E is for Ever Ethan Emerson’s Executioners
Daily bookish and filmish picks.
The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer
This book about convicts and the death penalty is one that challenged the way I thought about both. It’s based on a true story in 1976 and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1980. I read this 15 or so years ago and I still remember the way it made me feel. If you can commit to over 1,000 pages, it’s worth it! I’d say 3 might be a little young to appreciate it but Gage wanted to take a look over breakfast anyway.
Ever After, 1998
I’ve seen this movie more times than I’m willing to admit. This is a romantic retelling of the fairytale Cinderella as the great great great-granddaughter of the real Cinderella wants to set the record straight. Drew was luminous as Danielle/Cinderella. And Angelica Huston as the stepmother? Perfection. This is a Cinderella story that I think has a great message for girls. Hint-Cinderella doesn’t wait to be rescued, she takes care of that herself.
In college, I took a class on transcendental authors during a particularly difficult time, it was the quarter that my grandfather was sick and passed away. I was forced to read and keep a journal and these writers (Emerson, Thoreau) really comforted me somehow. I’m sure some of my world view comes directly from reading them. I haven’t taken the time to read them in awhile and I need to remedy that. Here’s a quote that I need to keep handy as I reach my limit of the new 3-year-old tantrums I’ve been living with.
“Men are what their mothers made them.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you want to try Emerson or think that you should, read Self-Reliance, start here.
He’s been in some very good movies – Dead Poets Society, Reality Bites, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. I find him likeable and enjoy his performances. I did think it was in poor form to knock up the nanny though. Was he trying to become a cliché?
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What Jane Austen heroine are you?
I think I’ve never seen Ever After, but you reminded me that I always wanted to. And that Gage, reading a big book like that – I *knew* he was precocious! (Well, except for his inability to pick my name for prizes, but even geniuses have areas in which they are lacking, and as far as I can tell, that is Gage’s only one!) :–)
I missed visiting for a couple of days but what awesome lists!! I like seeing familiar favorites as well as some things I am going to have to check out. Ever After was a great twist on the familiar favorite!
I’ve never seen Ever After. I should see if our library has it.
Favorite Hawke is either Training Day or Hamlet 2000. Or Gattaca!
I read The Executioner’s Song shortly after it came out and it affected me as well. I love that Gage wants to look through it!!
I’ve heard of the Executioner’s Song. I should read that. Gage is such a cutie to be glancing over it over breakfast! Love it. And I am sad to say that I’ve only read a handful of transcendentalist readings. I had a short intro into it in high school but never had the opportunity in college. I should get going on that. Time’s a-wastin’. Ever After is a fun one. My husband loves it more than me! I’ll catch him watching it while sick or a late-night movie. I love her kick-booty style. It is a powerful message. I liked Ethan Hawke in Gattaca and Dead Poet’s and Reality Bites. But I haven’t seen too much of him recently.
I love, love, love Ever After. It’s one of my favorite all time movies just because.
I haven’t read Mailer’s book, but I’ll have to to add it to my wish list.