Haven't blogged for a few days because life is very humdrum at the moment. Worked, finished painting the toilet, washed the car, you know the sort of thing.
I've been re-reading Rumer Godden's The Greengage summer and enjoying it. I read quite a lot of her books when I was a teenager, most of them seem to have a theme of loss of innocence and coming of age so perhaps they were appropriate. "In this house of Brede" started off my life-long fascination with nuns and the conventual life, and several of her other novels are set in India, another fascination of mine. I'd like to get hold of the film of Greengage summer, there is a short clip on youTube, featuring Susannah York and an absurdly young Jane Asher. "Black Narcissus" was made into a film, wretchedly, I think; I bought it once, but ditched it. Some of the Indian characters weren't Indian but obviously just cast because they were dark-skinned. The femme fatale was particularly bad. Same with 'A passage to India' which featured Alec Guiness in brownface as Prof. Godbole - awful. I felt embarrassed for him; what ever persuaded him to take such a part? Money, I suppose.
Also re-re-re+ reading 'Persuasion' - think I know it by heart now. Just can't get enough of the wonderful Captain Wentworth!
I loved In this House of Brede, though it is years since I have read it. Or indeed any of her books. Perhaps a revisit is in order.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm trying to get hold of it to re-read it - last read when I was 14 or so, so I don't remember much about it, except that there was one very annoying nun and one very angelic.
DeleteOh Persuasion, I love it. Have you seen the film with Ciarin Hinds as Wentworth? He is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteOoo yes! They can keep Colin Firth - all the nice girls love a sailor!
Delete