NON-DEMOCRATIC DWARF TALES

NON-DEMOCRATIC DWARF TALES

The last reading I owe to Mary’s Handbook is Andrea Francavilla’s Non-Democratic Dwarf Tales.

The short stories are dwarfed in terms of length but the author’s ability to evoke situations and contexts in the space of a few words by building characters through their dialogues immediately emerges.

The short stories are not democratic, how would you personally interpret this definition?

The author mentions a friend in the acknowledgments for this very title.

These Non-Democratic Dwarf Tales have a common denominator: a rainy night.

I don’t know about you, when I think of the words ‘night’ and ‘rain’ I immediately think of the very famous phrase from the film The Crow: It can’t rain all the time.

For me it’s like a kind of mantra in difficult times.

Do you like the rain
Do you like to go out when it rains ?

The book’s protagonists are what one might call a repertoire of varied humanity and well represent hardship, frailties, mistakes, doubts, imperfections, and all the varied facets of the difficulties of living.

My compliments to the author on how he has come full circle.

Non-Democratic Dwarf Tales is a first work but I hope we will soon be able to read more by Andrea Francavilla.

In his bio he says he is convinced that behind every problem lies an opportunity and I personally have only to learn.

A HAUNTING IN VENICE

A HAUNTING IN VENICE

If I say A haunting in Venice what do you think?

Curiosity, enthusiasm, and even a little bit of awe, for me.

What happens when several things you particularly like add up by blending together?

The perfect recipe.

Though the risk increases because the expectation is high.

And I would say that this is definitely the case with A Haunting in Venice i.e., the new movie coming out in 2023 that will see Kenneth Branagh acting under the quintessential mustache: those of Hercule Poirot

The first element that strikes me: Venice!

“My” Venice, you know by now.

But which Queen Agatha book are we talking about?

A Haunting in Venice grew out of Hallowe’en party, a book published in 1969

Shall we read together a few lines from the first two pages?

Or we can listen to

Agatha Christie therefore brings us back to the subject of All Saints

But … Venice?

In a statement shared with the press, Branagh said, “This development of the character of Hercule Poirot, as well as the Agatha Christie franchise is based on a complex and little-known mystery story set on Halloween in a pictorially enchanting city...”

The screenplay is by Michael Green, among his work I would recall Blade Runner 2049 just to get your thoughts.

20th Century Studios described the adaptation, written by Michael Green, as a disturbing supernatural thriller in which Poirot, now retired in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, reluctantly attends a séance in a decaying, haunted mansion, during which one of the guests is murdered. The detective thus finds himself in a sinister world of shadows and secrets.

Certainly quite a leap of imagination from Woodleigh Common …  but if it’s jumping to Venice … we trust!

By the way, Kenneth Branagh decided to start filming right on Halloween leaving one doubt: the cast has been announced, but for now we can only speculate what the roles will be.

Do you want to give it a try?

Kyle Allen
Camille Cottin
Jamie Dorman
Tina Fey
Jude Hill
Ali Khan
Emma Laird
Kelly Reilly
Riccardo Scamarcio
Michelle Yeoh

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