tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838593459226293927.post8196966362969059965..comments2010-11-22T14:19:25.721-08:00Comments on Monster Talk: Thinking It Won't Stop a Werewolfdbjohn1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12939422911734425861noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838593459226293927.post-6376741633475381912010-10-28T08:04:25.174-07:002010-10-28T08:04:25.174-07:00I think you're 100% right when you point out a...I think you're 100% right when you point out all of the inaction in this story. There are quite a few characters who know about the wolf curse and do nothing to stop or prevent it. It's hard to believe a monster like the werewolf is truly scary when people have it in their power to put the beast down and just don't. When its destruction is allowed to happen, rather than just feared. Good post!Kari Cooperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11803265708419315032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838593459226293927.post-53425288232821075132010-10-26T07:49:37.259-07:002010-10-26T07:49:37.259-07:00As usual, I agree with 99% of what you have to say...As usual, I agree with 99% of what you have to say, and I'm glad to see a man was also bothered by the total lack of respect Lawrence showed for his dead brother's memory RE: Gwen. I found it not just personally and morally reprehensible, but in fact completely out of line with what would have actually taken place in that era. Victorian era women spent an entire year mourning when their husbands died; I'd think they'd spent at least a few months grieving for their intended husbands. <br /><br />Also, as you might suspect, I was deeply disappointed by the possibility of a Ripper tie in that just never materialized.Carla E. Andertonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08897769133324495962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838593459226293927.post-81666952016006562962010-10-23T12:25:59.889-07:002010-10-23T12:25:59.889-07:00Great post! You make several convincing arguments ...Great post! You make several convincing arguments and I agree with most of what you have to say. The novel didn't work for me at all and in part it may have been because this was a novelization. I like your thoughts about the scene with the gypsies. It would have been more interesting had one or both tried to kill him and then were caught. I enjoyed reading your post.~me~https://www.blogger.com/profile/15444604217319468918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838593459226293927.post-51662760052740595102010-10-22T19:16:23.798-07:002010-10-22T19:16:23.798-07:00Almost all of the action in the book is from the m...Almost all of the action in the book is from the movie. This being said the rest of it is over dramatization of the other events and places of the movie. As I read it I felt that it was a verbatim rendition of the movie. this would account for all of the endless descriptions of people and places and the lack of action. This prompted me to watch the movie. There were some differences and i attributed it to Mayberry's touch. However I read in another post that he only used the screenplay and had not watched the movie. Thats when it came to me. The screenplay would probably tell the things that are rendered in the novel but not paint a picture. I think Mayberry focused too much on painting a cinematic picture. <br /><br />CraigSelf Publishinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17455742994790983559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838593459226293927.post-10816668344409972172010-10-22T10:43:30.578-07:002010-10-22T10:43:30.578-07:00I agree wholeheartedly about the lack of action. I...I agree wholeheartedly about the lack of action. I wanted to use the book and crack every one of them upside the head. I just couldn't quite buy the fact that everyone knew what was happening-- particularly Singh-- but didn't do anything about it. <br /><br />Interesting, KL, that you think the faults lie with the screenplay. How much liberty do you think he was given to write the novelization? That's something to think about. And I wonder if he felt limited.Nikkihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08655631136506380324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838593459226293927.post-45431795011609821812010-10-22T09:13:06.519-07:002010-10-22T09:13:06.519-07:00I agree with a lot of what you said here. Singh an...I agree with a lot of what you said here. Singh annoyed me (noble savage, much?), I wondered WTF was up with that pointless medal Lawrence wore, WTF was up with that high drama when Gwen confronts Maleva, WTF with all the Latin Gwen waded through in two days, etc. <br /><br />That said, I don't see Lawrence as so passive. He's emo, yes, but he's an actor. Go figure. From the start, he's going against the tide - refusing to be caught up in the actor lifestyle anymore but riding the reputation - and then he's off and running to Talbot Hall to find his brother and then to find his brother's killer and avenge Ben and then to save Gypsies and then (after some time being out of sorts post-injury) killing old papa. He does want to kill himself, but I think maybe Maberry fell down a bit by not emphasizing that he very much planned to kill himself as soon as he'd killed his father. That detail gives the end a bit more justice but also makes it completely unsurprising and lacking any emotional punch whatsoever.<br /><br />I like your idea about Maleva and Saskia trying to kill him as a more interesting detail. I was also annoyed by the rather sentimental love story. For crying out loud, it's nearly incestuous, and Ben hasn't even started to really decompose before the Magic Hoo Hoo calls to the Mighty Wang (to borrow some Smart Bitches vocabulary). So uncool. Really.<br /><br />That said, I enjoyed the story for what it was, and the faults, I think, are with the screenplay. I'd have to see the movie to confirm, but that's my suspicion. I think Maberry did a good job with what he had. It was certainly meatier than I ever expected a novelization to be.KL Gradyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15498176384773018091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838593459226293927.post-65946268107238147492010-10-22T04:34:16.637-07:002010-10-22T04:34:16.637-07:00I think you hit the nail on the head. I don't ...I think you hit the nail on the head. I don't think werewolves are the problem here (though are they being relegated to second fiddle in paranormal romances?). I think the problem is the script for the movie, which is what Maberry used to write his book. I almost wish he'd said no to the project or made some changes to it to make it more dynamic and active. His regurgitation of the mediocre movie didn't impress me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com