June 2022 Recommended Reading and Viewing

[Coír Draoi Ceítien]

Sorry I'm late again.

It's June now, and it honestly feels good, at least where I'm at. It's been great to get outside, as it hasn't been that severe of weather so far. I can only hope it will last. I managed to find some recommendations, and as the books go, some may not be be historically fond of it, but from my own personal experience, a book can really be better the second time around under the right circumstances, so I really encourage anyone who doubts it to give it a second chance. For the rest of you, these recommendations may be old, but I think they hold up.

Reading: Don Quixote (1605/1615) by Miguel de Cervantes

Quite possibly the most influential novel in the world, and definitely considered Spain's crowning literary achievement, this is the one that gave new respect to the form and raised its author to international renown after years of setbacks. The main characters - the semi-mad idealist who chooses to become a knight errant and the simple-minded, down-to-earth farmer who becomes his squire - are beyond iconic and have been both given homage and parodied ever since publication. With this, the prose romances of the past gave way to a more realistic story, one in which it is still debated which side Cervantes himself was on. Old works like these sometimes need fresh eyes, so the edition I'm linking to is the 2003 translation from Edith Grossman, which has received significant praise from the likes of acclaimed Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes and renowned American literary critic Harold Bloom. If you haven't experienced it before, give it a chance; if you already have, give it another - it may be worth the effort.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Don-Quixote-Miguel-Cervantes/dp/0060934344/
Trade (Deluxe): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062391666/
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Don-Quixote-Miguel-Cervantes-ebook/dp/B001R1LCKS/



Viewing: Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder, 1951)

This film was a commercial failure upon release (a first for director Wilder), but time has been much kinder, and this acerbically cynical carnival - a literal one, in a way - is now seen as one of the sharpest satires on the power of the media to manipulate and exploit tragedy for personal profit. Kirk Douglas, in one of his finest performances, plays a scrounging reporter always on the lookout for the next big scoop, and upon finding a man trapped in a cave due to an archeological incident, he turns what should be an efficiently humane rescue into a countrywide sensation, twisting the facts and prolonging the attempts to pull the man out in order to savor every moment of the attention America gives to it. Despite its less-than-hopeful mood, it remains surprisingly relevant even today, proof perhaps that journalism hasn't changed much despite technological advances, and as a human character study, it needs to be seen in spite of how uncomfortable it may make you.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Hole-Criterion-Collection-Kirk-Douglas/dp/B000PKG6OE/
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Hole-Blu-ray-Kirk-Douglas-Sterling/dp/B07DS6S553/
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Ace-Hole-Kirk-Douglas/dp/B00N43TBW8/


So there you have it. I hope the summer finds you in good spirits. See you next month!