Books on Film: The Raven

Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven isn't actually a book, it's just a really long poem about a crow. But the epic poem is about more than a bird or a man who can't seem to get to sleep, and it beautifully showcases the dark nature of Poe's work. Poetry doesn't translate easily into film, or in fact into any other medium. The three films loosely based on Poe's work reflect this truth rather spectacularly.

The Poem

Edgar Allen Poe published The Raven in 1845, and it became rather famous right away. The musical lines of the poem are studied often by scholars of all ages, and some people can recite entire passages. Reciting the entire thing takes a whole lot of study -- it's more than 100 lines long, but the rhyming scheme does help. 

The Raven mourns the loss of the lovely Lenore. A man wracked by grief for this woman, presumably a lost love, is being taunted by a raven who repeatedly tells him "nevermore." It's all the bird will say, and it's maddening. At the end of the poem, the bird is still sitting "perched above my chamber door" and still haunting the man who has lost his beloved Lenore.

It's heart-wrenching, and sad, and beautiful. But it doesn't necessarily made a great movie. Like, who would want to see a movie about a man sitting alone in a room with a talking bird? If you can get an audience to sit through 90 minutes of that, you're a genius. 

You will have also accomplished something that no director has ever accomplished before, and the three film adaptations of Poe's The Raven prove it.

The Films

The first film to borrow Poe's stark title premiered in 1935, with two masters of horror among the cast. Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi joined forces to bring the film to life. Lugosi plays a surgeon who is absolutely obsessed by Poe. He has his own torture chamber for his victims. Karloff's character is no better. He's a murderer currently on the run from police and living as a fugitive. 

In the film, Lugosi is asked to operate on a beautiful young woman who has been injured in an automobile accident. He agrees and succeeds, and begins to form a friendship with the young woman he's saved. As their friendship blossoms, he reveals his great love of the writer Edgar Allen Poe. He even shows her his prized collection of Poe's works, which includes many poems and short stories.

Her father, however, doesn't approve of the budding relationship. By the time the murderer shows up at the surgeon's home, Lugosi is angry enough to mastermind his own macabre plan. Using his surgeon's skills, he forces the murderer into carrying out a terrible plan about the family that has upset him so. He invites them all to a dinner party, and one by one they each come to some horrible fate as inspired by Poe's stories. The surgeon eventually falls prey to one of his own traps, and the beautiful young woman escapes (because that's the way of such movies).

Another movie named The Raven was made 30 years later, in 1963, but this time it had a totally different plot. Boris Karloff appears again, this time with legendary horror master Vincent Price. Though the plot was different, the theme of the film was the same: Edgar Allen Poe. This time, the story is set all the way back in the 15th century (long before Poe was born).

Price plays Dr. Craven (get it?), a wizard who is in mourning for his wife Lenore. He's been grieving for more than two years, a fact that distresses his daughter. Just like in the poem, Dr. Craven is visited by a raven who is actually a wizard named Dr. Bedlo (I'm not making this up). The two work together to create a potion that will transform the raven back into a man. Bedlo, you see, was transformed by yet a third wizard (they're coming out of the woodwork!) -- Boris Karloff. But the plot thickens, because Bedlo has actually seen the ghost of the beloved Lenore at the evil wizard's castle! 

Indeed. The two magical men set out to take on the evil wizard. Estelle the daughter joins them, as does Bedlo's son Rexford (played by none other than Jack Nicholson). Bedlo ends up getting killed by one of his own spells, or so it seems. He's really hiding inside the castle. Craven ends up recovering Lenore, who is also not dead as we believed. She actually faked her own death in order to take up with the evil wizard, because the guy does have his own castle. A magic duel is really inevitable at this point.

Naturally, Bedlo ends up getting transformed into a bird again. He tries to plead with Craven at the end, who tells him (what else) "nevermore." I'm not sure how Poe would have felt about it. 

But he may have liked the most recent film adaptation, in which he actually appears as a character and not just a subject of conversation. John Cusack plays the man himself in the 2012 movie The Raven. He doesn't really resemble Poe, but it's all right because he gives the famed writer an appropriately sad, hopelessly romantic aura.

The film opens with a mysterious teaser about the last days of Poe's life before it centers on 1849 Baltimore, where the writer spent his final days. The movie does mention The Raven and it does contain Poe as a character, but most of the plot is pure fiction. It's a very engaging murder mystery, and you know I love those. Many of Poe's stories are referenced, as they become clues in the mystery, and the writer's mysterious death is "solved" at the end of the flick. It has almost nothing whatsoever to do with the poem The Raven, other than a few references and some quoted lines, but it does draw from some true facts surrounding Poe's life. The movie does reflect the darkness and mysterious suspense that surrounded Poe's tales, but the twist wasn't all that startling and the pseudo-happy ending is a little too neatly done. It's a fun murder mystery, perhaps a little too fun to do Poe real justice, but it's well put together enough to warrant watching. It'll take you almost as long as reading the entire poem.

De-Mystifying the Tower

"Maneuver through this new world of money and lies and mystery."

"The characters were dynamic and so entertaining." 

Kitters Ramblings has followed up their review of Justice with a new review of The Tower (Deck of Lies, #2)! Read the spoiler-free review to get a taste of where this installment of the series will take you.

Fiction Fashion Icon: Holly Golightly

Holly Golightly first appeared in the world of fiction in 1958, but her character lived on the page in the 1940s. By the time she debuted on film, she'd aged 10 years and moved into the early sixties. But no matter where you find her, she's always one thing: incredibly stylish. 

The Little Girl in the Little Black Dress

In any era, Holly Golightly's style transcends the page. She was introduced in a novella written by Truman Capote, ostensibly based on someone he actually knew when he moved to New York as a young writer. Holly's love of style and fashion are revealed early in the book when she talks about going to Tiffany's, the famous jewelry store, and how safe she feels when surrounded by the men in their dark suits. Holly is a party girl who loves the night life, and she's usually dressed for it even at seemingly inappropriate hours of the day. The story struck a chord with readers, and Holly became a well-loved fiction heroine (or anti-heroine, depending on your point of view) quickly. But it wasn't until she was transferred to the big screen that she became a true fashion icon.

And so did Audrey Hepburn, who played Holly for the film version of Breakfast at Tiffany's. The 1961 movie cemented Audrey as a true film fashion icon, and made the little black dress the must-have garment for every single woman in America. The costumers who designed the movie did a great job of re-capturing Holly's look, as told by Truman Capote's narrator in the book.

But even Audrey thought of herself as a bit of a mis-cast in the role. She was thin and willowy like Holly, but the similarities ended there. In the book, Holly has messy blonde hair and she's rather unapologetically a high-class call girl for New York society's cafe set. Capote famously wanted Marilyn Monroe in the part, but she didn't want it and the producers didn't want her for it. In that ultra-conservative time of making movies, when the famous Code was in full effect, it was extremely important to downplay Holly Golightly's sexual nature and various escapades. Hepburn, who was the epitome of classy elegance, was strongly courted for the role and personally persuaded by the director to accept the part. 

When Holly Golightly first appeared onscreen wearing her trademark dark glasses and a long, black cocktail dress, fashion history was made. In the story, Holly is known for wearing her sunglasses and stylish, thin black dresses that are perfect for late evening hours. Whenever she's feeling down, Holly goes to gaze at the glittering, ultra-expensive pieces on display at Tiffany's. She doesn't own a whole lot of real jewelry herself, but she does hope to marry a millionaire one day so she won't ever have to worry about money. 

Holly's fashion plays a big role in the story, and it became the focal point of the film. For her role in shaping the little black dress as the must-have style garment, and for showing us how to wear dark sunglasses while window-shopping for jewelry, Holly Golightly is one of the most famous and best-loved fiction fashion icons.

Writing 101: Why You Need Contractions

Have you ever turned to a friend to say, "let us go to the mall this afternoon" rather than let's? Of course you haven't. Contractions are a natural and normal part of dialogue, and if you're a writer you really need them in your book. 

Contractions

Contractions are confusing. Apostrophes always complicate matters, because they appear all over the place. An apostrophe might be near the beginning, near the end, at the very end...sure, it's easy to get all mixed up. Start throwing contractions around, and matters only get more complicated. In contractions, apostrophes have a single function: they represent the missing letters. When cannot becomes can't, the apostrophe symbolizes the n and the o. 

And once you know that, you should be able to write contractions perfectly every time. You'll need to, because you need contractions. Without them, your book will sound stilted and strange. It won't flow well, and I can prove it.

"You are so silly," said Mary. "We are already there. It is just around the corner." 

"We have been driving for hours," Becky answered. "It is about time." 

Doesn't flow well, does it? It reads much easier, and much more naturally, like this: 

"You're so silly," said Mary. "We're already there. It's just around the corner."

"We've been driving for hours," Becky answered. "It's about time." 

Even outside of dialogue, you need contractions to make your words flow better. Don't forget to look for opportunities to use them, and if you leave them out try to catch them in editing. See which words can be smooshed together to create contractions, and smoosh them. They're common, they're used every day, and they're much more approachable than the alternative. 

There's really only one reason why you need contractions if you're a writer: everyone's using them. Always remember to write the way people talk, and you'll be a better writer.

Perfectly Surprising

"The perfect YA read."

"The story goes to a whole different place than what I expected."

Kritters Ramblings has reviewed Justice (Deck of Lies, #1). Read the full review at the blog to find out why the reviewer called it perfect!

Writing 101: Know Your Enemy

It's not easy to write something great. It's not even easy to write something that no one will want to read. There's a misconception that writers simply lounge around with tape recorders and laptops all day, busily typing away without cease. That's not what it's like. It's emotionally exhausting to write, and you can sweat for four hours and complete a single page of text. There's one great enemy that can make it impossible for you to write to your best capability. Do you know what it is...and how to defeat it?

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Fear

If you're a writer, your greatest enemy is fear. Lots of writers have been battered, maybe even a little damaged, by criticism and rejection. It's easy to second-guess your writing, to stop writing and read what you've just done...and hate it. You might start thinking about how readers will react, how literary agents will react, how publishers might react. What will the reviewers say? Will they see this coming? Will they say your writing is terrible?

Fear can easily take over your writing, and you may not even know it. It's important to stay organized when you're writing, to keep track of all your characters and always be writing toward some important plot goal. But you can't allow yourself to get too caught up in those details, and start focusing too much on trying to be perfect. Don't let fear of making mistakes keep you from writing. When you let fear do the writing, you're not going to be writing very well.

When you write, you have to know how to let go every once in a while. Just start writing -- don't think about it too much. If you just loosen up and type, you may be amazed by the words that appear on the page. In your first draft, you should always play things a little bit loose and stay relaxed. Don't think about the reviews. Don't think about agents. Don't think about the fans. Just write. When you go back later and edit, you can start stressing and fretting again. When you write that first draft fearlessly, your creativity will be at its best.

Writing 101: What Are You Reading?

Writers are supposed to be in their own heads a little bit. You have to completely immerse yourself in the world you're inventing in order to write it properly, don't you? But you've got to step outside of that world every once in a while, and into someone else's. What are you reading right now....and are you reading for you, or to improve your writing? 

Reading and Writing

Lots of writers also enjoy reading. Many authors have been inspired by other authors. I have a few particular favorites, myself. But you shouldn't necessarily be reading those authors that you love -- at least, not all of the time. Some of the time, you've got to read in order to improve your writing. You've also got to read to make sure you're writing within your own genre, and that you're marketing toward the right audience.

Think of it as reconnaissance. If you're writing YA books, shouldn't you be reading other YA books to see what's happening in the genre? Sure, it only makes sense. Make it a point to read popular novels in your genre, so you get a feel for what your peers are doing. 

Speaking of which, you should also be reading other indie authors. See what they're doing, and what's working and what isn't working. It's instructive to read great writing, but it's also instructive to read any writing.Read books like yours and authors like you, and you'll learn a great deal about how to be a better writer.

Books on Film: Dracula

How good is Bram Stoker's novel Dracula? So good, kids are still dressing up like his main character more than 100 years later. The novel was originally written in 1897, but it's come to life many times since then.

The Book

We're celebrating scary books this October, but Dracula is about a lot more than cheap thrills. The book touches upon the role of women in Victorian society, sex, even immigration (still a hot-button issue in some countries). Bram Stoker wasn't the very first author to write about vampires, but he's famous for bringing the vampire into the modern world. 

It's one of the most-adapted novels ever written. It's been around long enough to be adapted for the stage and the screen many, many times over. Dracula centers around a title character who is quite thoroughly undead, though many protagonists help to tell the story through diaries, letters, newspaper clippings and ship logs.

Dracula is the title character and the villain. Jonathan Harker is the hero. He's going to Dracula's castle in the Carpathian Mountains, and considering the year he's traveling by train. Harker is an Englishman and quite the upstanding, proper young man. A lawyer, Harker is going to meet with Count Dracula regarding the sale of some real estate. He becomes a prisoner in the castle, and begins to notice some rather odd things about the Count.

Later, a ship runs aground at Varna. The log reveals a strange set of circumstances on board, perhaps perpetrated by the mysterious dog that reportedly leapt ashore. The ship comes from Transylvania, near Count Dracula's castle. 

Elsewhere, Dracula locates Harker's fiancee Mina Murray and her friend Lucy. Lucy is vivacious and pretty, and so popular that she receives multiple marriage proposals in a single day. Lucy finally accepts Holmwood. But strangely, she falls ill. Lucy loses weight dramatically, and one of her suitors calls in a professor he knows, Van Helsing. Van Helsing examines Lucy and knows just what's wrong with her, but won't tell the others. When blood transfusions do not work to cure her, Van Helsing leaves to do more research. Lucy and her mother are attacked by a wolf, and both apparently die in the onslaught.

When rumors of a mysterious woman terrorizing children in the night surface, Van Helsing reveals the truth to the others: Lucy is a vampire. He rounds up a crew, and they go to track her down. Lucy's head is chopped off, her heart staked and her mouth stuffed with garlic.

Dracula doesn't like the looks of this vampire-hunting crew at all, especially when Harker and his new wife Mina join in on the frenzy. He visits her and feeds her his own blood, creating a bond with her. The two begin to communicate telepathically. Still, Dracula has to flee back to his castle. Now, Van Helsing has caught on to Mina's strangeness and he's taken to hypnotizing her. 

The crew finally collapses on the count's castle and kill him. When Dracula crumbles to ash, Mina is free. The couple lives happily ever after in the final pages of the book, a pretty tame ending for an otherwise exciting story.

Victorian readers, Stoker's peers, didn't widely love the book. It was much less popular than gothic and horror novels written by his contemporaries (like Mary Shelley), but became incredibly popular among more modern readers.

Of course, all the adaptations didn't hurt.

The Films

Stoker wrote the very first adaptation of his work, which played at the Lyceum Theater in London. Movie versions were made in the 20s, in the 30s, in the 50s, in the 90s, about 8 years ago...so far, there are around 217 films based on the book.

But the definitive Dracula was re-told on film in 1931 starring the incomparable Bela Lugosi, heralded as one of the greatest horror actors. This version greatly expands on the role of the background character Renfield, no one knows why, who becomes something of a slave to Dracula. Renfield assumes all of Jonathan Harker's early duties in the story, and becomes the lawyer who travels to the castle in Harker's stead. Harker is merely Mina's fiancee, whom Dracula meets when he makes it to London. Lucy dies a much more respectable death this time around, and Renfield has become a raving lunatic. 

Van Helsing appears again to lead the mob against Dracula. There are numerous attacks and added scenes revolving around Renfield, though Lucy does wake up and terrorize the neighborhood kids like she's supposed to. Dracula is killed in his coffin by Van Helsing and Harker, who ends up taking his lady love off to safety once more.

Two scenes were cut from the 1931 film because the Production Code of the day wouldn't allow them. One was an epilogue in which Van Helsing appears to give the audience a final fight. The scene has since been lost.

Another truly great version of the story wouldn't be made until 1992. Gary Oldman plays Dracula this time, while Winona Ryder becomes Mina. Anthony Hopkins is vampire killer Van Helsing, and Keanu Reeves is Jonathan Harker. This version rather faithfully follows the original book, though it does add a love element between Mina and Dracula and more clearly emphasizes the link between Count Dracula and Vlad the Impaler, Stoker's original inspiration for the character.

What Got Adapted?

In the book, Dracula seeks out Mina with no good intention. In the 1992 film of the same name, he's chasing Mina because he loves her. On film, the count has a former wife who killed herself, and this was not the case in the novel. In the book, Mina is very much opposed to Dracula and very engaged in hunting him down and killing him. In some circles, she's even considered to be a contemporary take on the classic Victorian female -- ahead of her time. In the book, Mina is reduced to a somewhat lovestruck little girl who attempts to save Dracula's life. Nor is Dracula the type of guy who would win a lady's heart in the novel. He's a villain through and thought in the book, and it's all rather black and white. The book Dracula would have killed her without flinching.

But the story is still pretty good, whether you read the original 1897 version or enjoy one of the films made way later. Dracula is still one of the most iconic villains ever created, and vampires are still a mainstay of fiction. You have Bram Stoker to thank for it.