Just a catch up of a couple of things related to Literary Club books read or nominated that I said I would be doing.
Dr Zhivago Movie: This sat beside the player for months before my wife and I put together the uninterrupted 3 hours to watch it. We both enjoyed it, even though my wife hasn't read the book. I haven't made up my mind whether the movie or the book should come first - with the movie I felt the time scale over which the events took place was not very clear.
Lonesome Dove TV Series: We started watching the first 1-1/2 hour episode of this last night and abandoned it around 80% of the way through and won't watch the remaining episodes. That despite it apparently being very popular when it was released (1989, if I remember correctly).
I thought its production pretty mediocre and loose (I have worked a little with TV producers and directors doing drama, documentaries, quiz shows, reality, etc.). The screenplay I couldn't comment on because the actors were trying to talk like ventriloquists so often hard to follow especially with background noises quite pumped up in the recording; I think trying to mimic a drawl.
Don't think it was just an accent thing as I have never had any problem at all while working in the USA, although I recall a couple of shop assistants having trouble with mine. For example, I discovered that in parts of the USA "ball" point pens are manufactured from "boll" weevils, apparently
. I did hear snoring coming from the direction of my wife during the playing, not sure I'm allowed to mention that though (but I will
).