Friday, October 19, 2012

Reading, Listening, Watching

I decided to bring one and only one book with me on vacation- Edith Grossman's new translation of Don Quixote. Don Quixote is one of my bucket-list books and I thought a two-week trip would be a great opportunity to get started on it. As it turned out this vacation wasn't big for reading but I did read enough to know I want to finish. It's the ultimate picaresque- a bunch of stuff that happens. And happens. And happens.

I watched three movies total on the flights to and from Rome- an Italian comedy about a family who discovers their son is a porn actor, a French comedy about a single woman looking for love, and a Japanese film, a soon-to-be-cult-classic called Thermae Romae, about a Roman bath architect who travels in time to present-day Japan and uses Japanese bath technology to save the Empire. It may end up being my favorite movie this year.



I don't know if this movie will be released theatrically in the U.S. but I really, really hope it is. It would be perfect for my local art-house theater, and I would love to see it again, on the big screen! It was hysterical. And my classics-buff husband needs to see it too, and possibly add it to our DVD collection.

My husband finally persuaded me to watch The Avengers on DVD the other night while we were dealing with jet lag, so I can tick that one off the list now! I enjoyed it well enough. It was definitely a comic book movie in every sense.

I'm still stuck in Italy when it comes to what I'm listening to. One night in Florence we were sitting in the Piazza Vecchia after dinner, listening to a classical guitartist/busker named Justyna Maria Janiczak, and I decided to buy her CD on the spot. I'm glad I did, too, because it's going to be one of my favorite souvenirs. Here's a YouTube clip of her performing in Florence:



I don't watch much TV but I'm seriously considering watching "Homeland" since writer Justin Cronin endorsed it so heartily at his event for The Twelve the other night. What do you think? Is there something else I should be watching, reading or listening to that you love?

6 comments:

rhapsodyinbooks said...

Loving your trip posts! Very nice music video. Do you know the story about Joshua Bell busking in the D.C. subway? Great story - you could google it I'm sure if you don't know it!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful music and a pleasure to watch her play. She's like a dancer.

I want to see the time travel movie, too. I need to start a tbw list in IMDB...

Harvee said...

It's nice when they have good movies on an international flight.I hope we have the same luck next summer!

bookspersonally said...

I love the trailer for Thermae Romae! Will have to keep our eyes out for that one in theaters or on Netflix.

Vasilly said...

I loved seeing your trip updates via Facebook. Thermae Romae sounds like something I need to see.

Anonymous said...

I've been reading the manga of Thermae Romae and can't wait to see the movie (I'm not sure if it will be released in the UK either - probably not). It's such a brilliant and different premise and shows how the bath culture is still relevant in Japanese society today.