February is the shortest month yet, because of the current pandemic and all the snow we've been getting, it's feeling like it will never end. In fact, I just looked and we still have over a week to go. With that in mind, I thought that I'd stick to short material to go through this month. If I can't make the month go faster at least I can speed up my reading.
Miscellaneous
Poirot Investigates - Agatha Christie ($4.89/$.60, copyright 1923/24/25, 167 pages, Paperback)
In my last Post, I told you about a collection of Dashiel Hammett's Continental Op short stories. This month, I've picked up a collection of Christie's centering on her Private Detective Hercule Poirot. It has 11 different stories that draw Poirot and his companion Captain Hastings into situations that include the usual assortment of crimes you might expect in a collection like this - jewelry thefts, missing persons, robberies and murder. Poirot shows off his "little gray cells" in solving them while depending on Inspector Japp and Scotland Yard to do his research for him. Hastings pretty much does nothing but act as narrator and foil. I have to admit that I found myself comparing these to Conan Doyle's Holmes stories as the set-ups are very similar and the authors were contemporaries. I did find a couple of cases interesting. "The Kidnapped Prime Minister" takes Poirot to Paris and there is some action involving espionage, and a very narrow time limit to solve it. "The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb" also takes place away from London and is reminiscent of the stories surrounding Carter's finding King Tut's Tomb. It was OK. (Side Note: I know that PBS ran a Poirot Series a while back that starred David Suchet but I didn't watch it. My only previous exposure to the character was the 1974 version of "Murder on the Orient Express" with Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Sean Connery and a train-load of other stars.)
Plays
Here's a new Category for a new year and one that I haven't really looked into for a long time. The script for a play is short because very little information is given with respect to the setting or the environment. In fact, the "action" generally takes place in a specific place - most often, a room. The thing is that I can't tell you much about them - just the basics. To appreciate a play, in my opinion, you have to see it in person. You have to experience it. I'll let you know what my personal experience is with each of the following.
Inherit The Wind - Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee ($9.95/$3.98, copyright 1951, 129 pages, Paperback)
This is a fictionalized version of what has come to be known as The Scopes Monkey Trial. In 1925, a young teacher in Tennessee - John Scopes - was arrested for teaching Evolution in violation of a state law. From what I've read, the trial that actually took place was deliberate to draw attention to the town and William Jennings Bryan prosecuted with Clarence Darrow defending. Lawrence and Lee give us a courtroom battle between these 2 great, nationally known Orators as they argued in the sweltering confines about Fundamentalist Beliefs versus a more Modern Religious viewpoint. My personal exposure to this was the 1960 Movie version starring Spencer Tracy as Henry Drummond (Darrow) and Frederick March as Matthew Brady (Bryan). (There was also a 1999 TV version with Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott.) I enjoyed it.
Twelve Angry Men - Reginald Rose ($6.60/$4.29, copyright 1955, 73 pages, Hard Cover)
This is another courtroom drama but it's not based on a specific case nor is it unusual in any way. What it is is a thought-provoking presentation on prejudice and bigotry in the 1950's that still feels relevant today. The twelve angry men in this play are members of a jury deliberating during a homicide trial. The young man on trial is a minority from a poor background who has a record of minor crimes. The jurors must come to an unanimous decision to prevent a hung jury. Their decision has serious consequences since a guilty charge will result in a death sentence. Eleven jurors are ready to make a snap decision of guilty and head home, but one dissenting juror has a reasonable doubt. He prompts the other jurors to examine the evidence more closely. The first version I saw was the 1957 Movie starring Henry Fonda and Lee J. Cobb. (There was also a TV version in 1998 starring Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott.) I also have a memory of seeing it performed at my High School in the late '60's in a Theater-in-the-round production and, in the late '70's I actually served on a jury in a Criminal Case in The Bronx. I enjoyed it.
Waiting For Godot - Samuel Beckett ($6.99/$3,98, copyright 1954, 61 pages, Hard Cover)
This is not a courtroom drama. It's more of an Absurdist Comedy that is hard to explain and almost as hard to read. I found myself stopping a lot to go back and reread a particular passage/section because I thought I'd lost something along the way. Minimally, it is the story of 2 friends - Vladimir and Estragon - who are waiting for a man named Godot who's supposed to give them jobs. What we get is their attempts to entertain themselves while waiting. There are 2 other characters that pop up in the middle - Pozzo and Lucky - who bring a bit of contrast to the original partners. I understand that Beckett was a fan of American Film Comedians and I think he may have drawn on Laurel and Hardy when he created Didi (Vladimir) and Gogo (Estragon). It's a mix of puns, poetry, and some physical comedy that still holds up. The only time I saw this was as a stage production at the College I was attending in the early '70's and I went because a friend of my brother's was in it. (To the best of my knowledge there was no TV version ever made starring Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott.) I enjoyed it.
March is next and, hopefully, will bring Spring with it. It will bring my first Covid shot (March 3rd) which my Daughter was able to set up for me. I've gotten a couple of new books this week that I've started and there are a couple of others on their way. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to tell you about them next time. Till then -
Stay Warm
Stay Home
Wash Your Hands
Wear Your Mask
Practice Social Distancing and
Keep Reading.
