The Canadian Dream and the Tragically Hip – Part 3

The Canadian Dream and the Tragically Hip – Part 3
by Richard LeDue

Gord Downie passed away in 2017, and his passing was felt hardest in Canada. It's important to remember that some acts and artists transcend what they do. Gord Downie was one of them. Outside of Canada, he was viewed as a somewhat obscure rocker with fans in the northern United States and Canada. He was much more though. In Canada, he was our unofficial poet laureate, while other times, he was just considered one of the greatest front men of all time in Canadian music. What he did to earn these honours is something we all strive to do. However, few of us ever truly achieve such a level of success. Few of us ever make a connection with the audience like Downie. He sung about Canada, using imagery that was Canadian in a world where television and most mainstream media, such as YouTube or Facebook, is flooded with references to America. Whenever you hear someone singing about something that you can connect to, that is truly special, and to do that for an entire country is definitely worthy of a word like “dream.”

When we talk of a national dream, it's impossible not to include the arts, such as music. Music exists because without it we lose a piece of our soul. Music says things that regular language struggles with, and music says things we're afraid to admit out loud. If humanity ever abandons music, it will certainly be a dark day. One of the saddest things I've seen in recent years are “reality” shows and televised music competitions. These stress being a great singer, but really downplays the artistry involved. Any competent songwriter, knows there's many elements to being a competent musician. There's a reason Gord Downie was often referred to as a poet, and it was because he and his band mates worked on their own songs. I believe after the first album, Gord Downie refused to record any songs that he did not have a hand in writing. To me that's a mark of an artist, more so than a singer.

With all these talent shows emphasizing the need to sing well instead of any artistry, we, the listeners, lose out on something. An example of this would be the Tragically Hip's last album to date. The last Tragically Hip album was released in 2021. It was called “Saskadelphia,”  and was a collection of unreleased songs from the “Road Apples” album, which was released in 1991. It was almost like listening to a ghost to hear Gord Downie singing again, and then there's the awesome talent of Paul Langlois, Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair, and Johnny Fay. In a way, Saskadelphia proved the concept of immortality that people associate with the arts. Hearing a healthy Gord Downie singing again was one of my highlights for the pandemic. And I'm not trying to knock the last tour, but at that point, Downie was quite sick and you could see that within his performance. He had moments when he was struggling, which lent to the organic experience of that concert, but is also saddening when rewatched after his passing.

Accepting a death like Gord Downie's is never easy. Whereas the American dream is often built on the idea of financial or commercial success, the Canadian dream has a more mystical element to it. That the songs on Saskadelphia do something ghostly is tapping into that Canadian dream. As simple as it is to say, part of the Canadian dream is an acknowledgement of ourselves. It’s easy living in North America to conceptualize identity in terms of Americana. If you watch a lot of television, many stations are American and this leads to a lot of American content and perspective being communicated. It becomes too easy to think that is the norm, even in Canada. We do have the CBC, but what’s one station versus 100 American stations? Then there's the question of bias, political and otherwise, that taints what the CBC does. Sure, there’s other Canadian stations, but most of those stations carry American shows. This saturation of American content is part of what made The Tragically Hip special. The Canadian content in their songs made not only the music special, but elevated being Canadian. There aren’t too many bands that are going to sing about athletes like Bill Barilko, or a place like Thompson, Manitoba, like the Tragically Hip do in “Thompson Girl.”

After living in Manitoba for years it actually made the song, “Thompson Girl,” very special to me when I discovered it. It was never a single, so I am ashamed to say I overlooked it when it was released in 1998. To hear Gord Downie singing about Thompson, which is a city I’ve actually visited and have spent time in is special feeling. This type of connection cannot be made artificially, or weighed in terms of commercial success. This type of connection is an authentic part of the Canadian dream. Making connections that Canadians are able to connect the dots when it comes to their geography and history is a kind of common identity that can't be measured in money.  

The Canadian dream, like any dream, is ethereal. It’s always something we’re chasing, but we’re never going to actually touch. The same is often true of many goals that we have in life. Sometimes chasing what we want is more important than getting what we want. Sometimes a chase is what we need. Reaching our goals sometimes ruin us. This is part of the reason why a band like The Tragically Hip fascinates me. They illuminate the Canadian dream, but also never really give it to us in a straight answer. They show us glimpses of the Canadian dream we have to interpret (as I have done in these articles, meaning I also don't believe my words provide a definitive answer either), so we can keep on chasing. It’s important to remember that any country has some type of national identity, and for Canada, the Tragically Hip helped shape this through cultivating the Canadian dream.

The Canadian Dream and the Tragically Hip, Part 2

The Canadian Dream and the Tragically Hip – Part 2
by Richard LeDue

Is it ironic to say the Canadian dream a more individualized aspiration than the American one? However, the soul searching that is a crucial aspect of the Canadian dream demonstrates this.  Furthermore, the American dream is built on the idea of capitalism, economics, and wealth. There is a sense of potential for the individual, but it is often tied to monetary advancements and success. Those elements may even be part of the Canadian dream, but I would like to think that there are other aspects that have higher priority in terms of relevance for our Canadian dream. But for many Canadians, The Tragically Hip are part of the Canadian dream because they sing of things we identify with. As well, their limited success in America always made them feel more Canadian to Canadians.

There's the Hip track, “Ahead by a Century,” which is actually a love song. The speaker in that song laments the fact but they are not up to the same level as the one they love. Thus, the title, “Ahead by a Century,” shows how that person feels so much further behind the one they love. Their love demonstrates a sort of self reflection that's part of the Canadian dream. I'm not saying that Americans don't self reflect, but it's just a matter of priorities. Hollywood, in my opinion, is a reflection of the American dream, and many Hollywood romance comedies go strictly with the predictable route in telling a love story. However, you would not expect some of the lyrics you find in this song to be in such a movie.

For example, the following lyrics show a sense of apprehension:
“First thing we'd climb a tree

And maybe then we'd talk

Or sit silently

And listen to our thoughts

With illusions of someday

Cast in a golden light

No dress rehearsal

This is our life”

This isn't a song about falling in love, or overcoming an obstacle to get the person you desire. No, the relationship is already happening, and self-doubt is causing the speaker to question their future together. Part of that uncertainty comes in the form of worrying about needing a “dress rehearsal” to practice what needs to happen in their relationship. The feeling of unworthiness for their partner is lovely in a sad way because it shows how much love they have, but also a fear of screwing up their relationship.

Another Canadian Tragically Hip song would be “50 Mission Cap.” It's about a hockey player who won the Stanley Cup for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Bill Barilko.  He then disappeared in an off-season plane crash. The Leafs didn't win another Stanley Cup until the body was discovered. In that song The Tragically Hip gives Canadians their own legend. Their own folklore. This is a very important role to play. The glory of winning the championship isn't as simple as lifting a trophy. It turns it into something almost spiritual. With the discovery of Barilko's body, it almost mixes spiritualism with sports. Bill Barilko's glory was found after his death. It would have been easier to write a song about someone like Wayne Gretzky, arguably the greatest hockey player ever, but instead they chose Bill Barilko, turning him from a piece of obscure hockey trivia to folk hero. If this doesn't help cultivate the Canadian dream, I don't know what does.   

Another Hip song that relates to the Canadian dream would be “Looking for a Place to Happen.” This is a song that deals with the colonial legacy in Canada. Downie was particularly in tune with the legacy of the Europeans that came here and the “discovery” of Canada. He knew this was not the proper vision of history, and he knew that there were many Indigenous groups that were wronged by those explorers (through claiming ownership of land that already had owners) and later the government (through the Residential school system and other policies that fostered cultural genocide of First Nations).

This idea is reinforced by the lyrics: 
“Jacques Cartier, right this way

I'll put your coat up on the bed

You've got the real bum's eye for clothes

Come on in, sit right down,

We've all been here since, God, who knows?”

Jacques Cartier is a French explorer who was often credited as the first European to arrive in Canada (until the discovery of Viking settlements in Newfoundland, Canada). It's important the the speaker in this song refers to already being there when Cartier arrived. This is reference to the Indigenous peoples, who already lived in Canada. Their history has often been lost in the narrative of colonialism and European expansion. Even in my own education, I remember Junior High history lessons about the the importance of explores like Cartier and John Cabot, while the Indigenous peoples they encountered were often an afterthought in those lessons.

We live in a time when this acknowledgement of past wrongs is becoming an incredibly important social movement. We live in a time when racism and discrimination ought to be dying out, but unfortunately, we have seen things go in the other direction. Part of the Canadian dream to me would be a country that acknowledges the mistakes it made in the past. A country that has accepted parts of its legacy were built on racism, yet driving forever to improve and fix past wrongs instead of ignoring them.

It was a fitting sendoff that the last song The Tragically Hip ever sung live was “Ahead by a Century.” They probably chose that song for a variety of reasons. It is one of their better known songs, but it's a love song that isn't blatantly a love song. You're not going to find too many cliches about love in that song. It's also a bit of a sad love song as the speaker seems so unsure of themselves, and that uncertainty lends itself to the Canadian dream. We are forever questioning who we are. Many can tell you what the Great American novel is, but no one can tell you what the great Canadian novel is because we were always trying to write it. Many can tell you the defining moment in American poetry might have been Walt Whitman's “Leaves of Grass,” whereas Canada is still looking for their defining moment, and this is not necessarily a bad thing. The search is part of the journey. Without the search, our destinations become meaningless

The Canadian Dream and the Tragically Hip :: Guest article

Hi there, Alex Ness here. I've mentioned the loss of my sister recently. But with two other worrisome issues I am taking the opportunity to share my friend poet Richard LeDue's thoughts with you. I've interviewed him here, so you can do your research of his ideas at this link. For the next couple weeks you'll discover he has views worth listening to, and has ideas well worth my interest. I thank Richard for his contributions to my website.  His spellings are what a Canadians use, and for good reason Richard does.  He IS Canadian. As I am married to a Canadian, I, at least, appreciate the difference, if I don't partake myself.  (I have enough problems with my grammar and spelling...)

The Canadian Dream and the Tragically Hip

Part 1
by Richard LeDue
 
We often hear the phrase “American Dream,” so when we talk about something called the Canadian dream it becomes almost satirical in a lot of ways. For many Canadians, Gord Downie and the band he was a part of with Paul Langlois, Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair, and Johnny Fay, known as The Tragically Hip, were an important part of the Canadian dream. They were hugely successful in Canada to a point that fans use the division of their success in Canada versus the United States as a point of contention for true fandom. They often sung of Canadian places, Canadian individuals, and events, such as Thompson, Manitoba and Bill Barilko.  Not an easy task when most consider Canadian history not that interesting. But our history is interesting. The problem is that we have seen so much of another country's history that we often define ourselves in terms of neighbours to the south. For example, growing up, I often referred to the leader of my country as a “President,” only to realize in my junior high school days that a “Prime Minister” was the title of our leader. Maybe not as a blunt as a grade 7 Civics lesson, but the Tragically Hip help reinforce our sense of Canadian identity. This influence is a major reason that when Gord Downie passed away, there was such an outpouring of grief.

When I think of Gord Downie's death, I always remember hearing The Tragically Hip for the first time in high school. The first song I heard by The Tragically Hip was “Gift Shop.” To this day, I still have no idea what that song is truly about. Its lyrics are obscure. It's almost like trying to figure out a riddle, but it sounds damn good. That was part of the allure of The Tragically Hip, that was part of what gave Gord Downie the title of “poet.” He was not afraid to throw in some metaphor or imagery that left the listener a little bit baffled. This turned some people off from The Tragically Hip. Those are the same people who want their songs to be simple, as if anything in life worth paying attention to is ever simple.

The Tragically Hip were not simple. My high school friends were just as blown away by “Gift Shop” as me. However, it kind of ended there for me for a while: sitting in an overcrowded car listening to a cassette.  I wasn't much of a music guy in high school, and to be honest, I didn't really get heavy into The Tragically Hip until my early university days (1999ish). I can remember the “In Violet Light” album being released in 2002. That album represented a change in The Tragically Hip sound, and some people have described that album as being more mature. That's a good way to put it. They released that album when they were in their late 30s/early 40s. Whereas when they started out, they tried to be alternative, a little grungy, and  all at the same time also be being bluesy. In other words, they were still attempting to figure out their musical identity, but they figured it out with “In Violet Light.”.

As I've listened to “In Violet Light” in my late 30s/early 40s, it has actually become one of my favourites. It deals with so much. It deals with with death, it deals with the mortality (“A Beautiful Thing”), it deals with the futility that life can encompass sometimes (“It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken”), while also still having that Tragically Hip charm (“The Darkest One”). I wasn't ready for the realizations of “In Violet Light” in 2002. I actually stepped away from the Hip when it came out during my university days because I didn't really care for it at the time. I don't think I could relate to it as much as their earlier material. I couldn't relate because I was just too young. 

My university days were a mixture of high hopes and despair. I had studied literature and poetry and had wanted to spend the rest of my life sheltered in academia. I was comfortable analyzing great works of art. However, a combination of low grades and less than stellar self motivation meant no graduate program wanted me after I completed my bachelor degree. That's probably another reason I stepped away from The Tragically Hip. They had represented a time in my life when I believed the sky was my limit. When you're young, you don't think about working for minimum wage for the rest of your life, or about being in a job you hate just so you can pay for a house, a car, support your children or spouse, or repay a credit card. You think about that bright future. You think about achievement and success. Your dreams so palpable that you taste it every morning when you wake up, but the end of university was the first time I realized this was all a bunch of bullshit. There's much more to success than high hopes. That's part of the problem with being young. You're told about your potential, and you're often told you can do whatever you want. The sad truth is life is much more complicated than that. The truth is there are many outside factors that can weigh you down, the truth is there's many internal factors they we're often blind to. When I listen to The Tragically Hip today, it's an brilliant mix of nostalgia and reality. Even though Gord Downie had a tragic end, dying much sooner than he should have. It's a reminder of life's unfairness, and I relate to that more today than in my university days.

However, in university, I appreciated the obscurity of their lyrics. I think I appreciate it less now, and prefer the Canadian aspect of their songs more. Still, some of my most relaxing moments now come listening to The Tragically Hip. It's almost like a time machine in a way, hearing a dead man's voice sing a song that's older than anybody in high school today. Some of the Hip's songs almost feel like listening to old friends, except the conversations are one way. The Tragically Hip wasn't afraid to tell a story that might take multiple listens to figure out. Maybe it was my love of poetry that attracted me to them. Maybe it's an innate love of poetry that attracts so many people to songs like their's. Poetry isn't cool anymore. Poetry is barely read anymore. Poetry is almost like that dead uncle's grave that you have to visit every now and then, only to stop visiting when you're old enough not to drive there. This in itself is tragic, but we live in a time when sitting and thinking is dismissed by too many as being arduous as pushing a boulder up a hill.

It's still hard to put into words the grief of when Gord Downie died. His passing was more than a loss of a single individual, and even years later, people still lament it. Besides encompassing Canadian identity, Downie and the Tragically Hip also show us the Canadian dream. The Canadian dream isn't a financial one, but more of a soul search, a personal journey that is different for everyone. For me, the Hip helped me with this process by reminding me who I was, and how that person is different from who I am today. That is the allure of The Tragically Hip. They help us by showing us ourselves.

Viewing the Past from the Present

Viewing the Past from the Present
By Alex Ness
February 21, 2022

We've arrived smack into 2022. Perhaps this is the year when humans take back control over their destiny. Or maybe not.

HISTORICAL CHANGES

There's a phrase that was used often, this event "changed history." Nothing changes what happened in the course of history. History is many things, but this term means changes the course of the future, from this point in time. African Americans in the 1800s would be amazed that Barrack Obama was elected President of the US in 2008. What they'd be really surprised by, is that they no longer existed. If one listens to media and this idiotic phrase. People from that ethnic group/race endured everything they ever had, didn't have power of any sort until Obama was elected. One could argue, safely and heartily that Obama's election meant that African Americans could no longer be thought of as not being represented in the president's office. I find another kind of thinking found in the phrases "Never before" or "Worst ever". The pandemic is one event that sucked, is bad, is worst in memory, but by no means is it the worst ever, nor is it something we've never seen before, and as insult to the idea of limiting the hyperbole, I've heard people say, well the 1919 influenza killed 2 billion people. Well, no, it didn't. Beyond that, we've evidence from years and years ago, that bad things happened, we've no idea how most people lived or survived it all, because they didn't write things down. Either for a lack of writing in their ancient culture, or, the records were wiped out by the events. Wait, am I saying that history doesn't happen unless someone is recording it? Well, yes, kind of. What I am saying is that history isn't what we think it is, it is both more and less. History is what was recorded about an event. An event is everything, but if people don't record it, there is no human perspective upon the records found in the earth, atmosphere or firmament. Human history is similar to time, it is a concept used to aid in providing a context for human existence. (Context for some of the hyperbole, versus reality.)

HISTORY

My skill sets involves history and myths, not the future, nor science. I am not suggesting that we should give up, just that I am not the one with the information to be able to suggest what our future might be. Historians write, often, to explore the human past, in a way, to learn about human events that happened, alongside of knowing what humans do, it helps us understand where we've been. Knowing where we've been leads us to be able to do better if a situation comes around again. Or, by knowing our past we can find our errors, and work to correct the path to failure into one where the right answers are found, and fulfilled. I mention all that, not to say we can't know, we don't know, or we won't know since some people tend to suggest that. However cynical a person is, we can learn a great deal from the past.  The past is not perfectly recorded, it has a problem in the voices heard from the past, and the echo we hear isn't always what happened. History is not what happened. History isn't what happened, it is the written record of the past and is prone to have flaws found in how it is written, what facts are known or remain unknown.

The concept of history being biased to the conquerors and dominant forces of culture, was one leaders such as Adolf Hitler and Napoleon understood well. When there are opposing forces, the one who wins will write the history of the event. Hitler might not have been a dullard, but he was evil not someone misunderstood and in reality a thoughtful kind human.  Napoleon was nowhere nearly so bad, but we find ourselves in awe of his stunning victories and abilities. In the case of Hitler, he is consigned to the waste bin of history. We don't want to know more of who he was, or why he lied. His powers of propaganda were enhanced by Dr Josef Goebbels, a master of the communication form. Win or lose, that leadership was going to define, refine, and control the narrative of what happened. If the Nazis had won, by 2022, who would know the facts, if those facts are controlled by the victors.  In the case of Napoleon, there was a great deal less lying.  Perhaps because of his desire properly, not as a dictator of other but to rule as an emperor, a pseudo noble role, he was going to tell the whole story of the events of his wars.  He could control who recorded the events, and could also "teach" others of his traits and talents, through the history.  In any event, he still was certain, if he lost his wars, he'd not be thought so great. 

If History is written by the winning team, we get a bias. History is, for the most part, written by the victors. As such it is important to remember, if you are an inch off the mark, measuring a three foot distance, your projected angle will be wrong by many feet at a mile out. If you consider this kind of error as a bias, you might not know anything by reading the history. If you are not careful to pay attention to the mistakes and lies, and bias, content is all misunderstood. An example of this can be found in the battle of Kadesh (Qadesh) between Egypt and the Assyrians. Ramses the Great's forces were ambushed, and many killed. If you go by the written account in his tomb, Ramses the Great was quick to respond, and led an action that not only saved the day, but inflicted so many casualties upon the enemy, that the battle was won right there. But the records from the other side, and the information drawn from ancient sites, suggest that nobody won the battle, and if Ramses did all that his historian scribes record, it was more to prevent disaster, than to inflict a defeat upon the other side. Had Ramses not recorded his version of events, and with only the possible defeat, archaeological site ruins and perspective from the other side known, we would not give Ramses credit for a victory. I believe what happened was epic, and I do not doubt that Ramses was so brave and quick to respond. The evidence found from the past and records display how we must be considerate of the bias found in any source, official, personal, or casual conversations that include it.

Following the beginning of World War Two, an event happened over the city of Los Angeles. A mystery aircraft, or a small number of such craft, hovered above the city and seemed to portent invasion, or a sneak attack. Searchlights shot upward to illuminate the darkness, and for hours the US military fired into the sky to shoot down what seemed to be above them. After morning broke, the event was over, but for all the shots fired, and after thorough searching, there were no remains of destroyed aircraft, no dead pilots, no transport planes filled with paratroopers found. The only thing found was wreckage from damaged property, and some tragic victims. All damaged or killed came by collateral damage fired by US soldiers, using US weaponry. There were people who reported on the event who were certain they'd seen a dogfight above the city.  Some reported hearing only the response from the ground, seeing nothing above them, and hearing no tell tale engines of aircraft. And in the present, there are thinkers who see the event as an example of UFOs taking part in human events/drama.

HISTORY DONE RIGHT

I've 2 degrees in History and Political Science. I taught briefly but have used both disciplines in my life, and I love both fields. I don't see these disciplines as being in any way apart from the human experience. Even if we are separated by time, we can still understand many aspects of the past by simply knowing where we are, and respecting the journey to get to the present. The three comics/tpbs shown below are three perfect examples, in my view, of history and human events as captured in the media of popular culture.  Breakthrough considers the fall of the Berlin Wall. Maus portrays the Holocaust using Jews as Mice and Nazis as Cats. They Called Us Enemy is by George Takei, who as a child was in the internment camps that were utilized by the US Government to segregate the Japanese Americans from the rest of American society during WWII. As a personal gut wrenching story, Takei's struggle and experience is made accessible due to the medium used to express it. All of these books are fascinating and powerful.

ALTERNATIVE VERSIONS OF STORIES DONE RIGHT

I'm a fan of many kinds of comics, but less so comic books featuring superheroes as I grow older. While I do take them as a nodding metaphor for a mythological hero, the need for my suspense of disbelief makes the modern package more difficult to accept easily. No, I'm really not saying all comics with superheroes suck. I'm saying that we've told most of the stories and the icons remain powerful, but you must keep a mind to all that's gone before to do anything with modern settings and ongoing characters. Knowing the canon dictates what can and cannot be told, makes me less and less interested.  DC Comics tend to feature iconic characters, whereas Marvel has more personal and flawed character studies.  As such, it might be that Marvel feels more real, but DC has more powerful and recognizable characters.  This might not be a common perception, but iconic characters are more easily considered in alternative story lines, and the reason for this is the fact that the traits that are so recognizable remain so, and the storytelling can be more dramatic and cinematic, with such indelible character types. The comics shown feature some of the very best of the comics by DC called Elseworlds, and they allow a great story with recognizable characters, but come from a different point of view. These books are magnificent and ought to be your first choice for a new way to read comics.

About Getting Reviews from Me

First off, I can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email at Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address. I no longer have a post box, although I regret that.  It was a crushing defeat to no longer have a p.o. box, when I came to realize I was getting so little product it made no sense to pay for the privilege to not receive mail at both my home and at the post office. If you send hard copies for review I will always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.

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Time to order: CITIES OF MAGICK, Issue 1

Cities of Magick #1  Publisher: Scout Comics Diamond Code: JAN221621 Lunar Final Order Cut off February 13 2022  Release Date: Mar 16th 2022 Writer, Co-Creator: Jakob Free Artist, Co-Creator: Will Tempest Description:  This is the Age of Magick. It is the Age of City-States and Magick Gangs and the Post-Post Apocalypse. Our hero, a cowboy named Lev, strolls into Old York City looking for something no one's ever seen before. He's picked a bad time. The forces of Hyper-Priestess Isimar Rothschild, the Queen of the Chicago Conglomerate, have attacked Old York. The only person who stands in Isimar's way is Gregor Steiner, leader of the Red Double Xs, the magick gang that protects the city from foreign invaders. ​Lev didn't come looking for a fight, but that doesn't mean he isn't prepared for one. Caught in the midst of a decade-old war between two powerful gangs, Lev has to figure out where his loyalties lie, if he has any to speak of. And he has to do it all quick-like… What others are saying about the book.: “CITIES OF MAGICK by Jakob Free and Will Tempest is the jaw-dropping grungy fantasy book your body needs. I've read it and it's well worth your time and your shillings.” — Alex Paknadel (Death of Doctor Strange: The Avengers, Marvel Comics) “Enjoyed it immensely! It's a post-apocalyptic "Gangs of New York" meets "Lord of the Rings!" The unnamed main character (shades of Eastwood's Man With No Name!) is a reluctant hero in the very best way possible.” — Karl Kesel (Impossible Jones, Superboy DC Comics) “This feels like the start of something really interesting. There is a bit of a wild west feel tacked onto a culture that is ‘steampunk but with magic instead of steam.’ Cities of Magick has big ideas, fun characters, and looks spectacular!” — Dan Newland, The Comic Book Yeti

If you liked the book, did you like the movie? And vice versa

Books v. Movie adaptation or Movies better than the books
By Alex Ness
February 14, 2022

BOOKS AND MOVIES

When I hear someone say or read them writing, that I liked this movie, but that movie is grossly different from the book, it usually means that the additions or subtractions to the book's narrative were changes to a beloved portion of the story, for the viewer.  But, I've noticed over time that it might mean something else, than the changes. Usually that happens when someone hasn't read the source material.   

Starship Troopers was written by Robert Heinlein as a means of creating a work that placed the action off the planet Earth, showed the training and mindset of a trooper, and utilized propaganda to show how a soldier in his narrative would come to find themselves a part of the group effort to fight. The maker of the movie had not even completed reading the book when he chose to make his movie. His presentation of the story led many to not understand how it was more than an action film, but one of transformation of the lead character from being willing to fight, but young, foolish and questioning, to that of a person fighting. An example of how Heinlein wasn't writing about himself, despite being a graduate of Annapolis, who went to war, was his use of the recruit/soldier's recognition that newly graduated officers should never lead soldiers into combat. He had gone to war with his own ship following graduation. Was he suggesting that he was wrong? No, he was saying what his character would say.

More than extolling the book, the movies have their own charm. However the movies were devoid of knowing how propaganda fashioned the public and led soldiers into agreeing with the cause. It is possible to view the movies with no knowledge of the underlaying concept, that you enter the military as almost children, but by the end of the time you are in the military, you have become an adult.

On the Beach was written by Nevil Shute as a work that would define how the aftermath of nuclear war could be as deadly as the war itself. I've heard people say the movie wasn't very exciting, just a bunch of people's lives and seemed kind of like a soap opera. I could easily understand if someone said the movie was really depressing, it was. But, you know, it was not about the war, it was about how people in the world presented would metamorphose from living normal lives, to being aware that the world would die, and all human life would be extinguished. So I think in this case people who had not read the book would go into it as an action film, or a sort of moralistic commentary. In this movie, however, the moralization comes in season many innocents who will die, and seeing their lives in the coming finality of extinction, by our own hands.

I liked the books of Lord of the Rings and the movies were good. But I noticed that people who hadn't read the books liked the second of the three films, whereas almost everyone I know preferred film one and film three.  I think what happened isn't the fault of the people who didn't read the books, but a natural occurrence, where the portions edited out of the film made it move more smoothly, whatever the relevance of those portions in the books.  Helm's Deep in the books was a last stand, a people alone against the dark tides and despite this, when other people call out in need, they respond.  Knowing, that they wouldn't want happen to others, what happened with them.  In the movie the elves send troops to help.  It reduced, significantly, the power of how the riders of Rohan helped others.

Briefly, The Shining was a work that most people I know who watched it, had read it as well. And while Stephen King said he wasn't happy with Stanley Kubrick's adaptation, I don't find many people who disliked either. They might have said there are many difference between the book and movie, but I've never met someone who was aggrieved by the changes. 

A final example of this, is the book by Richard Matheson, I AM LEGEND. Most people I knew who had reported seeing any of the three movies adapting the book, had read the book. The Last Man on Earth, The Omega Man, and I am Legend all tried to tell their version of the adaptation of the book.  Most people I know who had issues had issues with the changes, but also, those changes weren't in the better interest of story telling. There is an odd group regarding this intellectual property, books or movies.  The people didn't see what happened as a commentary about survival, or a reminder of the consequences of biological warfare or nuclear warfare. They saw it as an action film with no deeper meaning.  No one could have read the story and think the book and movies were telling an action packed adventure.

Any time I write about people and how they respond, I get messages saying I should get off the backs of others who just want to enjoy the movies or books.  I think they should do that.  But I also think people should perhaps think more, dig deeper, and enjoy for the reasons they are good.

LOVE

I don't have much to say about Valentine's Day, but I absolutely understand the healing power of love, and the horrendous damage being without love, or being unloved. I am grateful for those in my life who loved me, and for those in my life who showed me how to love. That includes my beautiful redheaded wife, my cats, my son, my cousins, siblings, and more.  Thank you for being in my life.  Happy Valentine's day. Shown above are some great love oriented media.

About Getting Reviews from Me

First off, I can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email at Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address. I no longer have a post box, although I regret that.  It was a crushing defeat to no longer have a p.o. box, when I came to realize I was getting so little product it made no sense to pay for the privilege to not receive mail at both my home and at the post office. If you send hard copies for review I will always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.

MY LINKS:
My Poetry AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com
Published Work  AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html
Amazon Page Amazon.com/author/AlexNess
Cthulhu Horror CthulhuDarkness.Blogspot.Com
Atlantis & Lost Worlds AlexNessLostWorlds.Blogspot.Com

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