Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch performed a haunting interpretation of “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats, and the actor has also recently signed on to play Hamlet on the London stage in autumn 2014. This raises the question: is Cumberbatch the British James Franco?
“Was it a vision, or a waking dream?”
Revenge of the Pigeons?
Will 2012 be the year they finally rise up against us? A study finds pigeons can do higher math.
Dispatch from the Online Retail War
During its ongoing contract talks with the publisher, Amazon has been displaying that Hachette’s books ship in “up to 3-5 weeks.” James Patterson, one of their biggest authors, has declared on Facebook that “there is a war going on between Amazon and book publishers.” The Washington Post has more on the backstory of Amazon’s strategy, while the New York Times blog details how Patterson and other authors are fighting back.
Baby, You Can Drive Murakami’s Car
When The Beatles made Rubber Soul, the band probably didn’t realize it would inspire some of the greatest contemporary fiction. First, Haruki Murakami named his novel Norwegian Wood. Now, “Drive My Car” inspired his new short story. Bungeishunju published the story today, but English readers are still waiting on the translation. Until then, we can always listen to the album. Pair with: Our essay on the soundtracks behind books.
Like Reading How-To Manuals
James Hynes discusses the books he read when writing his latest novel, Next: “I wanted to see if I could write a day-in-the-life novel, a narrative that would be set in a single day, or part of one, and by working backwards and forwards through flashbacks, encompass the entire life of a single character.”
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Purity Coming to TV
If you enjoyed Jonathan Franzen’s Purity, I have some exciting news for you. Multiple networks are bidding for TV adaptation rights for a show starring Daniel Craig. For a refresher, check out our own Lydia Kiesling’s review of the novel.
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Every Love Story Gets a Book Trailer
The book trailer is out for Every Love Story Is a Ghost Story, D. T. Max’s biography of David Foster Wallace — it features a brief cameo from yours truly. The book’s opening paragraphs appeared on our site this week, too.
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To even approach comparing Cumberbatch to James Franco is an insult of the highest order…Has he optioned numerous brilliant novels, and co-opted the lives and personae of our best poets, in order to make bad films? No. Could Cumberbatch actually play Hamlet? I guess we’ll find out, but I’d vote for YES. So he appeared in a big-budget Hollywood sequel/reboot of Star Trek…but he also appeared in Tom Stoppard’s adaptation of Parade’s End…What, o what, I ask, did Mr. Cumberbatch ever do to deserve this post? How, precisely, do the things mentioned,make the thought of comparing the two even pop into one’s head?????