viernes, 8 de noviembre de 2013

On short stories and films



I discovered Alice Munro some years ago. It was one of those random discoveries which usually take place in bookshops. I guess that´s one of the perks of visiting your favourite bookshops: you are bound to find something new, interesting or exciting. As I started reading,  I couldn´t help falling in love with her stories, stories about Canadian women who lead ordinary lives in – sometimes – remote places of Canada. Munro excels at depicting the lives of these women and, very often, she manages to convey an eye-opening picture of humankind just by paying attention to a simple anecdote about the life of one of her female protagonists.
I am happy to learn that she has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature: in my opinion, she is a master of the short story. That´s why, if you feel like learning a bit about this writer, you might like to know that in 2006, Sarah Polley made a film based on one of her stories: The Bear Came Over the Mountain. The film hit the big screen under the title of Away from Her. I fully recommend it to anyone who is interested in some of the issues that affect all of us: loving, getting old and learning to cope with one of the most nagging diseases of the 21st century: Alzheimer´s. I really feel that it is a beautiful film shot with the delicacy and depth which are typical of Alice Munro´s stories.


 

Had you heard about Alice Munro before? Are you familiar with the film that I have mentioned? Do you know any other writer whose short stories have hit the big screen?



3 comentarios:

  1. I would like to recommend Raymond Carver. He is an author whose short stories we can find in great films like: Short Cuts.

    http://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film809366.html

    Un interesting post, wich we can learn so much about Alice Munro. Thank you, again, Margarita.

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  2. I would like to recommend Raymond Carver. He is an author whose short stories we can find in great films like: Short Cuts.

    http://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film809366.html

    An interesting post, wich we can learn so much about Alice Munro. Thank you, again, Margarita.

    ResponderEliminar
  3. Thank you for your comment and your recommendation. I´m familiar with Robert Altman´s film “Short Cuts” but I haven´t actually watched it, I´ll make a point of watching it in the future. Your recommendation is a very good example of a master of the short story whose work has been translated to the big screen; thank you, Emma, for sharing it with us.

    P.S : Just a small correction to the last part of your comment “… on which we can learn…” (“ or also … thanks to which we can learn …”.

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