy shoes. Sometimes clowns simply don't have a role to play and this is one of those situations. Benigni bringing up the name of Primo Levi was an insult to all of Levi's philosophical attempts to explain what happened to him and Europe's Jews.

I highly recommend this book. It has helped write the Different Flags screenplay. Eugenia RenskoffDifferent Flags

So far the best and complete guide for screenplay that I've read. Very useful for those who wants to start writing a screenplay. I recommend it.

This books is very well written and has loads of information for the beginning screen writer such as myself. The author takes a chronological step by step approach as to how to get started and the proper format for a screenplay. The only thing I'm sort of ad odds with is that the author doesn't say much as to how in the world you get an agent to just read your script, let alone representing you. He sort of glosses over that problem and a real problem it is. I personally have been sending out query letters since February of this year and have received only "polite" rejection form letters or no responses at all. I've even sent out "follow up" queries and still no responses. I assume that agents need postage stamps, they've obviously kept the ones that I've included for return postage, or that in order to get ANYTHING read and actually produced, you have to know someone personally in the business. Don't quit your day jobs and think that you're going to sell a story. It's next impossible, as I've unfortunately realized. You would assume that it's not really that difficult given all the "schlock" that IS produced. Case in point: an independent film maker made a film this last year about zombies attacking a small town and it cost him about $30,000 to make. He released it and it made over $35,000,000 in one weekend! Out grossing the three main stream releases put together! Go figure. Never the less, this book is a good fundamental but just don't depend on it too much as gospel. Keep writing, keep looking for an agent but also keep/find a regular job in the meantime.

Unless you enjoy battering your head against the wall, read Keane's book before embarking on your project. Soup to nuts and three desserts - he gives the reader everything.

As Chance the Gardener says in BEING THERE, "I like to watch." As one who also likes to watch, this 'blockbuster release' time of year always makes me wonder....Could I do 'that'? Just how hard is it to do 'that.? 'That' being writing a screenplay and whatever comes after. A mystery to most of us watchers. This time I decided to seek answers to these questions. I naturally sought a book, which, for this quest, is Christopher Keane's HOW TO WRITE A SELLING SCREENPLAY.
CASABLANCA screenwriter Julius Epstein's foreword to this book closes with, 'Good luck and welcome to the terrible, wonderful world of screenwriting.' Why terrible/wonderful? By the time I finished this book, that was crystal clear. I learned that this pursuit isn't for the faint of heart or the thin-skinned. Screenwriting is demanding. It's daunting. It requires utter focus. It's frustrating. It's exciting. It's lonely. It's rewarding. There are lots of rules....There are no rules...
In this informative, engaging primer one can learn these rules and gain valuable insights into the wild and crazy film business itself. You might learn from this book that your idea is better suited for a play. Or a novel. Or a TV series. It's just as important to know what isn't a good screenplay idea as what is. Saves time! Throughout, I found that this book teaches about writing in the larger sense as well as screenwriting in particular. Chris Keane walks us through the many facets of this discipline that comprise the whole; the all-important story, character, plot, structure, dialogue, format, collaboration and re-write among them. He illuminates all of these aspects with references to specific films. And the book is peppered with personal anecdotes from the author's career. I found these to be invaluable insights. And one learns that once the screenplay is finished, the real work begins. This book will be helpful in the vital hunt for an agent, a key piece of the process puzzle.
I particularly like that this isn't an 'Ivory Tower Theory' book. Though Mr. Keane teaches this art, he also does it. And he has written novels and written for TV. As it's said today, he's been there-done that. I trust and respect this experience above all.
Whether you want to be a Chance the Gardener and 'just watch,' or you want to try actually writing a screenplay, I suggest you have Christopher Keane's book by your side. It's a helpful tool, seems to me. The more we know about the film process the better the 'watching' or 'doing' will be. This book will enhance the watching experience and make the 'doing' more manageable.
I've been trying to come up with a logline for this book....So far? 'The Hitchhikers Guide to the make believe.' Logline? Very important. See HOW TO WRITE A SELLING SCREENPLAY, Chapter 5.....

Much has already been said about the quality of the book. I personally find that the book is a due tribute. I also must say that I have not found something on Kubrick of comparable depth.

On the content side, I would have liked to see more info on the projects that were not realized, especially on "Napoleon". And I didn't find a lot of value on the CD, since it's a spoken track instead of some audiovisual material. Nevertheless, as I said before, I haven't been able to find anything comparable to this book on Kubrick. The written material is of excellent quality, as are the pictures and graphics.

I see that Taschen is issuing a new version for it's 25th anniversary. As I understand it, it will be out on Oct/2008.

In conclusion, I am the proud and happy owner of an excellent piece of work.

I have been a Kubrick fan since I was 7 and saw "Paths of Glory" - it was the only film I ever saw that I NEEDED to know who directed it, and, what other movies of his were out there. That was 30 years ago, and I still keep all his films seperate from anything else in my collection! This book is simply INCREDIBLE! Buy it if you can.....no true Kubrick fan should be without this......it is MIND BLOWING! A true work of art covering the work of a true artist. We will not see Stanley's talent and caliber in any other film maker, at least not in my lifetime. Bravo, Stanley!

If it wasn't for its hefty weight, the book is one of the items I'd take with me if my house was on fire - without hesitation. I can't even imagine how long it took for the Taschen team to assemble this incredible book; it tries to do justice to recollect Kubrick's body of work in the form of a portable archive. Seeing this book in person is an experience in itself. The conceptual design is simply impressive: details like the texture of the binding mimicking that of a real archive is a start.

A CD of a rare uncut interview with Stanley Kubrick included in the book is a real gem. The interview takes place during Kubrick's career in its earlier years, and it provides an insight of the director that no other text interview has been able to accomplish - precisely for the reason that you hear Kubrick's voice and his unfiltered opinions. Then, of course, you have a piece of 2001's film strip as an added bonus. It's just too much for a book! And I say that gratefully.

The first part of the book is filled with glossy stills of all the films made by Kubrick. It's nice, and glossy, but the real reason I purchased this book is for part two.

Part two, or "The Creative Process", is filled with a lot of archival materials for each of Kubrick's films - especially pre-production materials: production notes, correspondences, and etc. You learn a lot about how Kubrick prepares for his films by seeing just a tiny fraction (undoubtedly) of what he does before he actually goes into production - it is one of the reasons that explain the long intervals between the director's releases. In addition, the book has an extensive collection of interviews with the director from various sources. But it is little treasures like the former that make this book special.

If you are a serious fan of the master director that is Stanley Kubrick, this is the next thing to have in your possession after the DVDs. Taschen made a serious effort in paying homage to Kubrick's work as a book publisher, and they have succeeded. They could've made a lazy effort in disguise to simply profit off of Kubrick's name, but they didn't, and for that they have my respect.

Amazon now has this book available for pre-order for an October 1, 2008 release date, for $44.10 from a $70 retail cost. Look under 'The Stanley Kubrick Archives [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)'. I would like information on book dimensions as the first print run was on average 40 by 30cm.

Lucky me! I scored a copy of this and I have to say it is the best book on a film artist I've ever seen. The previous reviewers weren't kidding--this thing is huge! Too large and heavy to be read anywhere but on a large flat surface, but that's not a complaint, unless you're lugging it across an airport like I did.

A spectacular book that you'll refer to repeatedly. I pored over it for hours. The first half is devoted to an incredible array of pristine stills from each film. The second half is focused on every film with a plethora of on-set photos and interviews with cast & crew. The book is helpfully tabbed by film.

A stunning look into one of the greatest of all filmmakers. So well designed that my friends were awed by its beauty. And that 70MM film strip--holy cow! IMHO, it's worth the price for just for that.

Granted, it's more of a guide to life for people that have had their lives turned upside down by falling into a vat of toxic waste, but a guide to life nonetheless. More importantly, you no longer have to bother jamming a DVD into your DVD player (or a tape into your tape player if you want to watch it the way it was intended to be watched), because you can just pick up the book and read the words. Yee haw.

when i was in the fourth grade i talk my mom into renting the toxic avenger and that may be the reason iam a film maker today. and the novel is a must own if your a fan of this movie it adds so much more to the back ground of the story and after you read it the next time you watch the movie you will like it more ( if thats possible) do Lloyd and your self a favor and buy it

I think that Lloyd is a very talented and gifted writer. He also is a very nice guy. I think anyone that buys this will be very pleased and very glad they made this purchase. I loved it. Great work!

Lloyd Kaufman is at it again. Only this time he's leaving the imagination part up to the fans which if your a Toxic Avenger fan your gonna have one helluva time with this novel! This book is brilliant, not only does it provide a novelization of the legendary film, alot of pressing questions are answered. Tromatons? Tromaville? Its all in here. READ IT SUCKA!!!!!!

This is one of the most exciting books to come out in recent memory, with his irreverant off-the-wall humor, Lloyd Kaufman has rocked the literary world with The Toxic Avenger: The Novel. I got this book after reading Make Your Own Damn Movie, which I picked up since I'm a huge fan of Lloyd Kaufman's truly independent cinema, and I can say, everyone who enjoys positive things about the world should pick up this book. Seriously, it was a quick read yet I go back to it again and again. It's like reliving the movie-in print!

Also, if you get a chance, see other films in the Troma collection. I personally can't wait for Poultryguest to come out, but my favorite is still Terror Firmer, or maybe Tromeo & Juliet.