September 2020 Recommended Reading/Viewing

[Coír Draoi Ceítien]

So now we come to September and the beginning of fall. Oddly enough, it hasn't felt like much of a summer, due to the pandemic, so I'll admit to feeling a bit cheated. Still, one has to try to stay positive. In other news, I'll be turning 33 on the 19th of this month, though that might mean much to anyone but myself. Anyway, here are the recommendations.

Reading: Robinson Crusoe (1719) by Daniel Defoe

One of the earliest contenders to the distinction of being the first English novel, this is the book that prompted me to add adventure titles to the recommendations. The narrative follows the misfortunes and eventual spiritual renewal of one Robinson Crusoe, a man seemingly made for tragedy, as he faces three disastrous sea voyages, the third leading him to be the sole human survivor of a shipwreck on a deserted island somewhere in the South American Atlantic. For 27 years, he manages to survive by constructing living quarters and raising wild goats and wheat, eventually rescuing a captured islander whom he dubs "Friday", before outwitting mutineers and securing his escape. A landmark in realistic fiction upon first publication, the book has remained a perennial classic for generations, although some sympathies will not match up to modern moral standards. Being the originator of an entire subgenre of novel - the "Robinsonade" - it is well worth checking out  both for the compelling story and the historical value.

Mass Market: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451530772?tag=randohouseinc7986-20
Trade: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375757325?tag=randohouseinc7986-20
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AZ2V1U?tag=randohouseinc7986-20



Viewing: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (John Huston, 1948)

Based on the 1927 novel by the enigmatic B. Traven, this movie - touted as one of the greatest of all time - follows a trio of poor Americans who prospect for gold in Mexico; while they come close to securing their fortunes, greed and paranoia eventually drive them violently apart, leading to disaster and death. An ingenious blend of Western, adventure and film noir, it features one of the best performances of Humphrey Bogart's career as the shifty Fred C. Dobbs, as well as an Oscar-winning role for Walter Huston as the experienced Howard, not to mention veteran Western star Tim Holt rounding out the trio as the straight-laced Bob Curtin. A high benchmark in the career of John Huston, the film remains as searing and impactful today as when it first premiered.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Sierra-Madre-Humphrey-Bogart/dp/B0049985XW/ref=tmm_dvd_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1599185775&sr=8-3
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Sierra-Madre-Blu-ray/dp/B001P829VY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=the+treasure+of+the+sierra+madre&qid=1599185775&sr=8-3
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Sierra-Madre-Humphrey-Bogart/dp/B001EBWIUO/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=the+treasure+of+the+sierra+madre&qid=1599185775&sr=8-2


Well, that's all for September. I hope that the fall will prove to be better on all of our spirits.