Consider the Source
Monday, July 18, 2011
Consider the Source Consider the Source: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Posted by Curt Holman on Mon, Jul 18, 2011 at 3:53 PM
- Scholastic Press
The material might sound like a stretch for Scorsese, but the book reveals deeper ties to film history than the trailer and a superficial description indicates. It’s written and illustrated by Brian Selznick, a relative of legendary film producer David O. Selznick. The senior Selznick’s credits include Gone With the Wind, Rebecca, Spellbound and Duel in the Sun — the latter of which just happens to be the first film that Scorsese ever saw.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Books / Consider the Source / Uncategorized Consider the Source: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Posted by Curt Holman on Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 7:31 PM
The title Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a little misleading. True, rising middle-schooler Greg Heffley is unathletic and small for his age, but Jeff Kinney's bestselling book spends relatively little time focusing on his wimp factor. Even "Diary" part isn't ideal, since Greg declares, on the first page, that the word "diary" is for sissies and that he's recording his activities in a journal. Given Greg's self-centered behavior, perhaps Chronicles of a Lazy Kid or Annals of a Sneaky Kid could would be more appropriate.
Friday's release of the film adaptation of Diary of a Wimpy Kid (from the director of -- uh-oh -- Hotel for Dogs) inspired me to read Kinney's "novel in cartoons," which originated on the educational web site FunBrain. Written on lined noteb00k-style paper with illustrations on nearly every page, Diary of a Wimpy Kid straddled the line between picture book and graphic novel. Kinney's simplistic cartooning - a notch or two above stick figures - provides a whimsical counterpoint to Greg's grumpy, deadpan candor. Currently I'm reading the third book in the hilarious series, although the humor does not lie where one might expect to find it.
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