Movies and Films
This is the forum for Movie and Film discussions. Again, our topic is naval warfare in WWII for the most part.
Re: Das Boot: book or movie ?
Posted by:
Meg Rosenfeld
()
Date: November 13, 2003 02:12PM
<HTML>Hallo Wiljan,
As you will have guessed, despite the contrary opinions of many in this forum (and maybe in the world, I don't know or care) I admire Buchheim's writing very much and only wish I could write as well. Whether he describes something happening on a Monday which actually took place on Tuesday does not bother me, nor does his attributing a speech or mannerism to one crew member which actually is a compilation of several people's peculiarities. A novelist is not a historian. Anyway, sorry if I sound cranky, but I want to say that simply because his novels were published many years after the war, does not mean that Buchheim didn't form his opinions until later. However, in the intervening years he was doing other things, like traveling, establishing an art collection, and having a personal life. The notes for his novels were written years before the books actually came out. As a writer of sorts myself, I know how long one can pick over one's rough drafts before actually settling down to doing something about them, especially if other things have to be given precedence.
Most readers seem to find Die Festung "too long" but I don't; I'm starting my fourth or fifth read-through (lost count). However, if you don't like descriptions or meditations, and if you want every gun hung in the first act to be shot off in the third (to borrow a stage metaphor) you will find it rough going.
Regards,
Meg</HTML>
As you will have guessed, despite the contrary opinions of many in this forum (and maybe in the world, I don't know or care) I admire Buchheim's writing very much and only wish I could write as well. Whether he describes something happening on a Monday which actually took place on Tuesday does not bother me, nor does his attributing a speech or mannerism to one crew member which actually is a compilation of several people's peculiarities. A novelist is not a historian. Anyway, sorry if I sound cranky, but I want to say that simply because his novels were published many years after the war, does not mean that Buchheim didn't form his opinions until later. However, in the intervening years he was doing other things, like traveling, establishing an art collection, and having a personal life. The notes for his novels were written years before the books actually came out. As a writer of sorts myself, I know how long one can pick over one's rough drafts before actually settling down to doing something about them, especially if other things have to be given precedence.
Most readers seem to find Die Festung "too long" but I don't; I'm starting my fourth or fifth read-through (lost count). However, if you don't like descriptions or meditations, and if you want every gun hung in the first act to be shot off in the third (to borrow a stage metaphor) you will find it rough going.
Regards,
Meg</HTML>