Public reader discussion about Kazan in the WeRead Catalog by James Oliver Curwood.
By drizzle_brook
I’m trying to find a book where the main characters are animals—kind of like Watership Down. Fantasy is fine, or it can just be a realistic survival story. I generally like adult fiction more than YA. Any suggestions? Thanks!
By InkNight
Just finished *East of Eden* and then watched the movie, and I’m honestly kind of mad. Like, I really want to email the director and be like… what did we do to deserve that level of cutting? The book’s so layered with all these different people, and somehow the film makes it feel way too short and off. Also, whoever decided to leave out so much of Adam and Cathy stuff (no Lee, no Sam Hamilton, barely any context for how Adam and Cate shaped into who they were) really threw me. I get adapting, I really do, but I still couldn’t believe a few key moments didn’t make it. The film only really covers the 4th part, so I was prepared for some changes, but I was disappointed about Cal and Adam not having that real father/son talk. In the book that’s the big turning point where Adam finally realizes he’s not automatically any better than his own father. Then Cal finally understands what it means to love his dad as a person. It’s kind of the heart of it, and I missed it a lot—even if the movie tries to patch things up. And then there’s the German neighbor scene. I feel like that added way more of the boys’ personalities and motivations. Aron protecting the neighbor because he can’t accept cruelty—Cal doing his own impulsive “I’m going to stop this” thing and then getting knocked down for it—then all the fallout with guilt and how Abra ends up feeling about Cal… it’s a lot, but it all connects. When those pieces are missing, you can feel the gaps. I kept thinking about how much Adam and Aron mirror each other, too. Adam starts out refusing to see the bad (especially in Kate), like he’s trying to pretend things aren’t what they are. Aron just can’t accept bad at all, and it hurts him. Then Adam eventually sees it with age and feels horrible for loving Kate, and that’s when he starts pulling away—like not accepting Cal’s money, which felt like another rejection. One thing that really shocked me was how Kate dealt with Cal money instead of Lee. It goes against what she believes, but it also tells you how she’s feeling—she hates Cal, but she also can’t stand the parts of people that might still be good. Anyway, I’m still wondering: what parts did the movie get right for you, and what did it leave out that you miss the most?
By Early_Plate5379
I just did a re-read of *White Fang* and it really hit me how well Jack London writes an animal’s headspace and actions. It feels like you’re seeing things the way the animal would, not like some human in a fur coat. I read *The Call of the Wild* too (still my go-to favorite from when I was a kid), and I got that same vibe again. I’m trying to find more books with animal main characters, but without them being super “human” about it. Like, things along the lines of *White Fang*, *Call of the Wild*, *The Last Eagle*, or even the dog parts in *The Stand* (Kojak’s chapters). I’m not totally against animals talking or being “translated” into words, but it can start to feel way too humanlike pretty fast. I’ve read some that pull it off though, and that’s what I’m chasing. Also I’m not really after anything like *Watership Down* where they’re basically running a whole society with dialogue, religion, traditions, all that. I’d rather it stay closer to how real animals would be. Fantasy is fine, and mythical creatures too, as long as they still match that more animal-ish feel.
By couplet
This interview is with Roberto Calasso, and I didn’t realize he’d passed away last year. He was both an author and a publisher, and honestly just seemed like a huge brain. His books aren’t really that long, but they’re packed so tightly it feels like you have to really pay attention. He’s basically one of those literary fixtures—he ran Adelphi for forty years, which is supposed to be Italy’s top publishing house, and during that time he also put out his own books. I’ve seen that Greek myth book of his (The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony) mentioned a lot too. And he seems to represent this kind of ideal you almost don’t see anymore: someone into the more esoteric stuff, a serious collector, someone who translated Nietzsche and Karl Kraus, and an editor who’s overseeing close to ninety books a year across everything from science to poetry. The fiction list alone is wild, from Nabokov and Borges to Kundera and Bolaño—though I’m not even sure how to take that in.
By writesharbor
My absolute favorite is **The Stranger** by Albert Camus. It really clicked for me in a big way. I don’t know if I fully buy into absurdism, but I still love the book, and I was honestly really happy with how it ended. The descriptions felt super vivid when they needed to, and it seemed to be good at quietly putting deeper stuff under the surface. Every time I read it, I noticed something new, and I never once felt bored. My least favorite is **Speak** by Laurie Halse Anderson. I just couldn’t connect with the main character at all. Art is basically her whole thing, and I’m not into art at all. Even the Christmas situation didn’t help me relate—her parents get her something for Christmas, and I’ve never gotten anything like that. I could only really relate to Melinda in the sense that we’re both girls and we were around the same grade when I read it. Also, I’ve been SA’d before, but I felt really disconnected from how she handled it. I get what the book was doing, but it didn’t hit me with any strong feelings.
By james_chicago
Just finished *Watership Down* a while back, and when I was younger I went through a bunch of the *Warriors* books. I really like stories told from non-human viewpoints, especially when it’s not just “animal but basically human,” and you still get how they view people. I also read *NIMH* and *Fifteen Rabbits*, and now I’m kind of on the hunt for more fiction like that—books where the main POV character is an animal. The level of smarts varies a lot, but I think I’m drawn to animals that feel a bit closer to human personalities while still being clearly their species too. I don’t really mean bipedal or anything like that. Any suggestions?
By hidden_raven6223
I’ve always really loved the movie East of Eden, and I was a huge James Dean fan, so I figured I’d read the book. Now I can’t watch the film the same at all. I’m kind of grossed out that Lee’s character isn’t in it at all, and I’m annoyed by how Cathy seems to toss out “oh Cal” like she could really show him any kind of love. I still love the movie though—especially the whole redemption thing, with the German neighbor getting more focus instead of just being there as a little reflection from Steinbeck. But honestly… what was Elia Kazan thinking? Lee is basically the whole backbone of the book. I do love that John Steinbeck (supposedly) said something like “Jesus Christ, he is Cal” after meeting Dean, because I can’t imagine anyone remaking that film without James Dean and it feeling right. So yeah, I’m totally blown away by East of Eden, but I’m also just endlessly disappointed in the movie leaving Lee out. I guess I’ll have to keep the book and the film in separate boxes so I can enjoy both.
By nebula_desert
Ugh, I feel like they’re gonna mess this up badly. Like, they already filmed it in New Zealand instead of California, so I’m not super hopeful…
By YellowVelvet7
Hey everyone—I'm trying to broaden what I read a bit. Any suggestions for really good books from around the world (not the US/UK kind of stuff)? I can only do things that are available in English translation though. Edit: I’ve read some Russian stuff already (like Bulgakov and Tolstoy) and liked it a lot. I haven’t really gotten into South American, Middle Eastern, or Asian literature yet, so I’d love recommendations in those directions. Thanks!