Far from the Madding Crowd (1967)

Director: John Schlesinger

Writers: Thomas Hardy (from the novel by), Frederic Raphael (screenplay)

Stars: Julie Christie, Peter Finch and Alan Bates

I finished reading the book last week and I must say Thomas Hardy's 19th century novel "Far from the Madding Crowd", is truly an interesting book and a page turner. It requires a lot of patience to read it, until the whole intrigue is build up, but then you just can not think at anything else but "what's going to happen?"...it just subjugates you. And this is one thing I love about books. After turning the last page...I wanted to see if there was a movie made after the novel. So I found the 1967 version and finally last night I watched it. It's about 2h30min, so if you're not really into classics and have to do better things (like saving the world...), do no attempt to see the movie. On the other hand if you've read the book, it will be a pleasure to see how all the things and the characters come alive. The novel is vast, so from the start the movie couldn't explain all the details, that by the way are useful to know, because you'll understand the movie better. With a lot of patience you'll find, by the end of the movie, that it was worth watching it. And it's a truly remarkable experience to read the book first and enjoy the movie events after...(the right way to do it when it comes to screening a novel). So for your soul and mind, do yourself a favor and read a book! 

Hope you're having a great week, 

Love, Gab~

Bon appetit!

These are the latest books I bought. This Turkey Guide will be a real help when I'll start learning things about the turkish land and culture. In may, our theatre is invited with a performance at the "Black Sea" Int. Theatre Festival, in Trabzon. So, hope everything it's going to be fine and we'll get there safe. For an entire week I'll soak up new things about a place I've never been before. I'm excited about that. This book will be a real treasure, because wherever I go outside this country, I need to have a guide with the most important things about traditions, people, things to do, to say... I have to be prepared...and it's a matter of respect first of all for the people and for the country you step in for the first time. You can't just land there like a moron and know nothing about it. Good...I think you got the idea... :)))))))

And the above book, well it's a masterpiece when it comes to all kind of sauces! If you love to cook, then you'll definitely appreciate this Sauces dictionary! I know I will! Hope I opened up your appetite for cooking and travelling! Have a good one!

Love , Gab~

present and the future...

Currently reading...

just in... :)

just finished...

Amelie Nothomb "The Life of Hunger"- loved it, love the way Amelie writes! Plus I learn so much out of her books! Loved "Mercure" also...exciting book, great story!

diggin' & lovin'

next on the MUST READ List

The Art of the Bookplate

Bookplates...one of the many things I try to find in this country...and..yeah...no sign of them. This is not the first nore the last time I speak about books. If the world would crash and I'd still have my books, I'd be one saved person. When it comes to books ( and probably everything that I own) I love to take a lot of care of this sweet things. They are like other lives that make you forget about everything else on this planet, as soon as you turn the first page... And as part of the respect that I pay to books, no book of mine can live without a bookplate. I got really annoyed when I couldn't find any here, so I've decided to make my own. And how beautiful my books look all bookplated :)

Today I came across this:

How neat this book shoud be for a bookplates lover like me...just check this famous people bookplates :

And this one too:

Yeah...I think I made my point. Below you'll find a bit of more info about this art of bookplate:

About Ex Libris

Since the fifteenth century, distinguished artists and their patrons have given serious attention to this art form. It represents a miniature art developed to adorn books and a convenient, individualized way for the book’s owner to be identified. The bookplate, or ex libris, is a label placed on the inside of the front cover of a book.

	First known bookplate (circa 1450)
	Johannes Knabensberg - "Igler " Bookplate

Bookplates have been designed by artists and engravers such as Albrecht Dürer, Thomas Bewick, Paul Revere, Kate Greenaway, Aubrey Beardsley, Marc Chagall, M.C. Escher, Rockwell Kent, Leonard Baskin, Barry Moser, and others. Many are acknowledged for their work as book illustrators and designers. For example, Rockwell Kent made numerous contributions as book illustrator, designer and author. He was perhaps one of the most popular American bookplate artists of the century. Another important and prolific artist was Leonard Baskin, who was best known as sculptor and printmaker. He illustrated many books and created bookplates.

Thomas Bewick		Rockwell Kent
Aubrey Beardsley		Paul Revere
Leonard Baskin

The owners of bookplates are a distinguished group as well. We find that Queen Victoria of Great Britain owned a bookplate, as did George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Charles DeGaulle. Other famous people include: Harpo Marx, James Cagney, Sigmund Freud, Walt Disney, J.P. Morgan, Jack London, and the list goes on.

Queen Victoria		George Washington
Charles DeGaulle		Harpo Marx
Jack London

Many techniques and mediums are used in their creation. Some include the woodcut, engraving on metal, silk-screen, etching or pen and ink. This, along with the fact that the work is all done in small scale, plays an important part in the execution of these works. Also, utilizing the finest in papers, with hand printing in many examples.
Both institutions and individuals are patrons of this graphic art. For an institution, such as a public or private library, university, law firm or museum, the interest is in identifying a specific collection of books or multiple collections. The librarian may want to mark the time when a book was added to a collection or illustrate a special interest. For the individual, the motivation for commissioning bookplates includes this reason, along with the desire to own beautiful pieces of art, and in many cases development of an interest in collecting this art as a hobby.

Bookplate collecting began more than a century ago and has spread to most parts of the world. Idiosyncratic to this art form alone, most collections are built through the exchange of duplicate pieces. This is accomplished when collectors have one or several personal designs, in fact some collectors have hundreds specifically made for the purpose of trading with others. The goal is to increase the size and scope of their holdings. Most often these collections are organized according to artist, theme, technique, country and/or period. In an exploration of the art one will learn of vast numbers of ex libris that have been amassed, even some collections numbering the hundreds of thousands.

Ex libris enthusiasts have created an international network for the purposes of attaining designs by establishing societies in forty-one countries. Through participation in these societies worldwide friendships can grow. Every two years an International Ex Libris Congress is held in a different country inviting members of the world bookplate societies to attend. Under the auspices of the Federation International des Societes d’Amateurs d’Ex Libris (FISAE) one enjoys lectures, slide presentations, exhibitions and sufficient time is allowed for socializing and trading bookplates. This provides endless opportunities for artists and collectors to acquaint themselves with the interest and enthusiasm for this art form in other countries.

In the United States, the American Society of Bookplate Collectors and Designers (ASBC&D) was organized in 1922 to further the study and collecting of bookplates. Today, the ASBC&D membership includes more than 150 individuals and 50 institutions. The purposes of the ASBC&D as stated in the first Year Book are: “To cultivate the spirit of friendship and mutual helpfulness among collectors and designers of bookplates; and to assist in the further development of the bookplate.” This is accomplished by the publication of a Year Book, quarterly newsletter and exchange lists. There are many foreign ex libris associations with whom the Society corresponds and exchanges publications.

(info from http://www.bookplate.org/)

read, read, read

redoing old stuff

well...yeah...this is one of those simple things that life has to offer and I love doing... Sitting on the toilet with a good book and my cat. I used to do this when I little. Since I left home for building my own life, more than 6 years ago...I haven't done it anymore...maybe cause I no longer had a cat or a comfortable toilet (?)...But, as they say, nowhere's better than home. :))

Read a book!

These are the latest new books that will keep me entertained for the next weeks :) Well, I still have to finish a book by Simone de Beauvoir... But I'll do it...I just have to finish updating my blog!

See you soon!

Gab~

"One is not born a woman, but becomes one." Simone de Beauvoir

A couple of months ago, I started reading one of the books that Simone de Beauvoir wrote. From 1956 to 1958, she composed the first of a series of autobiographical volumes that covered the course of her life. "Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter" dealt with her childhood and youth to the age of twenty-one (more info here). When I read a book, I usually like to get to know better the writer. In this case, I found out that Simone was a French existentialist philosopher, public intellectual, and social theorist.

And a very peculiar detail is that she's also known for her lifelong polyamorous relationship with Jean-Paul Sartre. Other than that, I really like her style, not to mention I do match with several of her memories, conjectures, feelings...The book has around 400 pages...I only read up to page 150 today. Surely will keep myself busy the next days :)

Talk to you soon! How do you feel about her writing?

:) Enjoy your weekend!

Gab

movie(s) update pt.1

Since we got back from the festival in Braila, I only got out of the house once or twice ( when I really had to...). It was rainy outside anyway and we had some low temperatures too. I still feel very tired so I've been pampering myself with the house good cosy feeling, listening to Christmas carols (starting to get in the mood for Christmas☺), lighting scented candles, baking sweets, getting in touch with family, enjoying some good reads and discovering new (and old) movies.

One of these was "Eat, Pray, Love".

I heard a lot of good things about the book, I'm not sure if that's gonna be enough to make me buy it...but I saw the movie today. My bf fell asleep while watching it...(well, it's true he does that every time we watch a movie at a late hour...), but he admitted it was kind of boring... Well, one thing is for sure...I would also go for an year to travel the world, and why not, discover new things about people, places and myself! ☺

If you miss the "pretty woman" and you absolutely love Javier Bardem or James Franco, this two and (almost) a half hour movie, will open up your appetite for adventure and rediscovery.

...they even released a trio of fragrances branded with the three themes. "Eat" captures the scents of Italy and is food focused with notes of Italian lemon, basil and bergamot, plum, caramel, meringue and vanilla."Pray" goes for the spiritual with notes of incense, rose, patchouli, amber and musk. "Love" which showcases the writer's time in Indonesia includes notes of jasmine, sandalwood and mango blossom. The outer packaging using a similar design to the book cover.

Waiting for your comments on both the book and the movie!

Gab'

The Bread of Life

Today I got a book from a dear friend of mine from the States...Tom. A wonderful man, who did and still does a lot of good to people, a man with a great heart! This is his first book, that he was so kind to send it in paper...cause I hate reading books from a laptop. I love the old fashioned way...it's just another feeling. I hope I'll never get used to read books from a screen...

I got the book in this afternoon -> ran at the post office to get it and then to the theatre because I had a show to play.

So, here I am again...THANKS A LOT, TOM!!! This means a lot to me!

The book is called "The Bread of Life", by Tom Iselin

...at least 1000 pages to read quest

I did it...

...during summer time I can read a lot more that I am able to during theatre work that cover the rest of the year...so, for this summer, I had in mind (I made a bet with myself) to read at least 1000 book pages. Reading books is another love of mine, it's just a shame I don't have enough time to do it as much as I want it to...

Anywho...these are my 3 books that managed to keep me busy when I wasn't out, visiting places...

"The Beautiful Foreigners" by Mircea Cartarescu,

a modern romanian writer, that I love for his sarchasm and poetry of thoughts.

Then a 4 novel book from the Reader's Digest Collection...wonderful american writers (Howard Roughan, Bernard Cornwell, Stephanie Gertler, Richard Paul Evans) with captivating stories.

And the third one that made me wanna read another book by the same hungarian author,

Jókai Mór, "The Black Diamonds".

...don't just sit around...go read a book!

 Love, Gab~